India Restores e-Visa Facility for Canadian Passport Holders

The Indian High Commission in Ottawa, Canada on Tuesday announced that India has restored the e-Visa facility for all Canadian passport holders with effect from 20 December 2022.

It is important to note that the e-Visa facility has already been restored for nationals of 165 countries, including all 27 members of the European Union.

However, the e-Visa has not been restored for UK, Malaysia, and Canada due to some diplomatic reasons. However, earlier this month, India also restored the e-Visa for the UK and Malaysia.

Indian e-Visa for Canadian Passport Holders

As stated in a press release issued by the Indian Embassy, Canadian passport holders who wish to visit India for tourism, business, medical, or conference purposes may apply for an e-Visa at https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html and follow the instructions provided on the website.

Additionally, the press release also stated that Canadian passport holders who wish to travel to India for any purpose not eligible for an e-Visa may apply for a paper visa at https://vvww.blsindia-canada.com/. This process is also applicable to holders of Laissez-passer travel documents.

Those who have applied for visas through various BLS Centres in Canada are advised to wait for the issuance of the same. All such applications will be processed on priority. Those applicants who wish to withdraw their respective visa applications may do so by visiting the website https://www.blsindia-canada.com/ and choosing the option for ‘Application Withdrawal’.

Those who have booked appointments to apply for tourist, business, medical or conference visas at BLS Centres in Canada and would, now, like to apply for eVisa instead, are requested to vacate/cancel their appointment slots so that the same becomes available to others seeking visa/consular services.

Indian e-Visa

The Indian e-Visa is an electronic travel authorization that allows eligible foreign nationals to enter and travel within India for a specific purpose, such as tourism, business, medical treatment, or conference attendance. The e-Visa is valid for a maximum of 60 days and can be obtained through the online application process on the Indian government’s e-Visa website.

There are four types of Indian e-Visas available: e-Tourist Visa, e-Business Visa, e-Medical Visa, and e-Medical Attendant Visa. Each type of e-Visa has its own eligibility criteria and permitted activities, and applicants must choose the type of e-Visa that best fits their purpose of travel.

How to Apply for an Indian e-Visa?

To apply for an e-Visa, applicants will need to provide personal and passport information, as well as details about their travel plans, such as the purpose of their visit, the duration of their stay, and the address of their first night’s accommodation in India.

They will also need to pay the e-Visa fee, which varies based on the applicant’s nationality and the type of e-Visa being applied for.

Once the online application is complete and the e-Visa fee has been paid, the applicant will receive an e-Visa grant notification via email.

This notification will include the e-Visa grant letter, which must be presented at the time of arrival in India.

It is important to note that the e-Visa grant letter is not the same as the physical visa that is stamped in the passport, and it does not give the holder the right to enter India without being cleared by Indian immigration authorities.