Documents and laws

India visa on arrival

India's visa on arrival is open to nationals of three countries only: Japan, South Korea and the UAE (Emiratis only if they have held an Indian visa before). It costs ₹2,000, allows up to 60 days with two entries, and is issued at six or nine big airports. Everyone else needs an e-Visa approved before the flight.

The short answer

"Visa on arrival" sounds like the easy way into India. In practice it exists for three nationalities only:

Japan
Republic of Korea (South Korea)
United Arab Emirates, and only for UAE nationals who have held an Indian e-Visa or regular visa before

Everyone else, including passport holders from the more than 170 countries and territories eligible for an e-Visa, has to apply online and wait for the ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) to be granted before flying. The portal says it plainly: the application must be filled online and the applicant must wait for the grant of the ETA before travelling to India.

If your passport is not Japanese, Korean or Emirati, stop searching for a visa on arrival and go to the e-Visa portal.

Visa on arrival at a glance

Rules as published by the Bureau of Immigration (BOI), which runs immigration at Indian airports.

Who	Nationals of Japan, the Republic of Korea and the UAE. UAE nationals qualify only if they previously obtained an Indian e-Visa or a regular (sticker) visa.
Purposes	Tourism, business, conference and medical visits, including treatment under AYUSH (Indian systems of medicine).
Length of stay	Up to 60 days, with double entry (you may leave and come back once within the validity).
Airports: Japan and Korea	Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad.
Airports: UAE	Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kozhikode (Calicut), Ahmedabad.
Fee	₹2,000 or the equivalent in foreign currency per passenger, children included (MHA for Japanese nationals; Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi for UAE nationals).
Extension	None. The VoA is non-extendable and non-convertible.
Not available to	Holders of diplomatic or official passports, and anyone who, or whose parent or grandparent, was born in or was a permanent resident of Pakistan.

👣 How it works at the airport

The procedure is described by the Ministry of Home Affairs for Japanese nationals and by the Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi for UAE nationals.

Fly into a designated airport
Only the six (Japan, Korea) or nine (UAE) airports in the table issue a visa on arrival. Landing in Goa or Jaipur without another visa does not work.
Submit the e-Arrival Card
Fill it in online within 72 hours before landing. The UAE embassy lists it among the required documents.
Fill in the VoA form
An application form is completed for the Visa Counter (the UAE embassy publishes it as Annexure-A).
Go to the Visa Counter
The immigration officer checks eligibility and takes the fee.
Get the stamp
The officer stamps the visa on arrival into the passport, valid up to 60 days.

✅ What to carry

From the Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi checklist. Immigration may ask for any of these.

Passport — Valid for at least six months, with two blank pages.
VoA application form — Filled in, ready for the Visa Counter.
e-Arrival Card confirmation — A PDF or a screenshot that opens offline.
Return or onward ticket — Proof that you will leave India.
Proof of funds and accommodation — A hotel booking or a host address, and money for the stay.
Fee — ₹2,000 or the equivalent in foreign currency.

Why everyone else needs an e-Visa

For most nationalities the e-Visa does the job a visa on arrival does elsewhere, with one difference: the approval comes before the flight.

Apply on indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa at least 4 days before arrival; the window opens up to 120 days ahead.
Pay the fee online. It depends on nationality; a 3% bank charge is added, and the fee is not refunded if the ETA is refused.
Wait for the email confirming the ETA, print it and carry it.
At one of the designated airports, immigration takes your biometrics and stamps the e-Visa into the passport.

That airport stamp is why people often call the e-Visa a "visa on arrival". The decision, though, is made online in advance, and without a granted ETA there is nothing to stamp.

No visa at all. Citizens of Nepal and Bhutan travelling from their own countries do not need an Indian visa (coming from China, Hong Kong, Macau or Pakistan, they do). Maldivians can visit without a visa for business, medical treatment or tourism for up to 90 days, counting all stays in the preceding six months. None of this is a visa on arrival either.

Where the confusion comes from

The phrase has a history. In November 2014 India launched what it then called the "Tourist Visa on Arrival enabled with Electronic Travel Authorization" (TVoA-ETA) for 43 countries. It was an online pre-approval with a stamp at the airport, and it later grew into today's e-Visa. The portal address still ends in `tvoa.html`.

Before that, a true visa on arrival had existed for a few nationalities, and Korea had one briefly in 2014 before the online scheme replaced it. Japan got its current visa on arrival on 1 March 2016 (30 days at first), Korea on 1 October 2018, and the rule now runs to 60 days with double entry.

Search results add to the fog: many commercial sites advertise an "India visa on arrival" and sell what is in fact an e-Visa application, at a mark-up. The Embassy of India in Astana warns that fake e-Visa sites take money and misuse personal data.

Do not fly hoping for a visa at the airport

If you are not a Japanese, Korean or eligible UAE national, there is no counter in India that will issue you a visa on arrival. Board only with a granted ETA or a visa already in your passport. The only official site is indianvisaonline.gov.in; the government e-Visa helpdesk is +91 82780 87808, indian-evisa@gov.in.

First trip on a UAE passport

A UAE national who has never had an Indian visa cannot use the visa on arrival yet. The first trip goes on an e-Visa or a regular visa; after that the visa on arrival opens up, with no limit on how often it is used. Per the embassy, an earlier Indian visa counts even if you never travelled on it or have since renewed your passport.

❓ Questions people ask

Can I get a visa on arrival in India with a US, UK or EU passport?

No. Visa on arrival is only for Japan, the Republic of Korea and some UAE nationals. US, UK and EU citizens apply for an e-Visa online before travelling.

How much is the visa on arrival?

₹2,000 or the equivalent in foreign currency per person, children included, as published for Japanese and UAE nationals.

How long can I stay on a visa on arrival?

Up to 60 days, with two entries allowed within that period. It cannot be extended.

Can I get a visa on arrival in Goa?

No. Japanese and Korean nationals get it at six airports and UAE nationals at nine; Goa is on neither list. Goa's airports accept e-Visa holders.

Is the e-Visa the same as a visa on arrival?

No. The e-Visa is approved online before you fly and only stamped at the airport; a visa on arrival is decided at the airport counter.

Can I switch a visa on arrival to another visa in India?

No. It is non-extendable and non-convertible. If you need a different purpose or a longer stay, apply for the right visa before you travel.

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