There is a lot of planning going into traveling. You have to take care of every aspect, besides the destination, of course. The hotel, the transportation, and the entire itinerary are just a few details that are on your mind constantly. But that is a good thing. The more you think about it all, the more successful your trip will be. Just don’t be too stressed about it, or it will ruin the whole experience.
If you plan on going to India, one of the things you need to know is that it requires a visa for you to get in. But don’t get frowny just yet. India is among the countries that allow non-citizens to get a visa online. All you have to do is apply for an India e-visa, and you can be there in the next 24 hours if you like.
What are the steps?
You can’t talk too much about steps when there are only two of them, can you? Because that is exactly the case with an India e-visa. The things you need to do will last just a few minutes. Just make sure that you have all the documents at hand. You need a passport, a recent digital photo of yourself, and a credit/debit card or a Paypal account. The first part of the process requires you to fill in a form, and the second part includes a personal questionnaire and photo uploads of the documents I mentioned above. That’s pretty much it.
The whole process is quite straightforward, but if you find yourself in need of assistance, there is a helpline available 24/7.
What are the costs?
The price is different for different nationalities, but it doesn’t get higher than 97$. The standard service fee is 35$, but it increases according to which processing package you choose. If you go for the Rush Processing, you need to pay an extra 30$, and if you want the Super Rush Processing, an extra 65$ will be added to your bill. In certain circumstances, the Super Rush Processing makes sense, like when there is an emergency. Otherwise, there is no point in spending 65$ so that you could have your visa in 18 hours. Three business days (standard processing) is not very long.
Is the visa refundable?
Let’s hope that you won’t be using this piece of information, but just in case you applied for an Indian e-visa and something comes up, you can get a full refund. However, there is one condition. The application must not have been submitted to the Indian Government. Otherwise, there is no chance for you to get your money back.
Points of entry
You can apply to get an e-visa for India, but only if you arrive at the destination by plane on one of the 16 listed airports. If you cross the border by car, or if you want to go there by cruise ship, I am afraid that you are required to apply for a visa at the Indian consulate in your country.
It’s good to know that the world is moving on and that technology can take over processes that otherwise last for too long. It’s easier for both the officials and yourself. You get to secure your entry in a foreign country sitting on your couch or at your desk. It doesn’t get any easier than that.
