Do Australian passport holders need a visa for India?

By Pranav Muley · Software Engineer, Tripmojo · Updated August 31, 2026 · Reviewed by Simran Raheja

Yes, an e-Visa, and the price depends on two things most guides never mention. India charges Australians the ordinary tourist rate but charges them 215 for the e-Business visa where 105 of the 176 listed nationalities pay 120, a figure shared only with Saudi Arabia. The 30-day tourist visa is also seasonally priced, listed at USD 10 for April to June and USD 25 for July to March.

Quick facts

Travel authorisation

Visa required: Yes, an e-Visa applied for online
30-day e-Tourist: USD 10 April to June, USD 25 July to March
One year / five years: USD 40 and USD 200
e-Business visa: 215, against 120 for most nationalities
Medical categories: 80, the common rate
Not valid for: Protected, Restricted and Cantonment areas

Entry requirements

An Australian passport with at least six months validity at the time you apply, which is how the portal words the general rule, along with a return or onward ticket and sufficient money for the stay.
An e-Visa in the category that matches the trip, with the fee paid at least four days before the expected date of travel or the application will not be processed.
A separate permission from the Civil Authority if any part of the trip goes into a Protected, Restricted or Cantonment area, because the e-Visa does not cover them.
Arrival at one of the scheduled entry points, listed by the portal as 36 airports, twelve land ports and 38 seaports headed as being for cruise tourists, while its FAQ separately names five seaports for cruise entry.

The same visa costs different amounts in different months

India publishes its e-Visa fees country by country and states that the fee is country and territory specific. On the tourist schedule, dated 9 July 2026, Australia reads 10 / 25 / 40 / 200 in US dollars, which is the band 139 of the 175 listed nationalities are in. The first two figures are the same 30-day visa at two prices: the schedule heads one column "April to June" and the other "July to March".

The business schedule, dated 15 April 2026, is where an Australian passport is treated differently. It lists 215 against Australia for the e-Business visa. The most common figure on that schedule is 120, against 105 of its 176 entries, and only one other country, Saudi Arabia, shares the 215 figure. It is not the highest band: the schedule runs up through 220 for the Philippines, 240 for Ecuador, 242 for the United Kingdom and its crown dependencies, and 415 for the United Arab Emirates. The medical and medical attendant categories are the ordinary 80, so the premium is specific to business travel rather than to the passport in general.

On top of whichever figure applies, the portal adds a bank transaction charge of up to 3% plus applicable taxes, and requires payment at least four days before the expected date of travel. The fee is a processing fee: it is not refunded if the application is rejected, and there is nothing further to pay on arrival.

Good to know

The 30-day tourist visa costs more than twice as much for most of the year, and the schedule does not say which date the split follows. India lists the 30-day e-Tourist visa at 10 dollars for April to June and 25 dollars for July to March. What the document does not spell out is whether the period refers to when you apply or when you travel, so late June and early July are a boundary worth asking about rather than assuming. It is a small sum, but it is the only place on the schedule where the same visa carries two prices.
The business premium is specific to the category rather than to the passport. The e-Business schedule shows 215 against Australia where 105 of its 176 entries show 120, close to double the common rate, and Saudi Arabia is the only country on the same figure. Australia is not at the top of the schedule, which runs up through 220, 240, 242 and 415 for other nationalities, but it is well above the band most travellers are quoted. The medical and medical attendant fees are the ordinary 80, so this is not a general surcharge on Australians. If a trip could reasonably be made on a tourist visa, the gap is a reason to be sure which category the purpose actually requires rather than defaulting to business because the trip involves work colleagues.
An e-Visa does not admit you to Protected, Restricted or Cantonment areas, and that is easy to miss because the portal states it in the same breath as two limits people do notice. The sentence reads that the e-Visa is non-extendable, non-convertible and not valid for visiting those areas, and it adds that going to them requires prior permission from the Civil Authority. This is a permission arranged separately and in advance, not something added to an e-Visa afterwards, and the portal separately notes the e-Visa cannot be converted into another visa once you are in India. Which places currently carry the designation is a question for the Civil Authority rather than for the visa portal, which names the rule without naming the areas.
The portal gives three different seaport answers, so a cruise itinerary needs confirming rather than reading. Its Entry Points tab lists 38 seaports under a heading that says the facility is provided for cruise tourists. Its FAQ on changing the port of arrival gives 19 seaports. A separate FAQ answers the cruise question with five: Mumbai, Chennai, Cochin, Goa and Mangalore. Three numbers for what looks like one question is a good reason to confirm your port with the cruise line before booking rather than trusting any single page. Biometrics are captured at immigration on arrival regardless of how you come in.

Frequently asked questions

How much is an Indian e-Visa for Australian citizens?

The tourist schedule lists USD 10 for a 30-day visa in April to June, USD 25 for the same visa from July to March, USD 40 for one year and USD 200 for five years, plus a bank charge of up to 3%.

Why is the business visa so much more?

India prices e-Visas by nationality. The business schedule lists 215 against Australia where 105 of its 176 entries list 120, a figure Australia shares only with Saudi Arabia. Higher bands exist for other nationalities, up to 415.

Does the e-Visa cover the northeast and the islands?

Not where they fall inside Protected, Restricted or Cantonment areas. The portal states the e-Visa is not valid for those, and that visiting them requires prior permission from the Civil Authority.

Can I arrive by cruise ship?

The portal’s FAQ names five designated seaports for cruise entry: Mumbai, Chennai, Cochin, Goa and Mangalore. Elsewhere the same site lists 38 seaports for cruise tourists and 19 for arrival generally, so confirm your port with the cruise line.

When does the fee have to be paid?

At least four days before the expected date of travel. The portal states that otherwise the application will not be processed, and the fee is not refunded if the application is rejected.

Other passports for India

Sources

Every fact on this page was checked against the official sources below on 31 August 2026.

Government of India, Indian Visa Online, "Country/Territory Wise e-Tourist Visa Fee (in US $)", dated 09-July-2026. Entry 9, Australia: 10 for the 30-day visa in the column headed "April to June", 25 for the column headed "July to March", 40 for one year, 200 for five years. That band covers 139 of the 175 entries. Read 2026-08-31. https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/images/Etourist_fee_final.pdf
Government of India, Indian Visa Online, "Country/Territory Wise e-Visa Fee (e-Business, e-Medical, e-Medical Attendant and e-Conference Visa)", dated 15-April-2026. Entry 9, Australia: 215 for e-Business, 80 for e-Medical, 80 for e-Medical Attendant. Of the 176 entries, 105 list 120 for e-Business; only Australia and Saudi Arabia list 215. Higher bands exist: 220 (Philippines), 240 (Ecuador), 242 (Gibraltar, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey and the United Kingdom) and 415 (United Arab Emirates). Unlike the tourist schedule this document states no currency, so the figures are quoted here as the schedule prints them. Read 2026-08-31. https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/images/eTV_revised_fee_final.pdf
Government of India, Indian Visa Online e-Visa portal: "e-Visa is non-extendable, non-convertible & not valid for visiting Protected/Restricted and Cantonment Areas. If you intend to visit Protected/Restricted/Cantonment areas, you would require prior permission from the Civil Authority"; "Biometric details of the applicant will be mandatorily captured at Immigration on arrival in India." Read 2026-08-31. https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html
Same portal, FAQ Q27: "Entry by cruise ship is allowed with the ETA through 5 designated seaports namely Mumbai, Chennai, Cochin, Goa and Mangalore seaports." Banking charges FAQ: "subject to maximum of 3% plus applicable taxes on the applicable e-Visa fees." The same portal gives three different seaport figures: the Entry Points tab lists 38 seaports under the heading "eVisa facility is also been provided for entry at 38 major Indian seaport for cruise tourists", FAQ Q11 lists 19 seaports, and FAQ Q27 names five for cruise entry. Read 2026-08-31.

Entry rules change without notice and the official source is always the authority. Confirm with the embassy or immigration portal before you book.

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