Short answer: Yes, Canadian passport holders can get an India e-Visa. You apply entirely online at the official government portal indianvisaonline.gov.in, the fee for Canadian nationals is USD $80 plus a bank transaction charge, approval takes around 4 days, and you must apply at least 4 days before travel (up to 120 days ahead). The e-Tourist and e-Business visas are valid for 1 year from the date of grant with multiple entries — and Canadian citizens may stay up to 180 continuous days per visit, double the 90 days most nationalities get.
You do not need an e-Visa if you hold an OCI card — the OCI card is itself a lifelong multiple-entry visa. If you are an Indo-Canadian family deciding between the two, see our OCI card guide. The e-Visa is the right route for one-off or short-notice trips, and for family members who are not of Indian origin.
Which e-Visa Categories Can Canadians Apply For?
The High Commission of India in Ottawa lists five e-Visa sub-categories available to Canadian nationals:
| Category | Validity | Entries | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| e-Tourist Visa | 1 year from date of ETA grant | Multiple | Holidays, visiting family, sightseeing |
| e-Business Visa | 1 year from date of ETA grant | Multiple | Meetings, trade, recruitment |
| e-Medical Visa | 60 days from first arrival | Triple | Treatment at a recognised hospital |
| e-Medical Attendant Visa | 60 days from first arrival | Triple | Accompanying an e-Medical visa holder |
| e-Conference Visa | 30 days from arrival | Single | Attending a conference in India |
Fee for Canadian citizens: USD $80, regardless of category, plus a bank transaction charge of roughly 2.5% on the payment. The fee is charged in US dollars, so your card issuer’s foreign exchange rate applies.
How Long Can a Canadian Stay in India on an e-Tourist Visa?
This is where Canadians get a genuine advantage. On a one-year e-Tourist visa, most nationalities are capped at 90 continuous days per visit. Nationals of Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Japan may stay up to 180 continuous days per visit.
The visa remains valid for one year from the date it is granted, and you can enter as many times as you like within that year — as long as no single stay exceeds 180 days.
Important: the e-Visa is non-extendable and non-convertible. You cannot extend it once you are in India, and you cannot convert it into a different visa type. If you know you will need longer, apply for a regular visa through BLS International instead.
How to Apply for an India e-Visa: Step by Step
Step 1: Go to the official portal — and only the official portal
The only legitimate site is indianvisaonline.gov.in. The High Commission of India states plainly that the e-Visa service is a complete online process with no need for any intermediary or agent.
There are dozens of look-alike sites that charge two to four times the government fee for filling in the same form. Some are outright scams that collect your passport data. Check the URL ends in .gov.in before you type anything.
Step 2: Time it properly
- Earliest you can apply: 120 days before arrival
- Latest you can apply: 4 days before arrival
- Typical processing: around 4 days
The sweet spot is 2 to 4 weeks before departure. Applying too early is a real mistake with the one-year visa: validity starts from the date of grant, not the date you arrive, so applying four months out burns a third of the visa before you board.
Step 3: Prepare your documents
- Passport bio page — scanned or photographed, clear and complete
- Passport validity — at least 6 months beyond your date of arrival, with at least 2 blank pages
- Photograph — recent, JPEG format, plain white background, full face, between 10 KB and 1 MB, square format
- Travel details — arrival and departure dates, address in India, and often a return or onward ticket
- Category-specific documents — a business card and invitation letter for e-Business, a hospital letter for e-Medical, a conference invitation and clearance for e-Conference
Step 4: Complete the form and pay
The form asks for details about your parents and, in some cases, grandparents — including whether any of them were Pakistani nationals or held Pakistani passports. Answer accurately; discrepancies are the main reason e-Visas are denied.
Pay by credit or debit card. Once payment goes through you receive an application ID. Keep it.
Step 5: Receive and print your ETA
Approval arrives by email as an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). Print it. Airlines at Vancouver International routinely ask to see a printed ETA at check-in before they will board you, and Indian immigration expects a paper copy on arrival. Do not rely on a phone screen.
Where You Can — and Cannot — Enter India on an e-Visa
An e-Visa is only valid for arrival at designated airports and seaports. As of 2026 that means around 28–33 international airports — including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Amritsar, Ahmedabad and Chandigarh — and five seaports: Mumbai, Chennai, Cochin, Goa and Mangalore.
You cannot enter India by land on an e-Visa. If your itinerary includes crossing from Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh or the Wagah border, you need a regular paper visa.
You may depart from any authorised Immigration Check Post, including land borders.
Check the airport list before you book. Direct flights from Vancouver typically land in Delhi, which is designated — but a connection routed through a smaller airport as your first point of entry into India can invalidate the e-Visa.
Applying for a Baby or Child
Every traveller needs their own e-Visa, including newborns. There is no family application and no child discount — the USD $80 fee applies per person.
What you need for an infant:
- The child’s own Canadian passport, valid at least 6 months beyond arrival
- A compliant photograph — same white background and framing rules as an adult
- Parents’ details, completed by the parent applying on the child’s behalf
The child’s passport is the bottleneck. From birth, allow 4–6 weeks for the BC birth certificate and another 10–20 business days for the passport before you can even start the visa application. Our newborn document checklist for BC parents and our newborn passport guide cover both steps.
If the child is of Indian origin — one or both parents Indian citizens or OCI holders — an OCI card is usually the better long-term choice. It costs more up front (CAD $376) but never needs renewing and never needs another visa application.
Who Cannot Use the e-Visa
- Pakistani passport holders and people of Pakistani origin — a regular visa is required
- Anyone entering by land border
- Anyone planning to visit Protected or Restricted Areas, or Cantonment areas — these need separate permits
- Diplomatic and official passport holders
- Anyone needing to stay beyond the permitted continuous stay, since the e-Visa cannot be extended
- OCI cardholders — you do not need one; travel on the OCI card
Common Mistakes That Delay or Void an e-Visa
- Applying through an agent site. You pay 2–4× the real fee and hand your passport data to a third party.
- Applying too far ahead. Validity runs from the grant date, not from arrival.
- Name mismatch. The name on the application must match the passport exactly, including middle names and hyphens.
- Photo rejected. Plain white background, full face, no shadows, correct file size. This is the most common technical rejection.
- Less than 6 months passport validity. Check both parents’ and every child’s passport expiry, not just your own.
- Not printing the ETA. Airlines ask for it at check-in.
- Wrong first point of entry. Verify your arrival airport is on the designated list.
e-Visa vs. Regular Visa vs. OCI: Which Do You Need?
| e-Visa | Regular visa (BLS) | OCI card | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who it’s for | Any eligible Canadian traveller | Longer stays, land entry, Pakistani-origin applicants | People of Indian origin and their children/spouses |
| Cost | USD $80 | Varies by type | CAD $376 (fresh) |
| Applied | Fully online | Online + in person at BLS | Online + in person at BLS (biometrics) |
| Time | ~4 days | 2–4 weeks | 6–8 weeks |
| Validity | 1 year, multiple entry | Varies | Lifelong |
| Max continuous stay | 180 days (Canadians) | Per visa conditions | Unlimited |
| Land entry | No | Yes | Yes |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Canadian citizens get an India e-Visa in 2026?
Yes. Canada is on India’s list of e-Visa eligible countries. Canadian nationals can apply for the e-Tourist, e-Business, e-Medical, e-Medical Attendant and e-Conference sub-categories through the official portal at indianvisaonline.gov.in.
How much does an India e-Visa cost for Canadians?
The fee for Canadian nationals is USD $80, plus a bank transaction charge of approximately 2.5%. The fee is charged in US dollars, so your card’s foreign exchange rate applies. There is no separate government fee for children — every traveller pays the same.
How long does it take to get an India e-Visa?
Approximately 4 days. You must apply at least 4 days before your date of arrival, and you can apply up to 120 days in advance. Applying 2 to 4 weeks before departure is the practical sweet spot.
How long can Canadians stay in India on an e-Tourist visa?
Up to 180 continuous days per visit — twice the 90 days most nationalities receive. Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Japan all have the 180-day allowance. The visa itself is valid for one year from the date of grant with multiple entries.
Does a baby need their own India e-Visa?
Yes. Every traveller, regardless of age, needs their own e-Visa and their own valid passport with at least 6 months’ validity. There is no family application and no reduced fee for infants.
Can I enter India by land with an e-Visa?
No. e-Visa holders may only enter through designated international airports (around 28–33 of them) or five designated seaports: Mumbai, Chennai, Cochin, Goa and Mangalore. You may, however, exit India through any authorised Immigration Check Post, including land borders.
Can an India e-Visa be extended?
No. The e-Visa is explicitly non-extendable and non-convertible. If you need a longer stay or a different visa category, apply for a regular visa through BLS International before you travel.
Do OCI cardholders need an India e-Visa?
No. An OCI card is itself a lifelong, multiple-entry visa. Travel on your OCI card together with the foreign passport it is linked to.
What is the official India e-Visa website?
indianvisaonline.gov.in — the only legitimate application site. The High Commission of India warns that the e-Visa process is entirely online with no need for agents or intermediaries. Third-party sites charge several times the government fee for the same form.
Why was my India e-Visa rejected?
The most common causes are a non-compliant photograph, a name that does not match the passport exactly, less than six months of passport validity, incorrect or incomplete family details, and an arrival airport that is not on the designated list. e-Visa fees are non-refundable.
Related Guides
- How to Apply for an OCI Card in Canada (2026)
- Documents You Need After a Newborn in BC (2026)
- How to Get a Newborn Passport in Canada (2026)
- All KidsServiceHub parenting guides
Last updated: August 2026. Fees, categories, validity periods and entry rules are sourced from the Government of India e-Visa portal and the High Commission of India, Ottawa, and can change without notice. KidsServiceHub is not affiliated with the Government of India. Always verify current requirements on the official portal before applying or booking travel.
