India eVisa Denied? UK Applicant Guide

9 min read Updated March 2026 Processing

The India eVisa is one of the world's more forgiving electronic visas, but rejections still happen, and they are particularly distressing when discovered three days before a non-refundable Heathrow departure. The good news for British applicants is that the great majority of refusals stem from a small, well-understood list of issues - and almost all of them can be cured, either by a careful reapplication or by switching to a regular sticker visa at one of the VFS Global centres in the UK.

What "denied" actually means

India's portal does not always say "DENIED" in capital letters. UK applicants typically see one of three statuses after a problematic submission:

"Pending" - under manual review by an officer. Most resolve within 48-72 hours.
"On Hold / Additional Documents Required" - the system is asking for clarification.
"Rejected" - the application has been refused; the fee is not refunded.

A reject does not automatically bar you from India. It bars you from this particular eVisa cycle. The route forward depends on why.

The five most common reasons British applicants are rejected

1. Passport validity or condition issues

Your British passport must have at least six months' validity remaining from the date of arrival in India, with two blank pages. Damaged passports - water-stained covers, torn pages, faded photo - are routinely rejected, even where the holder is otherwise unimpeachable. The fix is to renew your passport with HM Passport Office (currently three weeks standard, one week premium) before reapplying.

2. Photograph problems

Photo quality remains the leading mechanical reason for UK rejections. Common errors: light grey or cream background instead of pure white; visible glasses; head not centred; jewellery casting shadows; scanned photo rather than digital original. The fix is a fresh phone snap against a sheet of A4 paper taped to a wall - cleaner backgrounds than 90% of passport-shop photographs.

3. Mismatched or incomplete biographical data

If the name on the form doesn't exactly match the passport, if the date of birth is in US format (MM/DD/YYYY) instead of DD/MM/YYYY, or if mandatory parental fields are left blank, the application is flagged. British applicants whose parents are deceased or estranged sometimes leave these blank - but the form requires the historic details regardless.

4. Sensitive heritage not disclosed

India treats certain ancestries - Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan in some cases, Chinese in others - as triggering enhanced review. UK applicants with such heritage who declare it honestly are usually approved, sometimes after manual review; those who omit it are flagged when the back-office cross-references parent details and are routinely rejected. The fix is simple: declare it from the start.

5. Previous overstay or immigration history

An earlier overstay on an Indian visa, even briefly, will permanently mark your record. So can certain UK criminal convictions (declared in the form). If you have a prior issue, the eVisa route is closed and the sticker visa is the correct path.

"Around two-thirds of British eVisa rejections we see could have been avoided with five extra minutes of care on the application form. The remaining third are policy matters that no portal will ever approve - and for those, the sticker visa via VFS Global is the answer."

Can you reapply for the eVisa after a rejection?

Yes - but with conditions. The Bureau of Immigration treats repeated identical applications as suspect. If you reapply, you must materially change something: a fresh photo, a corrected field, additional supporting context. Reapplying with the same details and hoping for a different officer is usually a wasted fee. Wait at least a week between attempts.

If a refused application was a paperwork error, you can reapply now.

Reapply for India eVisa →

The sticker visa alternative: VFS Global UK

If the eVisa route is closed to you - whether because of nationality concerns, a previous incident, or simply because you need a longer stay than the 90-day per-visit cap allows - the regular paper visa, applied for through VFS Global on behalf of the Indian High Commission, is the answer. The UK currently has Indian Visa Application Centres in:

London - two centres, with the main one in central London accepting walk-ins and the second in west London (near Heathrow) by appointment.
Manchester - serves the north of England and the Midlands.
Birmingham - convenient for the West Midlands.
Edinburgh - covers Scotland and the North East.
Belfast - for Northern Ireland.
Cardiff - for Wales.

Applications are made by completing the online IVAC form, booking an appointment to submit your passport in person, providing biometrics, and waiting roughly 5-15 working days for the passport to be returned with the visa sticker. The Indian High Commission in London (Aldwych) is the issuing authority but applicants no longer attend in person there.

When to consider the sticker visa instead of the eVisa

You have a previous India visa refusal on record.
You hold dual nationality with a country India treats as sensitive.
You need to stay continuously for more than 90 days.
You are travelling as a journalist, missionary, or for protected-area access.
Your trip purpose (study, internship, paid work) falls outside eVisa scope.
You hold an emergency travel document or non-standard passport.

Time pressure tip: If you've been refused the eVisa with less than two weeks to your Heathrow departure, our team at info@onlinevisa.uk can advise whether an urgent VFS Global Manchester or London appointment is a realistic salvage option. Same-week appointments are sometimes available in off-peak periods.

Refunds and the eVisa fee

The visa-authority portion of the eVisa fee is not refundable when an application is rejected. Service fees from third-party platforms vary in their policies - review our own refund policy for guidance. The harder financial cost is usually the rebooking of flights if you discover the issue late, which is why we so strongly recommend applying a clear week before your departure.

Avoid these triggers from the start

Never list an Indian residential address as your home - use your UK address.
Never use a passport that expires within six months of your return date.
Never leave the religion field blank - choose the nearest option or "Others".
Never use editing software to lighten or crop your photograph beyond the spec.
Never apply through unfamiliar third-party sites that ask for payment by bank transfer.

The takeaway for British applicants

A rejected eVisa is rarely the end of an India trip - it is usually a paperwork prompt or, occasionally, a redirection to the sticker visa channel. Approach the application with care, declare everything honestly, allow a clear week before departure, and you will almost certainly be among the 95%+ of UK applicants who clear the system without incident. And if you do find yourself in the unlucky minority, VFS Global's UK network is exactly the safety net the route was designed to offer.