E-visa vs X Visa for India: Complete Guide for Foreign Nationals

Choosing the right visa is very important for your long trip to stay in India. Two major types of Indian visa are the Indian e-Visa and the X-Visa (Entry Visa). 

Both visas help the foreign national to enter India safely, but they have different features, eligibility criteria, validity, and benefits. 

In this blog, we will discuss the difference between an e-visa vs X-visa for foreign nationals. 

Difference Between E-Visa and X visa

What is an Indian E-visa?

An Indian e-visa is an electronic visa that is used by foreign nationals for various short-term purposes. 

You can apply for an Indian e-visa through the official Indian visa online website 

A foreign national can apply for an E-visa through the online portal. 

Key Features of the Indian e-visa 

Here are the following key features given for the Indian e-visa for foreign nationals. 

• The Indian e-visa is a complete online process that does not include a single piece of paperwork; the entire process is fully digital. 
• There is no need to visit any embassy or Indian consulate for your Indian e-visa application as it has all the process digitalized. 
• You can apply for an Indian e-Visa for various types, such as Business e-Visa, tourist-e visa, medical-e visa, or conference e-Visa. 
• The Indian tourist e-visa can be used for about 30 days, 1 year or 5 years per visit, depending on the nationality. Other e-visas, such as business or medical, have a short period of time. 
• You can get multiple entries through the Indian e-visa, depending on the type of visa. 
• The normal processing time for an e-visa India application is around 3-5 working days.

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Types of Indian e-visa

There are many types of Indian e-Visa that you can apply for to enter India. 

• Tourist e-Visa: It is used for tourism and travelling purposes. 
• Business e-Visa: This visa allows you to attend a business meeting in India. 
• Medical e-Visa: Get a medical visa to receive any treatment in a recognized hospital in India. 
• Medical attendant e-Visa: Used for the attendant of a medically ill person. 
• Conference e-visa: This visa category is used for attending conferences and meetings. 

Indian e-visa Limitations 

There are also certain limitations which you need to be aware of, which are: 

• You cannot convert an e-visa to an X-visa, and it cannot be extended. 
• You will only get entry with an Indian e-visa via certain airports and seaports. 
• An e-visa is not a good option for staying for a long period of time or residing in India. 

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What is an X-visa (Entry visa)?

 An X visa allows a foreign national of Indian origin who has a close connection with family in India to stay for a long period of time.

It is issued to foreign nationals and used by their spouses and dependent children. 

 This visa is designed to stay for a long time in India for purposes other than employment or business. Only the individual with a valid personal reason or family ties can apply for an X-visa, which is also called an Entry visa. 

Features of X-visa

Having an X-visa provides you with features like: 

• With an X visa (entry visa), you can stay in India for a long period of time. 
• Through an X visa, you can stay close to your family in India. 
• You can extend your X-visa by registering at the FRRO center within 14 days of arrival after 180 or more days' stay in India. 
• Allows you multiple entries in India. 
• It is not issued for a short duration in India like the e-visas. 

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Who is Eligible to Apply for the X visa

The following are eligible to apply for an X visa (Entry visa): 

• Any foreign national married to an Indian citizens are eligible to get an X visa. 
• OCI card holders, spouses and their dependent children. 
• Children of Indian origin are eligible to apply for an X visa. 
• Any foreign national visiting their family members. 

Validity of X visa

The X visa is only valid for: 

• 6 months to 5 years of duration, which depends on the eligibility criteria of an individual. 
• You can extend your visa stay duration by registering through the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) within 14 days of arrival. 

What Should I Choose Between an E-visa and an X Visa? 

Both the Indian e-visa and X visa have their own key features and purposes. See the table given below, which provides you with more understanding of an e-visa vs an X visa. 

What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of the E-visa and X Visa? 

Here are the advantages and disadvantages of the e-visa. 

Given below are the X visa advantages and disadvantages

Can you convert an e visa to an X visa? 

In most of the cases, you cannot convert your e-visa to an X visa because it is not valid in India. However, if you want to apply for a New visa, then you need to go outside India and again apply for a new visa application from your home country. 

If you have an additional case, like marriage to an Indian citizen, then you can get permission of conversion of your visa. Although this also depends on Indian authorities, to approve the application by verifying the condition of the applicant. 

Note: If the foreign national is of Indian origin, they can easily convert their tourist e-visa to X visa in India.

Conclusion

Both the Indian e-visa and X visa are important travel documents for foreign nationals through which they can get entry into India. However, both have different purposes and durations of stay.

If you are looking for a small visit, then you should choose an Indian e-visa. 

If you are looking for a long visit, then select an X visa, which also allows you to extend your duration of stay in India. 

You can also choose Visament Visa Service, which provides you with a simple and easy application process with 24/7 assistance from years of experts to solve all your doubts and issues.