Planning a trip to India starts with one basic question: does a passport actually qualify for the online visa system. More than one hundred sixty countries currently hold eligibility, and confirming exact status through the Eligible Country for Indian e-Visa in 2030 page remains the simplest way to avoid surprises before booking flights.

Citizens from qualifying nations can apply entirely online, skipping the embassy visit that regular visa categories still require. A handful of countries remain excluded from this system altogether, meaning travelers from those nations need to pursue a traditional sticker visa through the nearest Indian mission instead.

Since eligibility rules occasionally shift based on diplomatic or policy changes, checking the current list close to the planned travel date offers more reliability than assuming last year’s status still applies. Nationality alone determines eligibility here, not residency or citizenship history, so travelers holding passports from multiple countries should apply using whichever document they intend to travel with.