AS A CANADIAN, AM I REQUIRED TO SECURE AN INDIAN TOURIST VISA BEFORE I ARRIVE IN INDIA OR AM I ABLE TO OBTAIN THE VISA ON ARRIVAL IN INDIA?

Canadian nationals do require a tourist visa in India. A small ask for the great rewards and experiences awaiting those visiting India and all it has to offer. To make it even easier, Canadians need not visit the Consulate to apply for an India tourist visa if they comply with the conditions for an e-Visa for which application and submission are made entirely online.

While India does offer a Tourist Visa on Arrival, the Government of India introduced this scheme for the nationals of eleven countries, not including Canada:

Japan, Singapore, the Philippines, Finland, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Indonesia.

Holders of the Tourist Visa on Arrival (TVOA) are eligible when visiting India for recreational reasons, sightseeing, visiting residents or relatives, for short duration medical treatment or casual business visits only. They cannot have a permanent residence or occupation in India and must provide proof of assured financial standing, have a return ticket and sufficient funds for the duration of the stay in India.

eVisa

Canadian citizens and the nationals of the following countries are however eligible to apply for the Indian tourist visa through the online process:

  • Albania
  • Andorra
  • Angola
  • Anguilla
  • Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina
  • Armenia
  • Aruba
  • Australia
  • Austria
  • Azerbaijan
  • Bahamas
  • Barbados
  • Belgium
  • Belize
  • Bolivia
  • Bosnia & Herzegovina
  • Botswana
  • Brazil
  • Brunei
  • Bulgaria
  • Burundi
  • Cambodia
  • Cameroon Union Republic
  • Canada
  • Cape Verde
  • Cayman Island
  • Chile
  • China
  • China- SAR Hong Kong China- SAR Macau
  • Colombia
  • Comoros
  • Cook Islands
  • Costa Rica
  • Cote d’Ivoire
  • Croatia
  • Cuba
  • Cyprus
  • Czech Republic
  • Denmark
  • Djibouti
  • Dominica
  • Dominican Republic
  • East Timor
  • Ecuador
  • El Salvador
  • Eritrea
  • Estonia
  • Fiji
  • Finland
  • France
  • Gabon
  • Gambia
  • Georgia
  • Germany
  • Ghana
  • Greece
  • Grenada
  • Guatemala
  • Guinea
  • Guyana
  • Haiti
  • Honduras
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • Indonesia
  • Iran
  • Ireland
  • Israel
  • Italy
  • Jamaica
  • Japan
  • Jordan
  • Kazakhstan
  • Kenya
  • Kiribati
  • Kyrgyzstan
  • Laos
  • Latvia
  • Lesotho
  • Liberia
  • Liechtenstein
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg
  • Madagascar
  • Malawi
  • Malaysia
  • Mali
  • Malta
  • Marshall Islands
  • Mauritius
  • Mexico
  • Micronesia
  • Moldova
  • Monaco
  • Mongolia
  • Montenegro
  • Montserrat
  • Mozambique
  • Myanmar
  • Namibia
  • Nauru
  • Netherlands
  • New Zealand
  • Nicaragua
  • Niger Republic
  • Niue Island
  • Norway
  • Oman
  • Palau
  • Palestine
  • Panama
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Paraguay
  • Peru
  • Philippines
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Qatar
  • Republic of Korea
  • Republic of Macedonia Romania
  • Russia
  • Rwanda
  • Saint Christopher and Nevis Saint Lucia
  • Saint Vincent & the Grenadines
  • Samoa
  • San Marino
  • Senegal
  • Serbia
  • Seychelles
  • Sierra Leone
  • Singapore
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • Solomon Islands
  • South Africa
  • Spain
  • Sri Lanka
  • Suriname
  • Swaziland
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • Taiwan
  • Tajikistan
  • Tanzania, Thailand, Tonga
  • Trinidad & Tobago
  • Turks & Caicos Island
  • Tuvalu
  • UAE
  • Uganda
  • Ukraine
  • United Kingdom
  • Uruguay
  • USA
  • Uzbekistan
  • Vanuatu
  • Vatican City-Holy See Venezuela
  • Vietnam
  • Zambia and
  • Zimbabwe

Canadians are permitted to apply for the online India tourist visa twice a year for visits of not more than 60 days. Depending on the nature of the visit, the applicants may apply for any one of these 3 sub-categories of online India tourist visa: e-Tourist visa, e-Business Visa, and e-Medical visa. Double entry is permitted on the e-Tourist Visa and e-Business Visa, while e-Medical Visa holders are allowed triple entry. The visa duration is non-extendable, although applicants are encouraged to apply for the regular Indian tourist visa for longer-term visas.

Application for the online India tourist visa cannot be made by:

  • International travelers of Pakistani origin or holding a Pakistani Passport
  • Diplomatic/official passport holders
  • Individuals endorsed on parent’s/spouse’s passport
  • International Travel Document holders

Application for the online India tourist visa must be made at least 4 days before the intended travel date.

Canadians will receive the e-TV in PDF format via email upon their successful application and are required to print this authorization and carry it on their person while traveling to and within India. An immigration officer will capture the biometrics of the holder of an approved e-TV tourist visa upon arrival at the airport in India. While a tourist may exit from any of the authorized Immigration Check Posts within India, the eVisa is only accepted for entry at 28 designated airports and 5 seaports. The airports are:

Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bagdogra, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Calicut, Chennai, Chandigarh, Cochin, Coimbatore, Delhi, Gaya, Goa, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kochi, Kolkata, Kozhikode,

Lucknow, Madurai, Mangalore, Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune, Port Blair, Tiruchirapalli, Trivandrum, Visakhapatnam, & Varanasi.

Entry is permitted through these 5 designated seaports:

Cochin, Goa, Mangalore, Mumbai, and Chennai.

The online process for application for the e-Visa is as follows:

  • Step1:   Apply on-line.
    Make sure that the information provided on your visa application is exactly the same as it appears in your passport
  • Step2:   Make an online payment
  • Step3:   Check your e-mail

The e-Visa is sent to your email in PDF format

To apply for Indian Tourist visa, the following documents/attachments are required:

  • Scanned the first page of passport in PDF format, between 10 KB and 300 KB
  • Digital photograph in JPEG format between 10 KB and 1 MB in size, of equal height and width (i.e., square), and without borders. The image must be full face, front view, with eyes open showing full head from top of hair to bottom of chin, exactly centered, against a plain light colored or white background.

The cost of the Indian tourist visa for Canadian citizens fee depends on the type and duration of the visa for which application is made. The Visa fee is made up of a basic fee, special fee, and processing fee charged by the agency. At the end of the online registration process, the basic fee is displayed, which is indicative only. The final fee is charged upon submission, and is nonrefundable, regardless of whether the visa application is granted, withdrawn, or is of shorter duration than that applied for. Further information can be found on the Consulate site for the applicable region or an Indian Visa Application center office.

Know which visa you need before you apply

The following Visas are available according to the reasons for the visit to India, the most common of which will be further outlined: Emergency, Employment, Entry, Journalist, Research, Transit, and Volunteer.

e-Tourist Visa

The e-Tourist Visa India is for tourist visits for recreation, casual visits, and short stay business purposes, for:

  • Stays not exceeding 60 days
  • Entry through one of the designated international airports or seaports
  • International travelers are visiting India for recreation, visiting residents or relatives, sightseeing, for short duration medical treatment or casual business visits only.
  • Be in possession of a return or onward ticket and proof of assured financial standing and sufficient funds for the duration of the stay in India
  • Travelers with a passport with at least six months validity from the date of arrival in India, and a minimum of two blank pages to be stamped by the Immigration Officer

Business Visa

Canadian passport holders are intending to travel to India for the purpose of conducting business. Along with the documents required and the application form, applications must be accompanied by a letter from the relevant business in India.

Medical visa

This is required for those planning to receive medical treatment in an Indian hospital. Applications must include a letter from the applicable hospital.

Student Visa

For those undertaking educational studies in a recognized educational institution in India, the visa will be issued for the duration of the studies with a maximum of three entries per academic year. Applications must include a valid passport with at least 190 days validity and a letter from a recognized educational institution in India confirming admission and duration of the course or a provisional admission letter as well as proof of financial arrangements for maintenance while in India.

Conference Visa

A conference visa is granted to a Canadian Nationals or Non-Canadian nationals holding permanent residence status in Canada for 2 or more years, intending only to attend a conference/seminar or workshop in India. Visa is issued for single entry for the duration of the conference or 1 month, whichever is more. Applicants must produce an acceptable invitation.

Regular Visa

In those cases where the applicant does not qualify for an eVisa, the application should be made for a regular via from the Government of India. All foreign nationals, with the exception of Nepal and Bhutan, must have a visa to enter India. Visas cannot be issued on travel documents, except in the case of Tibetan nationals. Visas can only be issued on passports. All fields on the application form must be completed as omissions and errors will cause delays.

BLS International Canada Services processes visa, passport, PIO, OCI, and consular applications as a partner of the High Commission of India in Ottawa and the Consulate General(s) of India in Toronto and Vancouver.  BLS are located in the following regions, managing certain jurisdictions: Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto, Brampton, Winnipeg, Vancouver, Surrey, Edmonton, and Calgary.

The Consular General of India is represented in Canada at:

Ottawa High Commission of India

10 Springfield Road, Ottawa, Ontario, K1M 1C9

Fax: (613)744-0913;

Toronto Consulate General of India

365 Bloor Street(East) Suite # 700, Toronto, ON, M4W 3L4

Telephone:(416) 960-0751/52; Fax:(416)960 9812;

Vancouver Consulate General of India

# 201-325 Howe Street, 2nd Floor, Vancouver, B.C. V6C 1Z7

Telephone: (604) 662-8811; Fax: (604) 682-2471;

Procedure for applying for a regular visa through BLS

Online Application Form:

  • Complete and submit the online application and select ‘Online Visa Application Registration.’
  • Select the correct Indian Consulate for your jurisdiction
  • For references in India and Canada, provide full name, complete address and phone number
  • After submission, print the completed form, and submit it to BLS together with the requisite documents together

Photograph:

  • One 51mm x 51 mm photo in accordance with the regulations, to be pasted on Page 1 of the Application Form.

Documents:

  • Canadian/Foreign passport and photocopies valid for at least 190 days with a minimum two blank/unstamped pages
  • Proof of address: driver’s license/utility bill/Govt. issued id (Photocopy) Proof of Address (Photocopy of Driver’s License/Utility Bill/Bank Statement) Bank statement and utility bill must be less than 6 months old
  • For applicants born outside of India or Canada applying for 10 years tourist visa, a letter of employment and a bank statement with a balance of over CAD 5000 are required
  • Former Indian Nationals applying for tourist Visa must provide photocopies of:
    • Citizenship card/certificate
    • Last held canceled Indian passport
    • Surrender/Renunciation certificate issued by Indian Mission
    • Copy of landing paper for application of 10 years tourist visa