India e-Visa: getting the photo and scan right
Most India e-Visa rejections are technical, not substantive. The upload specification is unforgiving.
Reviewed September 2026 · 3 min read
The specification
The photograph must be square, in focus, in colour, with the full face visible against a plain light background, and within the portal’s file size limits. The passport scan must show the full bio page, clearly readable, with no glare and no cropped edges.
Why it fails
Phone photographs taken against a wall that is slightly off-white, images that are not square, scans with a shadow across the machine-readable zone, and files compressed below readability. None of these are judgement calls — the portal or the reviewer simply rejects them.
Names
Enter your name exactly as it appears in the passport, including every middle name and in the same order. A mismatch invalidates the visa even after it is granted.
Before you pay
Check the entry port. The e-Visa is valid only at designated airports and seaports, and arriving elsewhere means being refused boarding.
This guide is general information, not advice on your case, and requirements change without notice. Verify against the official source for your destination.