Indian Visa for German Citizens: e-Visa, Fees and Where to Apply

The Embassy of India in Berlin is plain about it: for travel to India, a regular visa or an e-Visa, along with a passport, is mandatory, and only categories exempted under bilateral arrangements can do without one. Germany is on the e-Visa list, so for a holiday, a family visit or a short business trip you apply online and never set foot in the Embassy. India's visa on arrival is open only to nationals of Japan, South Korea and, on conditions, the UAE, so a German passport needs its visa before the flight.

Choose the visa by what you will do in India:

• e-Tourist Visa: sightseeing and recreation, visiting friends or relatives, a short yoga programme, a short, unstructured course of up to six months with no certificate, or up to a month of unpaid voluntary work.
• e-Business Visa: business purposes; valid for a year from the date it is granted, with multiple entries and stays of up to 180 days per visit.
• e-Medical Visa: treatment in India; our page on medical visa logistics explains how it differs from a tourist visa.
• A regular visa from the Embassy: anything the e-Visa does not cover. The portal states that the e-Visa is not allowed for employment, NGO activities or journalism.

If you hold an Overseas Citizen of India card, different rules apply: see OCI cards and entry rules.

India sets e-Visa fees country by country. The e-Tourist fee table on the official portal, dated 8 September 2026, lists these figures for Germany, in US dollars, with a bank charge of 3% added to every payment:

The portal's second fee table lists the e-Business Visa at US$120 and the e-Medical Visa at US$80 for German passports. The fee is not refunded if the visa is refused, because it pays for processing the application. The portal charges no emergency or express fee, and the Government of India authorises no agent to charge for an express e-Visa. None of these visas can be extended or converted into another kind once you are in India.

For one trip the 30-day visa is enough. If a second trip in the same year is possible, the 1-year visa costs US$15 more than a 30-day visa bought for July to March.

1. Use only indianvisaonline.gov.in. The Embassy warns against any other website: the e-Visa is applied for only through the authorised Government of India site.
2. Apply at least four days before you arrive; the portal accepts applications up to 120 days before your travel date.
3. Your passport needs at least six months' validity on the day you apply and two blank pages for the immigration stamp.
4. Upload a scan of the passport's photo page (PDF, 10 KB to 300 KB) and a photo of your face (JPEG, 10 KB to 1 MB, on a plain light or white background).
5. Pay the fee and the 3% bank charge. The portal emails you when the visa is granted or rejected, and you can check its status there at any time.
6. Carry a copy of your Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) when you travel, with a return or onward ticket and enough money for your stay.
7. In the 72 hours before you land, submit the free e-Arrival Card, which every foreign national must complete. It records your arrival; it is not a visa.

On arrival, immigration records your biometric details. An e-Visa is valid for entry only at designated airports and seaports, not at land borders; the portal's list of 37 airports includes Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, both Goa airports, Kochi, Jaipur and Varanasi. You may leave India through any immigration check post. Our India e-Visa guide sets out the application step by step.

From 19 January 2026 the Embassy discontinued its outsourcing provider, Alankit Assignments Ltd. Its Indian Consular Application Centre no longer accepts applications, and the Embassy asks applicants not to transfer fees to it. Since 20 January 2026 visa applications go to the Embassy, by online appointment only.

To apply, fill in the regular visa form on indianvisaonline.gov.in, print and sign it, book a slot on the Embassy's appointment portal, and take the application to the Embassy of India, Tiergartenstrasse 17, 10785 Berlin, in person on that date. The Embassy advises applicants to give their biometrics when they submit.

The Embassy also lists Consulates General in Hamburg, Frankfurt and Munich, each for named federal states (see the questions below), and a jurisdiction page: check which mission serves your state before you book. If you would like a second pair of eyes on the form, our visa assistance page explains what we can check; the visa itself is issued only by the Government of India. Once it is granted, First time in India covers what to expect when you land.