Travelling to India from France: e‑Visa, arrival card, OCI and official contacts

Official fees are those charged by the Indian portal, card charges included. The observed processing time is the average measured on real applications, between submission and issue; it does not replace a safety margin before departure. Where no measurement is available, the table shows the filing deadline, counted before arrival.

Which India e‑Visa do I need?

• e‑Tourist 30 days: a short tourist stay, multiple entries, valid for 30 days from first arrival.
• e‑Tourist 1 year or 5 years: multiple entries, each stay limited to 90 days, and 180 days at most per calendar year.
• e‑Business: meetings, trade fairs, business development; a business card and an invitation letter from the Indian company are required.
• e‑Medical / e‑Ayush: treatment in an Indian hospital, with the hospital’s letter; at most two attendants per patient, each with their own e‑Visa.
• e‑Conference: a conference held in India, with the event’s political clearance.
• e‑Transit: crossing India to a third country, stay of 3 days at most.

The e‑Visa cannot be extended or converted into another visa. People with a military, police or security background, and holders of official or diplomatic passports, must apply for a regular visa at the embassy.

Documents for the Indian e‑Visa

• a passport valid for at least 6 months on the date of application, with two blank pages;
• the passport’s bio page as a PDF, 10 to 300 KB;
• a recent square passport photo in JPEG, 10 KB to 1 MB: full face, eyes open, no glasses, plain light background without shadows;
• depending on the type: business card and invitation letter (business), hospital letter (medical), event clearance (conference), ticket and visa for the next country (transit).

Each child needs their own e‑Visa.

How to apply for the India e‑Visa

1. Leave your email: you immediately receive the link to start the application, between 120 days and 4 days before arrival.
2. Fill in the application online and upload the photo and the passport page: they are checked before submission to the Indian portal.
3. Pay the official fee and the service online.
4. Receive the authorisation (ETA) by email, print it and show it at boarding and on arrival, at one of the 37 authorised airports or the authorised seaports.

Common pitfalls. A non-compliant photo or an unreadable scan leads to refusal, and the fee is not refunded. The “previous visa” field is mandatory (enter “NA” if unknown). A new passport after the grant means travelling with both the old and the new passport, or transferring the e‑Visa.

Is Air Suvidha mandatory in 2026?

The official press note of 25 June 2026 makes the self-declaration mandatory for international passengers before immigration clearance. The measure responds to the public health emergency of international concern declared by the WHO on 17 May 2026 and may be lifted without notice. Check its status on the official portal before each departure.

How to fill in Air Suvidha

1. Fill in the form within 24 hours before arrival, ideally before boarding or at online check-in.
2. Declare the countries visited in the last 21 days, any exposure and any symptoms.
3. Download the self-declaration form and show it at the health desk or at immigration on arrival.

The form is free. It comes in addition to the e‑Arrival Card and does not replace it.

Who can apply for an OCI card?

A foreign national who was a citizen of India on or after 26 January 1950, or was eligible to become one on that date, or is the child, grandchild or great-grandchild of such a citizen. The foreign spouse of an Indian citizen or OCI cardholder can apply after at least two years of registered marriage. People who are or were citizens of Pakistan or Bangladesh, or whose ancestors were, are excluded. The embassy considers descendants of Indian immigrants in Martinique and Guadeloupe case by case.

OCI application in Paris

1. Fill in the application on ociservices.gov.in and pay the fee (non-refundable).
2. Print the form and copies of the documents, signed by the applicant.
3. Book an appointment on appointment.eoiparis.gov.in (slots on the 25th of the month and on Fridays at 9 am).
4. Attend with the originals; both spouses attend for a marriage-based application. Fingerprints and photo are taken on site (except under 12 and over 70).
5. Track the file online: allow about 30 days after acknowledgement.

Documents to provide

A passport valid for at least six months, proof of foreign nationality (and the cancelled Indian passport where relevant), proof of address, proof of Indian origin (passport, domicile certificate, or a parent’s or spouse’s OCI), birth and marriage certificates apostilled and translated into English. A square photo of at least 51 × 51 mm, plain light background, 200 × 200 to 900 × 900 pixels, 200 KB at most, like the signature.

OCI fees at the embassy in Paris

• First OCI card: €255;
• PIO to OCI conversion, or lost or damaged card: €95;
• miscellaneous services (update, correction): €26;
• update after a new passport within 90 days of its issue: free.

What is the e‑OCI?

The e‑OCI is the electronic version of the OCI card, issued by the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs. It can be downloaded free of charge on ociservices.gov.in with the email linked to the file, and printed. According to the ministry, new cards and updates after a new passport are now generated as e‑OCIs, with no booklet to collect; the embassy’s OCI page still describes collection at the counter. For a file lodged in Paris, ask oci.paris@mea.gov.in.

Every new passport must be declared on the portal, with a recent photo, whatever the holder’s age.