Visa Document Checklist

The document and photo checklist to have ready before you apply, whether by e-Visa or in person. For visa types, fees, and general FAQs, see Visa.

Couple of things to note first

• Ensure your photo is according to specifications and the background is white.
• The site is finicky about file sizes. Do not exceed the mentioned size. Compress to acceptable size before uploading.
• Forms timeout and often reset and you lose all you typed. Look at the form and type answers to a notepad first. Then copy paste. That way you save some typing work even if the form resets.

For the e-Visa (most tourists): apply directly at the official Indian government e-Visa portal. No in-person visit needed. You'll need to upload:

• A digital photo: square format (1:1 aspect ratio), JPEG, plain white background, full face and shoulders with your face filling roughly 70-80% of the frame, neutral expression (no smiling), no glasses, taken within the last 6 months.
• A colour scan of your passport's bio-data page: all four corners visible, the machine-readable code at the bottom clearly legible.
• A valid passport: at least 6 months remaining from your date of arrival in India, with at least 2 blank pages.

Photo and scan specifications get revised periodically. Treat the official portal's own instructions as the authoritative source if anything here looks out of date.

For an in-person / physical visa application, you'll typically also need:

• The completed visa application form for your specific visa type, downloadable from your nearest Indian mission's website. See Indian Missions Abroad if you need to apply in person.
• Two physical passport-style 2x2 inch (check with the mission first) colour photographs.
• Proof of funds, a sponsor/invitation letter, or an admission letter, depending on visa type.