India eVisa Validity and Length of Stay for UK Tourists

India's tourist eVisa comes in three flavours, and the rules around them confuse a surprising number of British travellers. The "validity" of your eVisa, the "length of each stay" and the "number of entries" are three different things - and getting them mixed up has caused British holidaymakers to overstay, to lose entries unnecessarily and, occasionally, to have to apply again at short notice. This guide explains exactly how it works for UK tourists in 2026.

The three tourist eVisa options for British citizens

When you apply via the online portal you choose one of:

• 30-day tourist eVisa - double-entry, valid for 30 days from the date of first arrival.
• One-year tourist eVisa - multiple-entry, valid for 365 days from the date the visa is granted.
• Five-year tourist eVisa - multiple-entry, valid for 60 months from the date the visa is granted.

For a fee comparison see the current India eVisa fees.

Validity versus stay - the crucial distinction

Validity is the window during which you may use the eVisa to enter India. Stay is the maximum continuous time you may remain on each visit. Entries is the number of times you can cross the border into India within the validity period.

For UK passport holders specifically:

• The 30-day eVisa allows a maximum stay of 30 days total, across up to two visits.
• The one-year eVisa allows multiple visits within 365 days, each visit capped at 90 days.
• The five-year eVisa allows multiple visits within 60 months, each visit capped at 90 days.

"A five-year eVisa does not let you live in India for five years. It lets you visit as often as you like over five years, with no single visit exceeding 90 days. Three or four trips a year, of three weeks each, is exactly what it is designed for."

The 30-day eVisa in detail

The 30-day option is the budget choice for a one-off British holiday. Valid for 30 days from the date you first enter India - not from the date of issue - it gives you double entry, meaning you could fly Heathrow → Delhi, hop across to Kathmandu for a long weekend, and re-enter at Bagdogra without needing a new visa. The 30-day clock runs continuously from your first arrival, so the Nepal side trip eats into your Indian total.

Who it suits

• Two-week Golden Triangle holidaymakers.
• British couples doing a single beach week in Goa.
• Travellers with absolutely no chance of returning within the year.

The one-year eVisa in detail

This is the version we most often recommend to British tourists. Validity starts the moment the visa is granted - not the moment you arrive - and runs for 365 days. Within that year you can enter India as many times as you like, with each individual stay capped at 90 days. Useful UK scenarios:

• A January Kerala trip followed by a November Diwali visit.
• British grandparents visiting family in Mumbai, then returning for a winter wedding.
• A long sabbatical broken into three trips with side hops to Sri Lanka or Thailand.

The five-year eVisa in detail

The five-year version is the long-term traveller's friend. The rules mirror the one-year option - 90 days maximum per stay, unlimited entries - but the validity extends to 60 months. It is the natural choice for:

• British people with family in India, who visit annually.
• UK property owners in Goa or Kerala who spend three months each winter.
• British retirees following the season - a few months in Rajasthan, back home for British summer, back to India for the next winter.

The 90-day cap - what counts and what doesn't

Each individual visit may not exceed 90 days. The clock starts the moment Indian immigration stamps you in and stops the moment you depart. You can re-enter immediately after a brief exit (no enforced "cooling-off" period), but immigration officers may question very rapid back-to-back entries that look like an attempt to circumvent the cap.

Important detail for British snowbirds: there is no formal annual cumulative cap, but anyone spending more than 180 days in India in a financial year may become liable for tax residence questions. Independent tax advice is sensible for British retirees planning long stays.

Multiple entries - what they unlock

The one-year and five-year eVisas are multiple-entry, which makes side-trips practical. UK travellers commonly combine India with:

• Nepal - overland via the Sonauli border or fly Delhi to Kathmandu.
• Sri Lanka - short flight from Chennai or Trivandrum.
• Bhutan - fly Delhi/Kolkata to Paro (separate Bhutan permit required).
• Maldives - combine with a Kerala houseboat fortnight.

Each re-entry into India counts as a new arrival for the 90-day stay clock.

Children and family eVisas

Every traveller, including infants, needs their own eVisa. Validity and stay rules are identical for children. UK parents should apply for the same validity as themselves so the family can travel together throughout the eVisa period without separate renewals.

What if you need to stay longer than 90 days in one visit?

The eVisa cannot be extended in-country for a longer stay. If you genuinely need more than 90 days in one go, you must apply for a regular sticker visa via VFS Global UK in London, Manchester, Birmingham or Edinburgh before you fly. The sticker visa typically allows 180-day continuous stays and is the right route for students, long-term researchers and British nationals with extended family commitments in India.

The bottom line for UK tourists

If this is your first India trip and you have no immediate plans to return, the 30-day eVisa is fine. If there's any chance of a second trip within a year - perhaps a wedding, a follow-up holiday or a side-trip from a future Asia journey - the one-year option is excellent value. And if India is becoming a regular part of your travel life, the five-year version is unbeatable for British travellers planning an annual cycle of visits.

Whatever you choose, remember the rhythm: validity is the window, stay is the per-visit cap, and entries are unlimited on the longer versions. Get those three pieces straight in your head and your India trips will run as smoothly as the Mumbai suburban trains never do.

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