India entry requirements for Australian passport holders (2026): visa and passport validity
Visa (Smartraveller): Read the official visa text below
Passport validity (Smartraveller): Read the official text below
Official source: Smartraveller (Australian Government) – India travel advice, section “Travel” · page updated 27 August 2026, still current at 18 October 2026 (Australian time) · checked on 17 October 2026 · Content from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's Smartraveller website - www.smartraveller.gov.au, licensed under CC BY 4.0 (copyright notice). Changes: we quote excerpts unchanged and leave out some general notes; the short summaries are ours.
Whether Australians need a visa for India and how long an Australian passport must be valid, as published by Smartraveller, the Australian Government's travel advice service, quoted word for word with the date of the official page.
Other passports: British passport · Canadian passport
Driving in India, do you need an international driving permit? Australian licence · UK licence · Canadian licence
Visa fee: India e-Visa fee for Australian citizens ($200 for five years in the official table) · e-Arrival card
Do Australians need a visa for India?
We quote the official text word for word and do not summarise it. The first official sentence does not match a wording we summarise.
Official text, “Visas and border measures”:
Each country or territory decides its own entry and exit rules, including health border screening measures. To find out what you need to enter a destination, ask their embassy, consulate or immigration office.
Visa requirements
You must apply for a visa before arrival. Check if you're eligible for an e-visa on the Indian Visa Online website. For information on other visa categories or entry and exit requirements, see the Indian High Commission in Australia website.
For information and advice on Indian visas and immigration regulations while in India, see the FRRO/FRO and the Bureau of Immigration websites.
If your visa has expired or you have overstayed your visa, speak to the Foreigners Registration Office (FRRO/FRO) before you attempt to travel. Immigration authorities may prevent you from leaving India on an expired visa.
If your baby was born in India, you must let the FRRO know of the birth and that you'll apply for Australian citizenship and a passport for your child. Make sure you obtain an Australian citizenship certificate and an Australian passport, as well as an Indian visa to remain legally in India or to travel. If you don't inform the FRRO, you'll have to pay a significant fine.
Electronic visas
You may be eligible for an Electronic Visa (e-Visa) for:
- tourism
- business
- medical reasons
Get your e-Visa before travelling. You won't be able to get a visa on arrival.
Check that you're eligible before you apply. See the Government of India's Indian Visa Online website for details.
If you present an e-Visa at an entry point where the e-Visa is not recognised, you:
- won't be able to apply for any other visa
- won't be allowed to enter India
- will be deported
Tourist e-Visa
Indian Tourist e-Visas can be granted for 30 days, one year or five years. There may be additional visa conditions on the maximum length of stay depending on your nationality. Detailed information regarding visa validity and the maximum length of stay for each visa category can be found on the Indian Visa Online and Ministry of Home Affairs websites.
Beware of fake websites offering e-Visa services.
Carry a printed copy of your e-Visa, known as an electronic travel authorisation (ETA).
You'll get a formal visa in your passport when you arrive.
Long queues are common at immigration counters, regardless of your visa type.
Not all international airports in India allow passengers to enter with an e-Visa. Check with your nearest Indian consulate, embassy or agent and organise a visa before you arrive.
If you have an e-Visa, you can leave India from any authorised immigration checkpoint.
Other visas
Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Card holders
Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards are multiple entry, multi-purpose lifelong visas to visit India. OCI holders are entitled to live and work in India.
If you receive a new Australian passport and hold an OCI card, you must update your details on the OCI portal. You must do this every time you renew your Australian passport or receive a new Australian passport.
More information:
- Overseas Citizen of India Services
e-Arrival Card
You're required to complete the online e-Arrival Card up to 3 days before travel to India. This applies to Australian citizens and Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card holders.
Depending on your travel route, you might be asked to complete a paper arrival card.
Other conditions
You can be deported if you don't have a valid passport or visa.
You could incur heavy penalties for overstaying your visa, including being jailed.
Some visas require you to register yourself within 14 days of your arrival. If you don't register, you might not be able to depart. Visit the Ministry of Home Affairs website for details.
We can't help you to stay if you don't have the correct documents.
Entry and exit conditions can change at short notice. Contact the Indian High Commission in Canberra for details about visas, currency, customs and quarantine rules.
Indian authorities have closed the Integrated Check Post (ICP) at the Attari Border (land border between India and Pakistan in the state of Punjab). If you have plans to travel to India from Pakistan using any land borders, make alternate plans and follow the advice of local authorities.
More information:
Ministry of Home Affairs
Border measures
Due to the Ebola disease outbreak overseas, you're now required to complete an online health self-declaration form up to 24 hours before arrival in India. If you don't complete the form before you arrive, expect delays and additional screening procedures at Indian immigration.
If you’re travelling to India from an Ebola affected country, you may be required to undertake a temperature check on arrival. If you show symptoms, you may be subject to self-isolation, quarantine, and/or travel restrictions. Check local media and follow advice of local authorities.
Volunteering
If you're considering volunteer work, contact the nearest Indian embassy or consulate about visa requirements before travelling. This includes students visiting India under the New Colombo Plan.
Volunteer responsibly. Make sure you're contributing in an ethical and meaningful way.
Exit visas
If your passport is lost or stolen, report it to the police and contact the nearest Australian High Commission or Consulate to get a replacement travel document. You'll then need to get an exit visa through the online portal Foreigner's Regional Registration Office (FRRO) before you leave.
Also in the official “Travel” section:
Other formalities
Currency laws
Laws controlling the import and export of Indian rupees, foreign currency and other goods can change with little notice.
Contact your nearest Indian embassy or consulate for up-to-date information.
Yellow fever vaccination
To enter India, you may also be required to show proof of:
- yellow fever vaccination if you’re coming from a country listed as a transmission risk
- polio vaccine if you’re coming from a polio-affected country
See the Indian Government's Bureau of Immigration for advice.
More information:
Countries with a risk of yellow fever (PDF 252KB)
Long-stay registration
If you plan to stay for more than 180 days and don't hold an OCI card, register within 14 days of arrival with the Foreigner Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in major cities.
In other areas, you can register with the Superintendent of Police.
All visitors on long-term visas must register. This includes, but is not limited to, the following visas:
- student
- business
- medical
- research
- employment
- missionary
- project visas
If you don't register, you could face fines or imprisonment.
You may not be able to leave India until the Bureau of Immigration grants permission.
If you or someone you're travelling with has a short-term Tourist Visa and is hospitalised, you may be able to extend or 'convert' to a Medical Visa. Check with the Bureau of Immigration and Foreigner Regional Registration Office (FRRO).
Official source: Smartraveller (Australian Government) – India travel advice, section “Visas and border measures” · page updated 27 August 2026, still current at 18 October 2026 (Australian time) · checked on 17 October 2026 · Content from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's Smartraveller website - www.smartraveller.gov.au, licensed under CC BY 4.0 (copyright notice). Changes: we quote excerpts unchanged and leave out some general notes; the short summaries are ours.
How long must my Australian passport be valid for India?
We quote the official text word for word and do not summarise it. The official sentence does not match a wording we summarise.
Official text, “Passport”:
Validity
Many countries require your passport to be valid for at least 6 months before entering or departing. This includes for transit.
If your passport expires too soon, you might not be able to travel.
The Australian Government doesn’t make these rules. Check your passport’s expiry date before you go. If you’re not sure, it’s a good idea to get a new passport.
The same section also has Smartraveller's general notes (“Lost or stolen passport”, “Passport with 'X' gender identifier”), the same on every destination page: read them on the official page.
Official source: Smartraveller (Australian Government) – India travel advice, section “Passport” · page updated 27 August 2026, still current at 18 October 2026 (Australian time) · checked on 17 October 2026 · Content from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's Smartraveller website - www.smartraveller.gov.au, licensed under CC BY 4.0 (copyright notice). Changes: we quote excerpts unchanged and leave out some general notes; the short summaries are ours.
For Australian passport holders. These rules are published by Smartraveller, the Australian Government's travel advice service (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade), for Australian citizens. Before You Fly is an independent site: it is not an Australian Government site and is not endorsed by DFAT. The airline and the border officials of the destination decide whether you can travel or enter: this site is information, not legal advice. British passport? See the UK (FCDO) rules.
Read the full official travel advice for India (safety, health, local laws) before you travel.
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