Answers from the official rules, and a real helpdesk when you need a person.
Everything on this page is taken from the Government of India's own e-Visa guidance, with the source shown.
Ask Atithi
Ask about fees, timing, documents or your passport. Signed in, it can also tell you where your own application has got to, what is left to do and exactly what you will pay.
Official e-Visa helpdesk
Run by the Bureau of Immigration, Government of India. This is the only official support channel.
- indian-evisa[at]gov[dot]in
- Phone
- (+91) 82 7808 7808 · +91 11 24300666
- Payment problems
- SBIePay +91-022-65361671 · Axis +91 1800-419-0073
The official portal
Atithi is a prototype and not a government service. Anything that matters should be checked against the real portal.
How long does a decision take?
The official wording is that an application may take up to 72 hours to be decided, and the Press Information Bureau reports around 95 percent are decided within that. Apply and pay at least 4 days before you travel. The travel authorisation must read GRANTED before you fly, and you should carry a printed copy.Source · Official e-Visa portal FAQ
How early, and how late, can I apply?
From 120 days before your arrival date, and no later than 4 days before it. Applying very early uses up validity on the 1-year and 5-year tourist visas and on e-Business, because those count from the day the authorisation is granted rather than from your arrival.Source · Official e-Visa portal FAQ Q5 and the live date picker
How much does it cost?
The fee depends on your nationality and the visa you choose, and is published in the government's own fee tables in US dollars. A bank charge of 3 percent is added on card payments, 4 percent on PayPal. The fee is not refundable, whatever the decision, and paying it does not guarantee a visa.Source · Official e-Visa fee tables
My money was taken but it says the payment failed.
Wait about 30 minutes and check the status with your order number before trying again; the minimum gap between attempts on one application is 25 minutes. If you are charged twice, the duplicate is refunded after reconciliation, normally within 7 days. After three failed attempts the application ID is blocked and you may have to start a new one.Source · Official e-Visa portal payment FAQ
Can I extend my e-Visa, or change what it is for?
No. The e-Visa is non-extendable and non-convertible. It is also not valid for Protected, Restricted or Cantonment areas, which need a separate permit, and it does not permit employment, journalism or NGO work.Source · Official e-Visa portal FAQ Q10
What does my passport need?
An ordinary passport with at least six months validity and at least two blank pages. Diplomatic, official and service passports are not accepted. Every traveller needs their own passport and their own visa, including children. You must travel on the passport you applied with.Source · Official e-Visa portal eligibility and FAQ Q12
What should the photograph look like?
A recent JPEG, square, at least 350 by 350 pixels and between 10 KB and 1 MB. Full face, front view, eyes open, no spectacles, head centred, on a plain light background with no shadows or borders. Do not photograph the picture in your passport.Source · Official e-Visa photograph specification
What documents will I need?
Everyone uploads the passport page carrying their personal details. Business applications also need a business card and an invitation from the Indian company. Medical applications need the system-generated invitation letter from the hospital, which carries a medical visa reference number. Conference applications need the organiser's invitation, and clearances only in specific cases.Source · Official e-Visa document list and FAQ Q19-Q21
Who is not eligible for an e-Visa?
Pakistani passport holders and people of Pakistani origin, holders of diplomatic or official passports, anyone with a defence, military, security or police background, and holders of travel documents that are not passports. Afghan nationals use a separate portal. If your nationality is not on the e-Visa list you apply for a regular visa at an Indian Mission.Source · Official e-Visa portal eligibility text
What else do I have to file besides the visa?
An e-Arrival Card before you land, and a health self-declaration on Air Suvidha. Both are free and separate from the visa. If you stay longer than 180 days you must also register with the FRRO.Source · Bureau of Immigration, Air Suvidha and e-FRRO guidance
How do I know a site is the real one?
The only genuine website is indianvisaonline.gov.in. Indian missions in several countries have warned that fake sites copy the government design and charge many times the real fee, and that the government appoints no agents or intermediaries. If a site quotes far more than the official fee, it is not the government.Source · Indian mission advisories on fake e-Visa websites
Atithi is a prototype built for a public hackathon. It is not an official Government of India service and does not transmit anything to a government system. Use it to prepare and understand your application, then check the official portal for anything binding.