India eVisa airports and ports of entry
The India eVisa is only valid for arrival at designated airports and seaports. Here is the full list for UK travellers, plus what happens when you land.
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Why the port of entry matters
Unlike a regular sticker visa, the India eVisa can only be used to enter the country at a specific list of designated airports and seaports. If you arrive somewhere that is not on the list - for example, a land border crossing from Nepal - your eVisa will not be accepted. For the great majority of British travellers flying in from Heathrow, Gatwick or Manchester this is never an issue, because every major Indian gateway is a designated eVisa airport. It only matters if you are planning an unusual route.
Good news for exits: you can leave India from any authorised immigration check post, including land borders. Only your point of arrival has to be a designated eVisa port.
Designated eVisa airports
The eVisa is currently accepted for arrival at around 30 international airports. The ones UK travellers use most are:
- Delhi (DEL) - Indira Gandhi International, the busiest gateway from the UK. See our Delhi guide.
- Mumbai (BOM) - Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International. See our Mumbai guide.
- Goa - Dabolim (GOI) and Mopa/Manohar (GOX) - the beach-holiday favourites. See our Goa guide.
- Kochi (COK) - the main gateway for Kerala. See our Kerala guide.
- Bengaluru (BLR), Chennai (MAA), Hyderabad (HYD) - major southern hubs.
- Kolkata (CCU), Ahmedabad (AMD), Amritsar (ATQ), Jaipur (JAI), Trivandrum (TRV).
Other designated airports include Calicut, Coimbatore, Gaya, Lucknow, Nagpur, Pune, Tiruchirappalli, Varanasi, Visakhapatnam and more. If your flight from the UK lands at a recognised international airport, it is almost certainly on the list.
Designated eVisa seaports
If you are arriving in India by cruise ship, the eVisa is valid at five designated seaports:
- Mumbai
- Chennai
- Cochin (Kochi)
- Goa (Mormugao)
- Mangalore
Where the eVisa is NOT valid
- Land borders - crossings from Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Pakistan or Myanmar require a regular sticker visa, not an eVisa.
- Non-designated airports - a handful of smaller regional airports are not on the eVisa list; check before booking an unusual domestic-into-international routing.
What happens when you land
At your designated eVisa airport, head for the immigration hall (follow signs for "e-Visa" counters, which are usually separate from the sticker-visa desks). Have ready:
- A printed copy of your approved eVisa (the ETA email).
- Your UK passport, valid for at least six months with two blank pages - see our requirements page.
- Your e-Arrival Card receipt, submitted within 72 hours of your flight.
The officer will scan your documents, capture your photograph and fingerprints (biometrics), and stamp your passport. Allow 20 to 45 minutes at busy times such as the early-morning bank of UK arrivals into Delhi Terminal 3. Once you plan your route, our processing time guide helps you apply with enough time to spare.
Arrival questions from UK travellers
Around 30 designated international airports, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Kochi, both Goa airports, Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Jaipur and Trivandrum, plus five seaports. You must arrive at one of these to use an eVisa.
Yes. Exit is allowed from any authorised Immigration Check Post, including land borders. Only your point of entry must be a designated eVisa port.
By cruise, yes - at five designated seaports (Mumbai, Chennai, Cochin, Goa and Mangalore). By land, no - overland entry needs a regular sticker visa.
A printed copy of your approved eVisa, your passport valid for six months with two blank pages, and your e-Arrival Card receipt. Immigration scans your documents, takes biometrics and stamps your entry.