Quick summary
Australian and New Zealand travelers can get an India e-Tourist visa for USD 10–80 depending on season and validity. The official minimum application window is 4 days before arrival, but December’s peak load routinely stretches processing to 7–10 days. Apply by December 4 for a December 18 departure to avoid last-minute panic.
The real danger is fake portals. Scam sites mimic the government system and charge USD 100+ for the same visa—often delivering nothing usable. This article shows how to spot the genuine .gov.in portal, what fees you’ll actually pay, and how to recover when the system glitches.
As of June 2026, an e-Tourist visa for India costs Australian and New Zealand passport holders USD 25 for a 30‑day stay between July and March, and just USD 10 in the April‑to‑June low season. That’s the price if you use the real government site. Scam operators regularly add a 400–1,000% markup and still leave travelers with a rejected application. Air Traveler Club’s monitoring of e‑Visa processing times for Australasia‑bound journeys shows that mid‑December submissions hit a system bottleneck—adding 3–6 extra days to the stated 4‑day minimum. While you compare flight options to India from Australasia, secure the visa first.
For Australian and New Zealand citizens, eligibility is straightforward: no visa‑on‑arrival, just the e‑Visa obtained through the Indian Bureau of Immigration’s single online portal. The official rule says apply at least 4 days before travel. In practice, during the December rush toward Christmas and New Year, Air Traveler Club recommends 2 full weeks. That buffer absorbs the payment failures, site timeouts, and status‑update lag that peak‑season applicants routinely face.
The 4‑day rule is a trap in December
India’s Bureau of Immigration formally permits e‑Tourist visa submissions up to 4 calendar days before arrival. The system will accept your application with that margin. But the moment you factor in a declined card, a frozen payment gateway, or a public‑holiday backlog, the margin evaporates. The government’s official e‑Visa rules and fee structure note that you must have a granted status, not simply submitted, before boarding. For a December 18 departure, the safe submission window closes no later than December 4. After that, you’re gambling.
Find the real portal: it ends in .gov.in
Scam sites dominate search results. They mimic government layouts, use official‑sounding names, and charge USD 100–150 for a visa that costs under USD 50 from the source. The only genuine address is the official Indian e‑Visa portal, identifiable by its .gov.in top‑level domain. Bookmark it directly. Never click on a sponsored ad. The government itself warns that third‑party sites often submit incorrect data; a mistaken passport digit will get you rejected at immigration, even if you paid a “service” firm USD 199.
When you reach the real site, the process is starkly simple: upload a photo and passport scan, fill in your travel details, and pay. The payment screen will be in Indian rupees or US dollars, with a 2.5% bank charge added. If you see a charge labeled “processing fee” or “convenience charge” beyond that, stop—close the tab and re‑enter the URL manually.
The fee maze: what you’ll actually pay
The table below compares the government’s official e‑Tourist visa prices with the inflated charges common on third‑party sites. All official fees are in US dollars and attract a 2.5% bank surcharge. For a 30‑day visa in the April–June window, the true cost to you is USD 10 plus about 25 cents—no more. Anyone asking for USD 100+ is running a wrapper site.
| Visa type | Validity | Official fee (USD) | Bank surcharge | Typical third‑party charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30‑day e‑Tourist (Apr–Jun) | 30 days | 10 | ~0.25 | 100–150+ |
| 30‑day e‑Tourist (Jul–Mar) | 30 days | 25 | ~0.63 | 100–150+ |
| 1‑year e‑Tourist | 365 days, multiple entry | 40 | ~1.00 | 120–180+ |
| 5‑year e‑Tourist | 5 years, multiple entry | 80 | ~2.00 | 150–250+ |
Australian and New Zealand travelers fall into the most common fee tier; the government’s country‑wise PDF (available on the portal) confirms that no Australasia‑listed fee breaks the USD 80 ceiling.
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Why printed copies still matter
The e‑Visa is fully electronic—Indian immigration officers access your record by swiping your passport. Yet at airports from Delhi to Kochi, the first person you’ll encounter is often a security guard at the terminal entrance, not an immigration official. These door staff are trained to check for a physical printout of the “Granted” ETA. A phone screenshot won’t work if you’re offline or if the lighting makes the screen unreadable. Carry two copies: one for the security check, and one as backup in your cabin bag.
Similarly, many hotels require a photocopy of your visa at check‑in. India’s hospitality sector relies on paper trails, and desk staff will not accept a digital version. Keep a folded copy in your passport.
When the portal crashes: backup plans
December applications strain the server to its limit. The most common failure is a payment gateway timeout: your card is charged, but the status stays at “Pending” for hours or days. Do not re‑submit payment. Instead, note the application ID, save the transaction receipt, and contact the 24×7 helpline (+91-11-24300666) or email the support address listed on the government site. The support team can manually push a status update—but only if you haven’t created a duplicate application.
If your status hasn’t updated 5 days before departure, escalate. The helpline is staffed, though wait times can be long. A backup option is to apply for a fresh e‑Visa using a different email address, but this should be a last resort because the system occasionally flags duplicate passport numbers.
Apply by December 4: your checklist
For a December 18 departure, the coming two‑week window is the difference between a relaxed pre‑trip period and a frantic dash. Use these exact steps.
- Open the official portal: Type indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa into your browser—no Google search.
- Prepare a recent passport photo and scanned passport bio page: Both must be in JPEG format under 1 MB. Test the upload before filling the form.
- Select the e‑Tourist visa category and check the latest fee PDF. As of June 2026, USD 25 covers a 30‑day December trip.
- Pay with a card that permits international transactions and note the application ID. Print the Grant page immediately after payment succeeds.
- Watch: The Indian government occasionally revises e‑Visa fees in April and October. Re‑confirm the current fee structure at the official portal in late November 2026 before applying.
Questions? Answers.
Are Australian and New Zealand citizens still eligible for the Indian e‑Tourist visa?
Yes. As of mid‑2026, both nationalities appear on the official eligibility list, which you can verify on the e‑Visa portal before you apply. The list is periodically updated, so check it each time you plan a
