How to: Apply for Tourist Visa to India for Philippine Passport Holders

Philippine passport holders are required to get a visa to travel India. A 60-day tourist visa with double entry may be granted for the purpose of tourism. Visa on arrival used to be allowed before 2015, but they changed the policy requiring everyone to apply for an e-Visa. No fret though, getting an e-Visa is conveniently one click away.

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to get an e-Visa to India:

Step 1: Prepare the requirements
Applicants may apply as early as 120 days up to 4 days before the intended date of travel. Before applying online, make sure to prepare the following:
1. Valid passport: With at least 6-month validity from the intended date of arrival in India. Make sure there’s at least 2 blank pages for stamping.
2. Intended date of travel: The arrival and departure date doesn't have to be final. The issued e-Visa will have a 120-day window based on the date when the e-Visa was granted.
For example, if your visa was issued on June 1, you may arrive India until October 1, which is a 120-day period.
3. Port of entry: The port of entry must match the actual airport / seaport of  arrival. It’s valid to enter 24 airports and 3 seaports in India:
4. Accommodation in India: Whether hosted by someone or will stay in a hotel, take note of the name, address, and contact number. These information will be asked when filling up the e-visa application form.
5. Bio page / front page of passport: This will be required to complete the e-Visa application form. It must be in PDF format, at least 10 KB in size but not more than 300 KB, and all information must be clear and visible.
With my experience, I just took a photo of my passport and converted it to PDF. I converted from JPEG to PDF here.
6. 2x2-inch colored photo: This will be required to complete the e-Visa application form. It must be in JPEG format, with white or light background, and must be at least 10 KB in size but not more than 1 MB.

Step 2: Go to Indian Visa Online
The URL is https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/index.html. The main page of Indian Visa Online looks like this:
Tip: To avoid being scammed online, make sure to process it through the official website. To check that the embassy or consulate’s website is official, make sure the URL has the country’s abbreviation.

For example, .ph for Philippines, .jp for Japan, and .kr for Korea.

Step 3: Fill up the e-Visa application
If applying for a tourist visa, select “eTOURIST VISA” and choose among the 3 purposes. For tourism, choose “RECREATION AND SIGHT-SEEING.”
In the second page, you have to fill up more details.
From this page on, it's possible to “Save and Temporarily Exit.” It will issue a 15-character Temporary Application that serves as reference to go back at the partially filled up application form.
To continue a partially filled up application form, go to the main page of Indian Visa Online and click “Complete Partially Filled Form.”
It will ask for the Temporary Application ID.
The third page looks like this:
The fourth page looks like this:
Next, it will ask for your 2x2 colored photo.
Then, it will ask to upload the bio page / front page of your passport. Make sure to follow the required specifications. Otherwise, it will not go through.

Step 4: Pay the e-visa fee
As of July 2017, the e-Visa fee costs USD 50. India Visa Online partners with Axis Bank Payment Gateway service that accepts Visa, Mastercard, and Maestro debit and credit cards globally. On top of the visa fee, it has 2.5% banking charge (I was charged USD 1.25).

I paid a total of USD 51.25 (PHP 2,660.01). The total amount varies depending on the exchange rate (forex on that day was USD 1 = PHP 51.90).

Step 5: Wait for the e-Visa result via email
With my experience, it only took 2 days before I received an email with a GRANTED result. Yup, it was that fast! If no email yet, you may check the status of the application on the main page of Indian Visa Online, and click “Visa Status.”
It will bring you to the Visa Status Enquiry page where you have to enter the 12-character Application ID (*NOTE: not to be mistaken with Temporary Application ID) and your passport number.
To print the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) that represents the e-Visa, click the “Print Status.”

Last tip: Bring a hard copy of the e-Visa upon arrival in India. It will be required upon collection of biometrics at the Indian immigration. Also, bring hard copies of round trip plane tickets, accommodation vouchers, tour vouchers, and other travel documents that may be asked to back up the purpose of travel.



How to: Apply for Tourist Visa to India for Philippine Passport Holders How to: Apply for Tourist Visa to India for Philippine Passport Holders Reviewed by Shelly Viajera Travel on 30.6.17 Rating: 5
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