• India e-Visa 2026: Complete Guide to 51 Entry Points & 1-Year Validity for Foreign Tourists
  • What Changed in April 2026
  • The Complete List of 51 Entry Points
    • Airports
    • Seaports
  • Revised Fee Slabs (April 2026)
  • Step-by-Step Application Timeline
    • 90 Days Before Travel
    • 30 Days Before Travel
    • 7 Days Before Travel
    • Day of Arrival
  • The Definitive Checklist Tourists Need
  • Pro Tips Most Guides Miss
  • When to Use a Consultant
  • Final Word

§India e-Visa 2026: Complete Guide to 51 Entry Points & 1-Year Validity for Foreign Tourists

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) rolled out sweeping changes to India’s electronic visa programme in April 2026, expanding the number of authorised entry points to 51 and extending the standard tourist e-visa validity to a full 365 days. For foreign tourists planning a multi-city trip — say, Delhi to Jaipur to Goa to Bengaluru — these revisions are a quiet game-changer.

As Indian-based SmotVisa visa consultants handling inbound queries every week, we’ve put together this consolidated resource so travel agencies, tourism boards and individual tourists can navigate the new rules without guesswork.

§What Changed in April 2026

• 51 designated entry points (up from 29): a mix of international airports and seaports
• 365-day validity as the default for the standard tourist e-visa
• Revised fee slabs based on nationality and season (peak vs. off-peak)
• Multiple-entry permitted within the validity window for most nationalities
• Stay-per-visit cap of typically 90 days; up to 180 days for select nationalities

§The Complete List of 51 Entry Points

§Airports

1. Delhi (DEL)
2. Mumbai (BOM)
3. Bengaluru (BLR)
4. Chennai (MAA)
5. Kolkata (CCU)
6. Hyderabad (HYD)
7. Ahmedabad (AMD)
8. Kochi (COK)
9. Goa — Dabolim (GOI)
10. Goa — Mopa (GOX)
11. Jaipur (JAI)
12. Amritsar (ATQ)
13. Trivandrum (TRV)
14. Calicut (CCJ)
15. Mangaluru (IXE)
16. Pune (PNQ)
17. Lucknow (LKO)
18. Varanasi (VNS)
19. Gaya (GAY)
20. Guwahati (GAU)
21. Bagdogra (IXB)
22. Bhubaneswar (BBI)
23. Coimbatore (CJB)
24. Tiruchirappalli (TRZ)
25. Madurai (IXM)
26. Visakhapatnam (VTZ)
27. Vijayawada (VGA)
28. Tirupati (TIR)
29. Indore (IDR)
30. Nagpur (NAG)
31. Chandigarh (IXC)
32. Srinagar (SXR)
33. Jammu (IXJ)
34. Patna (PAT)
35. Ranchi (IXR)
36. Raipur (RPR)
37. Surat (STV)
38. Rajkot (HDD)
39. Imphal (IMF)
40. Port Blair (IXZ)
41. Jolly Grant — Dehradun (DED)

§Seaports

1. Mumbai Seaport
2. Chennai Seaport
3. Cochin Seaport
4. Goa Seaport (Mormugao)
5. Mangaluru Seaport
6. New Mangalore Seaport
7. Kolkata Seaport
8. Tuticorin Seaport
9. Visakhapatnam Seaport
10. Krishnapatnam Seaport

§Revised Fee Slabs (April 2026)

Fees are tier-based by nationality. Approximate USD equivalents (paid in USD at application):

• Tier 1 nationalities (most European countries, ASEAN): typically USD 25–40 for 30-day; USD 80–100 for 1-year
• Tier 2 nationalities (USA, UK, Canada, Australia): typically USD 100–150 for 1-year multiple-entry
• Tier 3 nationalities: typically USD 80 flat
• Peak season surcharge (Nov–Mar): adds approximately USD 25
• Bank/processing charges through Indian banks: typically ₹200–₹500 if paid via INR card

Always confirm current fees on the official indianvisaonline.gov.in portal before applying.

§Step-by-Step Application Timeline

§90 Days Before Travel

• Confirm your passport has 6+ months validity and 2 blank pages
• Decide your intended port of entry from the 51-airport/seaport list
• Bookmark SmotVisa’s free visa guides for country-specific quirks

§30 Days Before Travel

• Upload passport bio-page scan (PDF, under 300 KB)
• Upload recent photograph (2x2 inches, white background, JPG under 1 MB)
• Pay the application fee online

§7 Days Before Travel

• Most e-visas are issued in approximately 72–96 hours
• Print the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) — carry two copies

§Day of Arrival

• Present ETA + passport at the designated e-visa counter
• Biometrics captured on arrival

§The Definitive Checklist Tourists Need

• ☐ Passport valid 6+ months beyond travel date
• ☐ At least 2 blank pages in passport
• ☐ Digital passport bio-page scan (PDF, <300 KB)
• ☐ Recent passport photo (JPG, <1 MB, white background)
• ☐ Return or onward flight ticket
• ☐ Proof of accommodation (hotel booking or invitation letter)
• ☐ Sufficient funds proof — bank statement or credit card
• ☐ Valid international debit/credit card for fee payment
• ☐ Email address that you’ll actively check
• ☐ Confirmed entry port matches one of the 51 designated points
• ☐ Printed ETA (carry 2 copies)
• ☐ Yellow Fever vaccination certificate (if arriving from listed countries)

§Pro Tips Most Guides Miss

1. Goa now has two e-visa airports — Dabolim and the newer Mopa. Confirm which one your airline lands at before submitting.
2. Seaport arrivals require a printed manifest from your cruise operator — many tourists are turned back at Cochin Seaport for missing this.
3. Mismatch in passport name and ETA is the single most common rejection trigger. Match exactly, including middle names.
4. Yellow Fever certificate is mandatory if you’ve transited (even for 2 hours) through African or South American countries.
5. The 1-year validity counts from issue date, not first entry — so don’t apply 11 months in advance.
6. Off-peak applications (April–September) tend to process faster — typically within 48 hours.

§When to Use a Consultant

Most straightforward tourist applications can be self-filed. Consider professional help if:

• You have a prior visa rejection from any country
• You hold dual nationality or a refugee travel document
• You’re applying for a journalist, conference, or medical-attendant visa instead
• Your passport name doesn’t match your ticket exactly

If any of those apply, get expert visa help from SmotVisa — our Bengaluru and Ahmedabad teams handle inbound tourist applications daily and can review documents before you submit.

§Final Word

The April 2026 MHA reforms have made India one of the most accessible major destinations in Asia. With 51 entry points, year-long validity and clearer fee tiers, the friction for foreign tourists is genuinely lower — provided you apply with the correct documents and arrive at a designated port. Bookmark this guide, share it with your travel group, and confirm the latest fees on the official portal before you pay.

About SmotVisa — India’s trusted visa consultancy serving travellers across 50+ countries from Bengaluru and Ahmedabad. For personalised visa guidance, document checks and end-to-end application support, visit smotvisa.com.

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