Centre expands e-visa entry points to 88 with 11 new international ports
New Delhi, August 10
Enabling e-visa-holder foreigners to enter India, the Ministry of Home Affairs notified 11 more international ports this year, taking the total number to 88.
The newly added 11 international ports include nine land ports (Agartala, Darranga, Gede, Ghojadanga, Haridaspur, Jaigaon, Dawki, Moreh and Attari) and two airports (Bhopal and Tirupati).
The addition of these 11 international ports further enhances the attractiveness and utility of electronic visas, said the MHA, adding, "India provides approximately 95 per cent of e-visa applications in less than 72 hours."
These newly added international ports were notified on different occasions from January 1, 2026, to date. With the latest addition, the total number of international ports enabling entry of e-visa-holder foreigners has increased to 88, including 37 airports, 38 seaports and 13 land ports.
Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bagdogra, Bhogapuram, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Calicut, Chandigarh, Chennai, Cochin, Coimbatore, Delhi, Gaya, Goa (Dabolim), Goa (Mopa), Guwahati, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Kannur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Madurai, Mangalore, Mumbai, Nagpur, Navi Mumbai, Port Blair, Pune, Surat, Thiruvananthapuram, Trichy, Varanasi, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Bhopal and Tirupati are among the total 37 airports across India so far declared as international ports.
The 38 designated seaports declared as international ports are Agatti, Alang, Bedi Bandar, Bhavnagar, Calicut, Chennai, Cochin, Cuddalore, Dahej, Dhamra, Haldia, Hazira, Kakinada, Ennore-Kamarajar, Kandla, Karaikal, Kattupalli, Kolkata, Kollam, Krishnapatnam, Mandvi, Mormugao, Mumbai, Mundra, Nagapattinam, New Mangalore, Nhava Sheva, Paradeep, Pipavav, Porbandar, Port Blair, Sikka, Tuna Tekra, Tuticorin, Vallarpadam, Visakhapatnam, Vizhinjam-Kovalam and Vizhinjam.
Besides the newly added nine land ports designated as international ports, the others are Raxaul, Rupaidiha, Darranga and Jogbani.
As per the MHA, significant initiatives have been taken in the last few years to liberalise, streamline and simplify the visa regime with a view to facilitating legitimate foreign travellers while simultaneously ramping up the technological infrastructure to enhance internal security.
One significant step taken to liberalise and simplify the Indian visa regime, especially the tourist visa regime, is the introduction of the e-visa facility, the MHA further mentioned.
It also said that the e-visa facility, with Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), was introduced in 2014 for nationals of 43 countries. This facility is presently available to nationals of 172 countries.
India presently issues e-visas under 17 categories, including Tourist, Mountaineering, six Business Visa sub-categories (B-1 to B-6), four Medical Visa sub-categories (M-1 to M-4), two Student Visa sub-categories (S-1 and S-2), Transit, X-1 (Miscellaneous) and Group Visitor Visa (Cruise).
It is pertinent to mention that India now issues roughly 78 per cent of visas as electronic visas.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Finally, Bhopal and Tirupati airports are included! This will make it so much easier for foreign tourists visiting central and southern India. Hope this boosts local businesses and homestays in these regions. 🙏
Great initiative but I wish the land ports in the Northeast like Darranga and Dawki had better road connectivity and facilities. Expanding entry points is one thing, ensuring a smooth experience for travellers at these borders is another. Let's hope infrastructure keeps up.
As a frequent visitor to India, this is excellent news! The e-visa system has already been super convenient, and adding more entry points makes exploring India even easier. The 17 visa categories are very comprehensive too. Cheers to India for being so welcoming! 🇮🇳
E-visa for 172 countries and 78% of visas issued electronically? That's a huge achievement. But I do wonder about the security checks at the new land ports. We need to ensure that while welcoming tourists, our borders remain secure. A balanced approach is key.
Adding Jaigaon and Ghojadanga makes sense for Bhutan and Bangladesh border traffic. But let's not forget the smaller ports need proper signage, banks, and tourist assistance. Just adding names to a list isn't enough; the on-ground experience matters for repeat tourists. Still, a positive step.
S < We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.