How Can Apply for India E-Tourist Visa for Russian citizens

India and Russia enjoy a strong strategic, economic and military relationship. Tourists from Russia contribute around 7% of the total number of tourists to India. The government of India introduced E-Visas in 2015 making it easier to get India E-Tourist Visa for Russian citizens. India has seen a steady increase in the number of tourists after implementation of E-Visas. E-Visas made the entire visa process a lot easier than how it was before.

Do Russian citizens need a visa for travel to India?

Yes, all Russian citizens visiting India must possess a valid travel authorization before arriving in India. Foreign citizens arriving at Indian ports without a valid visa will not be given permission to enter the country; therefore it is mandatory to have a visa before arriving in India.

Is it possible to get Visa on arrival in India for Russian citizens?

The government of India replaced its existing visa on arrival system with ETVs in 2015 so it is not possible to get the visa on arrival. E-Visas cannot be applied offline. The online application takes a minimum of 2 days to be approved; therefore the application has to be made at least 4 days prior to your journey to India.

Choosing the right visa suiting your need is as important as having a valid visa. India provides basically two kinds of visas:-

E-Visas - These are electronic visas with shorter validity. Foreign citizens who want to visit India for short duration medical treatment, business purpose or for tourism can avail this visa.

Regular visas - These visas are also called sticker visas as the visas are stuck on to your passport. Sticker visas hold multiple entry benefits along with a validity of up to 10 years. Unlike E-Visas, sticker visas cannot be applied online. One has to fix an appointment with the concerned Indian embassy and apply in person.

Regular visas include Conference Visa, Diplomatic Visa, Employment Visa, Emergency Visa, Entry Visa, Journalist Visa, Medical Visa Missionaries Visa, and Tourist visa, Permit to re-enter within 2 months, Research Visa, Student Visa Transit Visa, Intern Visa, and Film Visa.

If you plan on applying through a visa agent, they accept photos and scanned copies in any format or size. The India visa agent with whom we do business with accepts photographs shot on your mobile phones. They will later edit the photos and scanned copies to the needed specification.

If you wish to apply for an India E-Tourist visa on your own you need to keep all the documents ready for the required specification. Even a slight variation from the said specification will result in rejection of your application. You need to be very careful while uploading the documents.

What is the Eligibility for Indian tourist visa | E-visa

Tourism has grown leaps and bounds over the years in India, with each region contributing something to its splendor and exuberance. India's rich cultural diversity reflects through its people, languages, cuisine, traditions, customs, music, dance, religious practices, and festivals, its holistic healing traditions, art and craft.

To make travel to India trouble-free and unforgettable for foreign tourists, the Government of India launched e-Tourist Visa External Website that opens in a new window on November 27, 2014 to 43 countries from nine designated Indian Airports. The e-Tourist Visa facility - External Website that opens in a new window was extended to the nationals of 31 countries in May 2015. The total number of countries under the scheme is 76. The scheme will be extended to more countries in a phased manner. The Government is aiming to extend this scheme to 150 countries to encourage and promote tourism in India.

E-Tourist Visa Facility:

External Website that opens in a new window is currently available for holders of passport of following countries; Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Cayman Island, Chile, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Indonesia, Israel, Japan.

Eligibility for the scheme:

International Travelers whose sole objective of visiting India is recreation, sightseeing, casual visit to meet friends or relatives, short duration medical treatment or casual business visit.

ü  Passport should have at least six months validity from the date of arrival in India. The passport should have at least two blank pages for stamping by the Immigration Officer.

ü  International Travelers should have a return ticket or onward journey ticket, with sufficient money to spend during his/her stay in India.

ü  International Travelers having Pakistani Passport or Pakistani origin may please apply for regular Visa at Indian Mission.

ü  Not available to Diplomatic/Official Passport Holders. Not available to individuals endorsed on Parent's/Spouse's Passport i.e. each individual should have a separate passport.

ü  Not available to International Travel Document holders.

Instructions for e-Tourist Visa:

ü  Applicants of the eligible countries may apply online visa minimum 4 days in advance of the date of arrival with a window of 30 days. Example: If you are applying on 1st Sept. then the applicant can select arrival date from 5th Sept. to 4th Oct.

ü  Recent front-facing photograph with white background and photo page of Passport containing personal details like name, date of birth, nationality, expiry date etc. to be uploaded by the applicant. The application is liable to be rejected if the uploaded document and photograph are not clear/as per specification.

ü  Applicant should carry a copy of eTV - External Website that opens in a new window along with him/her at the time of travel.

ü  Biometric details of the applicant will be mandatorily captured at Immigration on arrival in India.

ü  The validity of visa will be 30 days from the date of arrival in India.

ü  eTV - External Website that opens in a new window is valid for entry through 9 designated Airports i.e. Bengaluru, Chennai, Cochin, Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai & Trivandrum. However, the foreigner can take an exit from any of the authorized Immigration Check Posts (ICPs) in India.

ü  This facility is in addition to the existing Visa services.

Indian Visa Information | Indian E Tourist Visa

Visa Procurement:

Please be advised that visa requirements are subject to change and that visa procurement is the responsibility of the traveler and not On the Go Tours. Please also ensure that your passport is valid for at least 6 months from your planned date of departure from India.

After booking your holiday, please provide us with your passport details as soon as possible so that we can proceed to book trains and flights tickets on your behalf if included in your holiday.

All foreign nationals must obtain a visa for a visit to India, as well as Nepal or Sri Lanka if joining our Highway to Himalayas or Delhi to Colombo tours, or any tailor-made holidays which combine India with these countries.

It is essential that your Indian visa is obtained prior to travel. India does accept some nationalities on a visa-upon-arrival basis; however please check before travel if you are eligible.

India Visa Requirements for UK, AU, NZ, US & Canadian Residents:

UK, Australian, New Zealand, USA and Canadian passport holders can take advantage of India's online visa service (subject to eligibility). Information about the e-Tourist Visa (eTV) process can be found at: Indian E Tourist Visa

The online application should be submitted a minimum of 4 working days and a maximum of 120 days in advance of the proposed date of arrival. Entry to India must be within 120 days of the eTV approval date and the visa is valid for 60 days from arrival.

To apply online you'll need to complete the application form, upload a copy of your passport data page, upload a passport sized photograph (full face, front view, and eyes open, white background with no shadow) and pay the visa cost.

After submitting your application, you will receive a receipt number and within the coming days (the Government of India notes this as 4 days) you will receive authorization.

You will need to print a copy of this document to check-in for your flight and again at immigration when arriving in India. You are also required to carry a copy of the eTV at all times during your stay. These are 60 days, double-entry visas and are valid for entry into 16 designated airports: Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bengaluru, Chennai, Cochin, Delhi, Gaya, Goa, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Tiruchirapalli, Trivandrum & Varanasi.  

How to Apply for Indian Visa Processing for UK Citizens

Processing times vary for each application; it is typically between 3-5 business days, you will also need to add some time for your passport and visa to be sent back to you. If you are collecting the passport and visa from the center, then this is typically faster.

How to Apply For an Indian Visa from the UK – Starting the Application:

Page 1- Visa Application:

Step 1- Click through to the Online Visa Application

Select Country – United Kingdom

Insert- DOB, Email, Date of Arrival

Select - Tourist Visa and select purpose that best matches your trip.

Page 2- Applicant Details Form:

Applicant Details- Complete all fields for the person wishing to obtain a long-term Tourist Visa, for Citizenship ID No insert- NA.

Passport Details- Insert the details of the person wishing to obtain a long-term Tourist Visa.

Click Save and Continue (orange button)

Page 3- Applicants Address/Family Details/Marital Status/Occupation/Military Experience:

Applicants Address Details – Present Address and Permanent Address, if they are the same tick the box.

Family Details – Father and Mothers Name, Nationality, Place of Birth (Town), Country of Birth.

Marital Status – Single or Married, provide details if married.

Parents/Grandparents Pakistan Nationals or Belong to Pakistan Area– If yes provide information.

Profession/Occupation of Traveler – Present Occupation (select from list), Employer/Business Name, Address, Past Occupation, if any, Military Services (Yes/No- if yes provide details)

When this section of the form is complete, click Save and Continue (orange button) at the bottom of the form.

Page 4- Details of Visa, Previous Visa Information, and Countries Visited in 10 Years, SAARC Countries, and References:

All applicants requiring 4 years or less can make a postal application. After deciding the duration of your visa, complete the first section of the form.

Places to be Visited – Insert places in India planning to visit into box one and two if required. Of course, if you change plans once in India, it’s not a big deal. At least get the flying into and out of destination on there.

Duration of Visa– Please insert the duration in months- so 1 year would be 12, 1.5 years would be 18 etc.

No of Entries– This means how many times you can re-enter India, as there is no cost difference between single and multiple entries, its best to select multiple unless you know you will only travel to India once whilst the visa is active.

Port of Arrival- Please inserts the Airport/Sea Port city you are planning to enter India, eg Mumbai.

Expected Port of Exit- This is not a mandatory field but if you know, please enter the airport or port you have booked to leave India.

How to apply for an Indian visa from the USA | Indian E Tourist Visa

If you want to stay in India for longer than 60 days then an e-visa will not be appropriate for you.  This article is going to explain step by step, in-depth, how to apply for an Indian visa from the UK. I have a similar post on how to apply for an Indian visa from the USA. I am from the USA so wrote that post as I did my own application and my boyfriend, Ben, is from the UK so he wrote this post as he applied and took care to show you every single step so you won’t make any mistakes.

Indian Visa Processing Time for UK Citizens:

Processing times vary for each application; it is typically between 3-5 business days, you will also need to add some time for your passport and visa to be sent back to you. If you are collecting the passport and visa from the center, then this is typically faster.

How to Apply For an Indian Visa from the UK – Starting the Application:

Step 1- Click through to the Online Visa Application.

Select Country– United Kingdom

If you live in Scotland you must select “UK- Edinburgh” as Mission, while filling the online application form.

If you want to do a postal application please select UK-London. Visa applications by post can be made as long as it less than 5-year visa duration. ALL applicants requiring a 5-year tourist visa will need to make an appointment application as biometric information is required.

Insert- DOB, Email, Date of Arrival

Select - Tourist Visa and select purpose that best matches your trip.

Applicant Details- Complete all fields for the person wishing to obtain a long-term Tourist Visa, for Citizenship ID No insert- NA.

Passport Details- Insert the details of the person wishing to obtain a long-term Tourist Visa.

Applicants Address Details – Present Address and Permanent Address, if they are the same tick the box.

Family Details – Father and Mothers Name, Nationality, Place of Birth (Town), Country of Birth.

Marital Status– Single or Married, provide details if married.

Places to be Visited – Insert places in India planning to visit into box one and two if required. Of course, if you change plans once in India, it’s not a big deal. At least get the flying into and out of destination on there.

Duration of Visa – Please insert the duration in months- so 1 year would be 12, 1.5 years would be 18 etc.

Port of Arrival - Please inserts the Airport/Sea Port city you are planning to enter India, eg Mumbai.

Expected Port of Exit - This is not a mandatory field but if you know, please enter the airport or port you have booked to leave India.

Online Visa Application | Indian E-Tourist Visa

Please note that the online application system for Indian visas is now in effect. Hand-written applications on the old visa form will not be accepted by the Embassy. Please be aware that some websites have incorporated the application form and charge a fee for filling the application. Please make sure you are filling in the form at the official web site above. There is no charge for filling the form, and all payments to the Embassy must be made in cash in Kuna at the consular counter when submitting your printed application.

Applicants not ordinarily resident in Croatia and Sri Lankan nationals are required to complete an additional form. Pakistani nationals have to fill special visa application forms.

Processing Time:

Processing time for visa applications will normally be two working days for holders of Croatian passports. Processing time for all other applicants (those with dual citizenship and non-Croatian passports) is seven working days.

In case of a genuine emergency when a visa is required to be issued before the normal processing time of three days, an Emergency Visa Fee will be charged in addition to the normal visa fee. Such emergency visas will be issued only to holders of Croatian passports. Please note that purchase of a ticket is not considered an emergency.

In the following cases processing of applications could take longer:

Croatian nationals holding dual nationality or of other origins

ü  Applicants not resident in Croatia

ü  Where clearance from India is mandatory

ü  Visitors to restricted areas

ü  Certain cases where documents may need to be verified

Please note that each application is examined individually and the time taken for issuing visas will vary from case to case.

Visitors to restricted/protected areas in India need special permits and for this purpose, an additional form has to be completed. Please contact the Consular Section of this Embassy, if you wish to ascertain whether any of the places you intend to visit fall in the category of restricted/protected areas.

LOTUS TEMPLE in Delhi | Indian E Tourist Visa

East of Nehru place, this temple is built in the shape of a lotus flower and is the last of seven Major Bahai's temples built around the world. Completed in1986 it is set among the lush green landscaped gardens. The structure is made up of pure white marble The architect Furiburz Sabha chose the lotus as the symbol common to Hinduism, Buddhism, Bhai TempleJainism, and Islam. Adherents of any faith are free to visit the temple and pray or meditate. Around the blooming petals, there are nine pools of water, which light up, in natural light. It looks spectacular at dusk when it is floodlit. the Lotus Temple is open to all, regardless of religion or any other qualification. The building is composed of 27 free-standing marble-clad "petals" arranged in clusters of three to form nine sides. Contact Us:
To Know More Details: https://goo.gl/EvRn18 Email: support@indianetouristvisa.co.in USA +16674016132 UK +442035002730 AUS +61283111552 IND +91 9821868716