Five-year Tourist visas are now more easily available for nationals of most countries that have biometric enrollment facilities. Visas are valid from the date of issue, not the date of arrival in India.

Indian visa procedure involves:

1. complete online application form
2. print and manually submit the application form to the VAC, not to the Indian Embassy/Consulate, with required documentation and fee
3. Visa processing is typically between 3 and 10 business days, depending on the country of origin and type of visa. Emergency visas can be issued within hours at an extra fee.