Visas · India

India Visa for South Africans

We help South Africans get the right visa for India. Holders of ordinary South African passports need a visa to enter India and cannot get one on arrival. They are eligible for the e-Visa, applied for online on the Government of India's official portal before travel.

Or call +27 11 568 0827, Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 17:00

Marine Drive in Mumbai curving around the bay, with the city skyline beyond
What we do

How Prestige Solutions helps

Whether it is a holiday, a family visit, a business trip or medical treatment, we take the route, the forms and the follow-up off your hands.

Swipe for all four

Route check

We confirm whether your trip fits an e-Visa category or needs a regular visa from the Indian mission, before anything is paid for.

Application checking

We check your details and documents against the requirements and against each other, to reduce the risk of refusal.

Lodgement

E-Visa applications go through the official Government of India portal only. Regular visa applications go to the Consulate General of India in Johannesburg, Cape Town or Durban, or the High Commission of India in Pretoria, whichever serves where you live.

Tracking

We follow your application until the travel authorisation is granted, and tell you which arrival forms to complete.

Prestige Solutions prepares and lodges your application; the Indian authorities decide the outcome and the processing time.

Three steps

How it works

A traveller holding a passport holder in one hand and a phone in the other
  1. You

    Route and document list

    Tell us about your trip. We confirm the right visa and send you a document list built for your situation.

  2. Prestige Solutions

    Application prepared and lodged

    We prepare the application from the details and documents you give us, you confirm every answer, and it is lodged in your name with your own email address.

  3. Prestige Solutions

    Authorisation granted

    An e-Visa arrives at your email address as an electronic travel authorisation, and the visa is stamped in your passport on arrival. We confirm it shows as granted before you fly.

Not sure which visa you need? Tell us about your trip and we will confirm the route.

Check your route
Before you start

What you need and what it costs

The visa

Holidays and visits to friends or family use the e-Tourist Visa, offered for 30 days, one year or five years with multiple entries. The e-Business Visa, e-Conference Visa, e-Medical Visa and e-Medical Attendant Visa cover other short trips, and the portal also lists categories for students, their dependants and transit. Every traveller needs their own application, and purposes outside the e-Visa categories need a regular visa from the Indian mission.

What you need

  • A passport valid for at least six months, with two blank pages
  • A recent digital photograph and a copy of your passport details page
  • A return or onward ticket and enough money for your stay
  • A supporting document for business, conference or medical travel

When you enquire, we send you a document list built for your situation.

What it costs

  • Any Government of India visa fee for your category, plus the bank charge on it
  • Our service fee

We confirm the official fee for your category and our full quote upfront, so you know the full cost before we start.

Timing

How long it takes

A traveller with a carry-on suitcase stepping onto an escalator in an airport terminal

For tourist, business, conference and medical e-Visas, the official e-Visa portal requires an application at least four days before you arrive in India and accepts one up to 120 days ahead. That is a window and not a turnaround, and the Indian authorities determine the processing time. A regular visa needs a minimum of three working days at the Indian mission, depending on nationality and excluding special cases.

Why us

Why choose Prestige Solutions

01

The right route first

The e-Visa does not cover employment, journalism or work for non-governmental organisations. We confirm your route before you pay for anything.

02

The official portal only

The High Commission of India in Pretoria has warned about look-alike websites posing as the government e-Visa portal. Prestige Solutions is an independent company, and we lodge e-Visa applications only on the official portal, on its gov.in address.

03

One team for the whole trip

We handle visa applications for 75+ destinations, so a Dubai stopover or a second country stays with one team.

04

Confirmed with you before it goes

The applicant is responsible for the information in an e-Visa application, so we prepare yours from what you give us and you confirm every answer before it is lodged.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

Practical answers to what South Africans ask us about visiting India.

Do South Africans need a visa for India

Yes. India's Bureau of Immigration states that South Africans need a visa to enter India, and holders of ordinary passports are eligible for the e-Visa. The portal excludes travellers with a parent or grandparent who was born in or lived permanently in Pakistan, who need a regular visa instead. Tell us about your trip and we will confirm the category that fits.

Can South Africans get an India visa on arrival

No. India's visa on arrival is limited to nationals of Japan, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates. South Africans apply for an e-Visa online and wait for the travel authorisation before flying, and we can prepare and lodge that application for you.

How long does an India e-Visa take

For tourist, business, conference and medical e-Visas, the official portal requires you to apply at least four days before you arrive and accepts applications up to 120 days ahead. The Indian authorities determine the processing time, so tell us your travel date and we will plan around it.

How long can I stay in India on an e-Tourist Visa

The 30 day e-Tourist Visa is valid for 30 days from your first arrival. Within the visa's validity, the Bureau of Immigration limits South Africans on a tourist visa to 90 days on each visit and 180 days in a calendar year. An e-Visa cannot be extended or converted, so we match the visa to your plans before you apply.

Which airports can I enter India through on an e-Visa

Only the designated entry points listed on the official portal, which include the airports at Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Cochin and Goa. You may leave through any Indian immigration check post. We check your arrival airport against the list before lodging.

Can I use an e-Visa for business or medical travel

Yes. The e-Business Visa covers visits such as meetings and setting up a venture, is valid for one year with multiple entries and allows up to 180 days on each visit. The e-Medical Visa covers hospital treatment in India, with up to two companions on e-Medical Attendant Visas. Paid employment needs a regular visa, so tell us what you will be doing and we will confirm the route.

Do I need a yellow fever certificate for India

It depends on your route. South Africa is not on India's list of yellow fever endemic countries, but Ethiopia and Kenya are. India requires a valid vaccination certificate from travellers who arrive within six days of leaving a listed country, and the Bureau of Immigration applies this to transit through one as well. Travellers without it can be quarantined for up to six days. Tell us your routing, and our travel clinic can advise on vaccination.

What does it cost

Any Government of India visa fee that applies to your category, and our service fee. The official fee depends on nationality and visa category and is not refunded if the application is rejected. We confirm the figures for your trip upfront, before we start.

What happens if my e-Visa is refused

You are told by email whether the application was granted or rejected, and the portal names unclear documents and photographs as a reason for rejection. We can review what went wrong and help you prepare a corrected application, or a regular visa application through the Indian mission.

Start here

Start your India visa application

Tell us when you plan to travel and why. We will confirm whether an e-Visa or a regular visa is the right route, send you a document list built for your situation and confirm the full cost upfront.

HoursMonday to Friday, 08:00 to 17:00
Our officeRivonia Village, Second Floor, Cnr Mutual and Rivonia Boulevard, Rivonia, 2128

Sources

The official sources this guide was checked against
  • Bureau of Immigration, e-Visa portal and its frequently asked questions, indianvisaonline.gov.in
  • Bureau of Immigration, Visa Processing Time, indianvisaonline.gov.in
  • Bureau of Immigration, Country Specific Guidelines for South Africa, boi.gov.in
  • Bureau of Immigration, General Guidelines, How to apply and Business in India, boi.gov.in
  • Bureau of Immigration, Health Regulation, boi.gov.in
  • Bureau of Immigration, Visa free Regime and Visa on Arrival, boi.gov.in
  • High Commission of India, Pretoria, Visa Guidelines, hcipretoria.gov.in
  • High Commission of India, Pretoria, Advisory regarding fraudulent websites for e-Visas to India, hcipretoria.gov.in
  • High Commission of India, Pretoria, Appointment Booking System and Bank Details, hcipretoria.gov.in
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