India eVisa for Canadian Citizens: Complete 2026 Guide
Canadians travel to India for every reason imaginable: a winter escape to Goa, a family wedding in Punjab, a spiritual retreat in Rishikesh, or a business trip to Mumbai. For almost all of these journeys, the India eVisa for Canadian citizens is the simplest route, letting you apply from home and receive your approval by email. Because India paused the service during the diplomatic tensions of 2023, many Canadians are unsure whether it is available today. This guide sets out the current position and the visa types open to Canadian passport holders. It also explains how long you can stay and what to know before you leave Toronto, Vancouver or any other Canadian city.
If you are ready to go, you can apply for your India e-Tourist Visa as a Canadian through our assistance service while you read the details below.
Key takeaways
- The e-Visa facility for Canadian citizens holding ordinary passports has been available again since 22 November 2023, after a two-month suspension.
- Canadians can choose a 30-day, 1-year or 5-year e-Tourist Visa, or a 1-year multiple-entry e-Business Visa.
- On the 1-year and 5-year e-Tourist Visa, Canadian nationals may stay up to 180 days per visit, with no more than 180 days in India per calendar year.
- Your passport must be valid for at least six months when you apply and have at least two blank pages.
- Apply at least four days before arrival, then complete the e-Arrival Card in the 72 hours before landing.
- Holders of non-ordinary Canadian passports, people of Pakistani origin and some other groups must use the regular visa process.
India eVisa for Canadian citizens: service status explained
Canada’s access to the e-Visa has changed more than once in recent years, which explains why online advice is often contradictory.
The timeline in brief
| Period | e-Visa status for Canadian citizens |
|---|---|
| Pandemic period (2020–2022) | Tourist visas broadly suspended, then restored in stages; Canadians relied on regular visas for part of this time |
| Early 2023 | e-Visa categories confirmed as available to Canadian nationals |
| 21 September 2023 | India temporarily suspended visa services in Canada, including e-Visas, citing security concerns |
| 22 November 2023 | e-Visa facility restored for all eligible Canadian citizens holding regular/ordinary passports |
| 2024 to 2026 | e-Visa available in the normal way for ordinary Canadian passport holders |
When the Indian High Commission in Ottawa announced the restoration in November 2023, it confirmed that the tourist (entry), business, medical and conference e-Visa categories were all available again. Canadians holding other types of passport, such as diplomatic or official passports, continue to apply for paper visas through the Indian missions in Ottawa, Toronto or Vancouver.
What this means for your trip
If you hold an ordinary Canadian passport, the India eVisa for Canadian citizens works just as it does for travellers from the US or UK. Relations between the two countries have made the news since 2023, so keep an eye on announcements shortly before you book. Still, the e-Visa itself has operated normally for Canadian passport holders since the restoration. The Government of Canada also publishes official travel advice for India, which is worth reading before you go.
e-Visa categories open to Canadians
e-Tourist Visa
The e-Tourist Visa covers holidays, sightseeing, visits to friends and relatives, and short yoga programmes. Canadians can pick from three lengths:
- 30 days: a short visa for a single trip, well suited to a family function or a two- to three-week tour.
- 1 year: multiple entries across twelve months, useful for snowbirds who want to split time between Canada and India.
- 5 years: multiple entries across five years, popular with families who travel back every year or two.
Canada is one of four countries, together with the USA, the UK and Japan, with a longer stay allowance. Their nationals can stay up to 180 days continuously on each visit under the 1-year and 5-year e-Tourist Visa. Nationals of most other countries can stay 90 days per visit. The 180-day annual cap still applies, so a Canadian spending November to April in India will be using allowance from two calendar years.
When you have chosen your length of stay, you can fill in the India e-Tourist Visa form for your Canadian passport and upload your documents.
e-Business Visa
The e-Business Visa suits Canadians visiting India for commercial purposes: attending meetings and trade fairs, exploring partnerships, sourcing products, recruiting staff or providing technical support. It is valid for one year from the grant date, allows multiple entries, and permits a continuous stay of up to 180 days per visit. It does not allow you to take up employment in India.
Canadian companies with Indian operations can use it for staff making repeated short trips across the year. To get started, you can open your India e-Business Visa application and attach a business card and an invitation letter from your Indian counterpart.
Who should not use the e-Visa
The electronic system does not suit everyone. Canadians should use the regular visa route, or another status, in these situations:
- You hold a diplomatic, official or special passport rather than an ordinary Canadian passport.
- You are of Pakistani origin or hold a Pakistani passport. India’s rules make these travellers ineligible for an e-Visa, and the assessment can extend to where parents and grandparents were born or permanently lived.
- You plan to work, study or do research in India, which requires a different visa class.
- You will enter India by land. The e-Tourist Visa only works at designated airports and seaports.
- You qualify for OCI and travel often. Overseas Citizenship of India is a lifelong, multiple-entry status for eligible people of Indian origin and their foreign spouses.
In Canada, an outsourced application centre handles regular visa applications on behalf of the Indian missions. You also hand over your passport, so allow more time than for an e-Visa.
Indo-Canadian families: OCI or e-Visa?
Canada’s Indo-Canadian community is one of the largest outside India, with particularly strong ties to Punjab, Gujarat, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. For many families the key question is whether to apply for an e-Visa each time or invest in OCI.
Choose the e-Visa if your trip is soon, you travel only occasionally, or your OCI eligibility is complicated. A 5-year e-Tourist Visa covers several family trips with one application.
Choose OCI if you are eligible and travel regularly. It removes the need for visas on future visits, and OCI cardholders are exempt from India’s e-Arrival Card requirement.
Former Indian citizens who became Canadian should remember that India does not permit dual citizenship. Proof that your Indian passport was surrendered, or of renunciation, may be requested in visa and OCI applications, so keep those documents safe.
India eVisa for Canadian citizens: documents checklist
Prepare the following before you begin:
- Your ordinary Canadian passport, valid for at least six months from the date of application, with at least two blank pages. Use this same passport to travel.
- A clear digital photo with a white background and your full face visible, with no glasses glare or shadows.
- A scan of your passport’s photo page.
- Your arrival airport in India and an address where you will stay.
- A return or onward ticket and the means to support yourself, in case immigration asks.
- Business documents for an e-Business Visa: a business card and a letter of invitation.
Travelling from Canada: Toronto, Vancouver and beyond
Toronto Pearson
Toronto is Canada’s busiest gateway to India, and nonstop flights have linked Pearson with Delhi and, at times, Mumbai. With the large South Asian population in Brampton, Mississauga and across the Greater Toronto Area, these flights fill up fast. They are especially busy around Diwali, the winter holidays and the Indian wedding season. So book early and apply for your e-Visa well before the four-day minimum.
Vancouver International
Vancouver has had nonstop service to Delhi, a vital link for British Columbia’s Punjabi-Canadian community. Because routes from Canada to India are long, some itineraries include a technical stop or a connection, so confirm the routing when you book.
Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal and Ottawa
Travellers from other Canadian cities usually connect through Toronto or Vancouver, or through hubs in Europe, the Gulf or East Asia. Whatever the routing, the key e-Visa point is your final arrival airport in India. It must be a designated entry point, such as Delhi, Mumbai, Amritsar, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi or Kolkata.
After approval: e-Arrival Card and landing in India
Once your Electronic Travel Authorisation arrives by email, check that every detail matches your passport. Then, since 1 October 2025, foreign nationals must submit a digital e-Arrival Card in the 72 hours before arrival. The card covers your passport details, contact information, purpose of visit and address in India. Canadian e-Visa holders need both documents.
On arrival, immigration will capture your fingerprints and photograph. Remember that you cannot extend the e-Visa or convert it into another visa type while you are in India, so leave within your permitted stay.
Our assistance service reviews every application before submission to help avoid errors such as mistyped passport numbers or rejected photos. You can complete your India eVisa application with a specialist check at any time. For wider practical advice on health, transport and money once you land, see our travel to India complete guide.
Related guides: you may also find these articles useful: how long India eVisa processing usually takes, the India eVisa photo requirements and our complete India e-Business Visa guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is the India eVisa for Canadian citizens available right now?
Yes. India suspended visa services in Canada in September 2023. It then restored the e-Visa facility for eligible Canadians with ordinary passports on 22 November 2023. The service has run normally since then.
How long can a Canadian stay in India on an e-Tourist Visa?
Up to 180 days continuously per visit on the 1-year or 5-year e-Tourist Visa, provided you do not exceed 180 days in India in total during a calendar year. The 30-day e-Tourist Visa is limited to its 30-day window.
How far in advance should Canadians apply?
At least four days before arrival. During peak family-travel seasons, applying several weeks ahead gives you time to fix any issue without changing your flights.
Can I enter India overland from Nepal on an e-Visa?
No. The e-Tourist Visa is valid only for arrival at designated airports and seaports. If your itinerary includes a land crossing into India, you will need a regular visa.
Do Canadians of Indian origin need a visa?
Yes, unless they hold an OCI card. A Canadian passport alone does not give a right of entry to India, even for those born there. An e-Visa is the usual solution for a trip, and OCI suits frequent travellers.
My passport was renewed after my e-Visa was approved. What now?
Your e-Visa is linked to the passport you used to apply. If you have renewed it since, carry both the old passport and the new one when you travel. Check the latest rules before departure, because in some cases a new application may be the safer option.
Conclusion: travel to India with confidence from Canada
After the disruption of 2023, the e-Visa has settled back into routine use for Canadian passport holders. Choose between the e-Tourist and e-Business options, check your passport validity, apply at least four days ahead, and submit the e-Arrival Card in the 72 hours before landing. Whether you are flying out of Toronto for a wedding or out of Vancouver to visit family, you can start your India e-Tourist or e-Business Visa application from Canada and let our team review it before submission.
India eVisa Gate is a private, independent service and is not affiliated with the Government of India. Visa rules can change; always check the conditions printed on your Electronic Travel Authorisation before you travel.