Do American passport holders need a visa for India?

By Aditya Rawat · Destinations Writer, Tripmojo · Updated September 1, 2026 · Reviewed by Simran Raheja

Yes, and India prices an American differently from everyone else in more places than it does any other nationality. The five-year e-Tourist Visa costs an American 160 US dollars where 142 of the 175 rows read 200 for that same visa, and no other country pays 160. The business and medical visas move the other way, costing more than the common rate rather than less.

Quick facts

Travel authorisation

Visa required: Yes, e-Visa before travel
30-day e-Tourist Visa: USD 10 April to June, USD 25 July to March
1-year e-Tourist Visa: USD 40
5-year e-Tourist Visa: USD 160, against a common USD 200
e-Business Visa: USD 140, against a common USD 120
Days allowed per calendar year: 180, on both the 1-year and 5-year visa

Entry requirements

A passport with at least six months of validity at the time the e-Visa application is made, which is measured from the application rather than from arrival, and at least two blank pages for the immigration officer to stamp.
An e-Visa in the category that matches the trip, applied for at least four days before the expected date of arrival, with the fee paid in the same window or the application will not be processed.
A printed copy of the Electronic Travel Authorization carried at the time of travel.
A return or onward ticket and sufficient money for the stay, which the portal states as a condition rather than a suggestion.

One nationality, two schedules, and a discount on one of them

India publishes its e-Visa prices country by country and states that the fee is country and territory specific. On the tourist schedule dated 9 July 2026 the United States reads 10 US dollars for a 30-day visa between April and June, 25 for a 30-day visa between July and March, 40 for one year, and 160 for five years. The first three of those are the ordinary figures. The fourth is not: 142 of the 175 rows read 200 in that column.

The second schedule, dated 15 April 2026, covers the e-Business, e-Medical, e-Medical Attendant and e-Conference visas. The United States reads 140 for business and 100 for each of the two medical categories, against 120 and 80 on most of the schedule. So the same passport is below the common rate for a long holiday and above it for a work trip or treatment.

The category matters more than the length once business is involved. The e-Business visa runs one year from the grant of the authorisation with multiple entries, and the portal caps continuous stay on each visit at 180 days. Anyone intending to stay beyond that is required to register with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office or Foreigners Registration Office concerned within two weeks after the 180 days expire.

Good to know

The United States is priced alone in more places than any other nationality, though not quite everywhere. Counting across both schedules, it is the sole holder of its figure in four columns: 160 for the five-year tourist visa, 140 for the e-Business visa, and 100 for each of the two medical visas. Russia is the next most singular with three, Ukraine has two, and a handful of others hold exactly one apiece, among them Mozambique, France, Poland, the Czech Republic, Ecuador and the United Arab Emirates. Most of the schedule is nothing like this: 142 of the 175 rows sit at 200 for the five-year visa and 22 pay nothing at all.
The premium runs in opposite directions depending on why you are going, which defeats the usual shortcut. A US passport pays less than the common rate for the five-year tourist visa, 160 against 200, and more than the common rate for business and for medical travel, 140 against 120 and 100 against 80. The 30-day and one-year tourist figures are the ordinary ones. So there is no single answer to whether India is cheap or expensive for an American, and a quoted price is only meaningful once the category is named.
Four one-year visas cost exactly what the five-year visa costs, which makes the decision unusually clean. At 40 dollars a year and 160 for five years, the long visa pays for itself in the fourth year and is free in the fifth. Both allow the same maximum stay, 180 days in a calendar year, so this is purely a question of how many of the next five years you expect to visit India in. At four years the two cost the same and the fifth year is the free one, so the long visa is ahead from the fifth year and never behind after the fourth. That is the reverse of the position a British applicant is in on the same schedule, where the five-year costs more than twelve one-year visas.
The e-Visa is not the only way in, and the portal says so itself. Alongside the online route it publishes a three-step regular visa process in which the application is filed online and then submitted with documents at an Indian Visa Application Centre or an Indian Mission. That is where anything the e-Visa does not cover is handled, including categories absent from the e-Visa list. Separately, people of Indian origin may hold Overseas Citizen of India status, which is not a visa and is not administered through the e-Visa portal at all. If either describes you, the fee schedules on this page are not the ones that apply.
Business travel carries an obligation that tourism does not, and it has a two-week clock on it. The e-Business visa is valid for one year from the grant of the authorisation with multiple entries, and the portal states that continuous stay during each visit shall not exceed 180 days. If the intention is to stay longer than that, the traveller is required to register with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office or Foreigners Registration Office concerned within two weeks after the expiry of the 180 days. That is a step taken inside India, after arrival, and it is not part of the visa application.

Frequently asked questions

Do US citizens need a visa for India?

Yes. The United States is on India’s e-Visa eligibility list, so the application is made online before travel. There is no visa on arrival for American passport holders.

How much does an Indian e-Visa cost for a US passport holder?

On the schedule dated 9 July 2026: 10 US dollars for a 30-day visa between April and June, 25 for a 30-day visa between July and March, 40 for one year and 160 for five years. The e-Business Visa is 140 and the e-Medical and e-Medical Attendant visas are 100 each.

Why is the American five-year visa cheaper than most?

India prices the e-Visa by country and territory, and 160 US dollars is a band held by the United States alone. Most of the schedule, 142 of 175 rows, reads 200 in that column.

Is the five-year visa worth it for an American?

It costs the same as four one-year visas, so it pays for itself if you expect to visit India in four or more of the next five years. Both allow a maximum stay of 180 days in a calendar year.

How long can an American stay in India on an e-Tourist Visa?

Up to 180 days in a calendar year on the one-year and five-year visas. The 30-day visa is limited to its own 30 days and is non-extendable and non-convertible.

Does a US business traveller have to register in India?

Only if a single visit runs beyond 180 days. The portal requires registration with the FRRO or FRO concerned within two weeks after the 180 days expire.

Other passports for India

Other destinations for United States passport holders

Sources

Every fact on this page was checked against the official sources below on 1 September 2026.

Government of India, Bureau of Immigration e-Visa portal, "Country/Territory Wise e-Tourist Visa Fee (in US $)", schedule dated 09-July-2026: 175 rows; the United States (Sl. 167) reads 10 / 25 / 40 / 160 for the 30-day April-June, 30-day July-March, one-year and five-year e-Tourist Visa. The five-year column holds seven distinct values across the 175 rows: 200 on 142 rows, 00 on 22, 484 on 5, 25 on 3, and 220, 120 and 160 on one row each; 160 is the United States and no other row. Read 2026-08-31. https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html
Same portal, "Country/Territory Wise e-Visa Fee (e-Business, e-Medical, e-Medical Attendant and e-Conference Visa)", schedule dated 15-April-2026: 176 rows; the United States (Sl. 168) reads 140 / 100 / 100, and no other row reads 140 in the e-Business column or 100 in either medical column; 105 rows read 120 for e-Business and 103 of those also read 80 in both medical columns. Read 2026-08-31. https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html
Same portal, e-Visa category descriptions: "Maximum stay in India during one Calender Year should not exceed 180 days for 1 year and 5 year Tourist Visa"; the One Month e-Tourist Visa is 30 days, multiple entry, non-extendable and non-convertible; and for the e-Business Visa (e-B1 V), "Duration: One year (365 days) from the date of grant of ETA. Entries: Multiple. Stay: Continuous stay during each visit shall not exceed 180 days. If the intension is to stay for more then 180 days, shall get registered with FRRO/FRO concerned within two weeks after the expiry of 180 days." Read 2026-08-31. https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html
Same portal, e-Visa instructions and FAQ: the passport must have at least six months validity at the time of making the application and at least two blank pages for stamping; the traveller must have a return or onward ticket and sufficient money for the stay; the application must be made at least 4 days in advance of the date of arrival and the fee paid at least 4 days before the expected date of travel or the application will not be processed; a copy of the ETA must be carried at the time of travel; and the visa on arrival facility is only for nationals of Japan, South Korea and the UAE, so it is not open to American passport holders. Read 2026-08-31. https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html

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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