Tourism, business, medical or long-term? Answer a couple of questions and we'll tell you exactly which Indian visa fits your trip.
India offers several visa types and picking the wrong one causes delays and rejections. This free checker matches your purpose of travel to the correct e-Visa or paper visa — built for UK passport holders.
The single most important factor is your purpose of travel, because Indian immigration treats it strictly. Tourism, visiting family, yoga or short courses map to the e-Tourist visa. Meetings, trade, business set-up or recruitment require the e-Business visa. Treatment at an Indian hospital needs the e-Medical visa (with companion visas for accompanying family). Anything long-term — employment, journalism, degree study, research or residence — falls outside the e-Visa scheme and needs a regular paper sticker visa.
A few applicants must always use the paper route regardless of purpose: those of Pakistani origin, and holders of diplomatic or official passports.
Choosing the right validity saves money and re-applications.
NriDirect confirms the exact variant for your travel and prepares the application so it isn't rejected for a category mismatch.
The services this tool relates to — handled end to end, with document checks and VFS booking included.
Apply for an Indian Tourist e-Visa. We handle the portal application, photo formatting, and submission. Approved in 3-5 days.
From £100Apply for an Indian Business e-Visa. For meetings, conferences, and trade visits. 1-year or 5-year multiple-entry. Processed in 3-5 days.
From £280Apply for an Indian Medical e-Visa. For treatment, surgery, or accompanying a patient. 60-day triple-entry. Processed in 2-4 days.
From £200Apply for an Indian paper or conference visa when e-Visa isn't suitable. For journalists, researchers, and official delegations.
From £100No. An OCI card gives you lifelong, multiple-entry travel to India with no separate visa required. If you hold OCI you can ignore this checker entirely — just travel on your OCI plus your foreign passport.
An e-Tourist visa covers sightseeing, visiting family and friends, yoga or short recreational courses. An e-Business visa is for meetings, trade, setting up ventures, recruitment and similar commercial activity. Using a tourist visa for business travel is not permitted.
You need a regular sticker visa for employment, journalism, long-term study, residence, or stays not covered by e-Visa categories. Pakistani-origin applicants and diplomatic/official passport holders also cannot use the e-Visa system and must apply for a paper visa.
The e-Tourist visa comes in 30-day (double-entry), 1-year and 5-year (multiple-entry) variants. The longer validities still cap how many continuous days you can stay per visit, so we confirm the right option for your travel pattern.