Reasons for Indian e-Visa rejection and useful tips to avoid them
This article will help in you avoiding an unsuccessful outcome for your Indian e-Visa Application so that you can apply with confidence and your journey to India can be hassle free. If you follow the steps outlined below, then the probability of rejection for your Indian Visa Online Application will be minimised. You can apply for Indian Visa Application here.
Understand requirements for Indian e-Visa or (Indian Visa Online)
Its important to first understand the essential requirements for Indian e-Visa before we learn about common causes of rejection and tips to avoid them. Even though the requirements are quite simple, a small percentage of applications for Indian Visa Online are still rejected.
Essential requirements for an Indian e-Visa are:
- The passport should be an Ordinary Passport (that is not Official Passport or Diplomatic Passport or Refugee Passport or Travel Documents of any other kind) that is valid for 6 months at the time of entry.
- You will need a valid payment method (like Debit or Credit card or PayPal) and a valid Email ID
- You must not have a criminal history. You can read about Visa Policy of India here.
You can read more about Indian Visa Documents Requirements here.
Here are the top 17 Reasons for Indian e-Visa rejection and tips to avoid them
- Hiding criminal background: Hiding your criminal history, however minor in your application for Indian e-Visa. If you try to hide this fact from the Indian Immigration Authority in your India Visa Online application, your application is likely to get rejected.
- Not providing full name: This is a common mistake and easily avoidable but unfortunately is a major reason for vast number of Indian e-Visa rejections. You must provide your name, surname and your middle name, if you have 1. Do not use initials or skip middle names. Example Tony R Baker or Tony Baker instead of Tony Ross Baker as shown in the passport.
- Multiple/redundant application: This is 1 of the common reasons for an Indian e-Visa rejection. What this means is that you had previously applied for an e-Visa which is still active and valid. Example: You may have applied in the past for Business e-Visa for India which is valid for 1 year and allows multiple entries. Or you may already have a 1 Year or 5 Years Tourist e-Visa for India that is still valid but you have lost the email or print out. In these scenarios, if you reapply for an Indian e-Visa then it is likely to get rejected because at a given time you are allowed only 1 India Visa Online.
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Pakistani origin: If you have mentioned any linkages to Pakistan with regards to your parents,
grand-parents, spouse or if you were born in Pakistan.
In this case your Indian e-Visa Application is likely to not get approved and you should apply for
regular or traditional Indian Visa by visiting closest Indian Embassy or Indian High Commission.
You should go to the Indian Embassy and apply for a regular paper visa by commencing the process here.
- Incorrect e-Visa Type: When there is mismatch between your main intention to visit India and the type of Indian e-Visa you apply for. Example, your main reason to visit India is business or commercial in nature but you apply for a Tourist Visa. Your stated intention must match the type of visa.
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Passport expiring soon: Your Passport is not valid for 6 months at the time of entry.
- Not an Ordinary Passport: Refugee, Diplomatic and Official passports are not eligible for Indian e-Visa. You cannot apply for Indian Visa Online even if you belong to an eligible country for Indian e-Visa. If you need to apply for an eVisa for India, then you must travel on an Ordinary passport. For all other passport types, you have to apply for traditional or regular visa through Indian Immigration at nearest Indian Consulate or Embassy.
- Insufficient Funds: Indian Immigration Authority can ask you to prove that you have enough funds to support your stay in India. Failure to provide this information could result in Indian e-Visa rejection.
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Blurred Face Photograph: The face photograph that you are expected to provide must clearly show your face from the top of your head to chin, it should hide any part of your face or be blurred.
Do not reuse the photo in your passport.
Read more about Indian Visa Photo Requirements.
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Unclear Passport scan: The personal page of the passport which contains the date of birth, name, and passport number, passport date of issue and passport expiry date must be clear.
Also ensure that the 2 lines at the bottom of passport called MRZ ( Magnetic Readable Zone) are not chopped of in your passport scan copy or photo taken from phone.
Read more about Indian Visa Passport Requirements.
- Information Mismatch: In addition to not providing your name exactly as mentioned in your passport, if you make a mistake in 1 of the passport fields on the Indian e-Visa Application, then your application can be rejected. So take special care when filling up important fields like passport number, date of birth, place of birth, country of passport etc.
- Incorrect Reference from home country: Indian e-Visa application requires a Reference or contact from your country of passport or home country. This is required in case of emergency. If you are an Australian citizen living in Dubai or Singapore for the last few years and intending to visit India, you still need to provide reference from Australia and not Dubai or Singapore. A reference can be 1 of your family members or friends.
- Lost old passport: You have applied for a new Visa to India and you have lost your old passport. If you apply for an Indian e-Visa because you lost your old passport you will be asked to provide a lost passport police report.
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Wrong e-Medical Visa: You are making a medical visit to Indian and apply for Medical Attendant visa. The patient need to apply for a Medical Visa and 2 friends or family can accompany the Medical Visa patient on a Medical Attendant Visa for India.
Read about Medical e-Visa for India and Medical Attendant e-Visa for India here.
- Missing Letter from the Hospital for e-Medical Visa . A clear letter on Hospital letterhead is required from the Hospital for the treatment/procedure/surgery for the patient applying for e-Medical Visa.
- Missing e-Business Visa requirements: Online Business Visa for India requires information (including website address) for both companies, the foreign company of the applicant as well as Indian company that is being visited.
- Missing business card: Indian e-Visa application for Business requires either a business card or at the very least, an email signature showing company name, designation, email address and phone number. Some applicants inadvertently provide photocopy of Visa/Mastercard debit card, but this is incorrect.
Can I Still Be Denied Entry After I have Received My Visa?
Receiving your Indian e-Visa with Granted status does not guarantee entry, as there is still a possibility of being denied access to India. This could occur for various reasons, including:
- Discrepancies between the details on your passport and the issued Indian e-Visa from the Immigration Authority.
- Not having two empty pages in your passport for stamping at the airport may lead to denial of entry.
It's important to note that stamping is not required at the Indian Consulate or Embassy.
To prevent rejection of your Indian e-Visa application, it is crucial to pay attention to specific details. If you have any further questions, feel free to contact [email protected] or apply for an Indian Visa online, ensuring a simple, streamlined, and guided application process.
Ensure that you have checked the eligibility for your India e-Visa.
United States citizens, United Kingdom citizens, Australian citizens and German citizens can apply online for India eVisa.
Please apply for a Indian e-Visa a week in advance of your flight.
