New Zealand and India sit almost exactly on opposite sides of the globe. A long flight, a time zone shift, and a world that looks nothing like home. That contrast is precisely the draw — and for New Zealanders, India consistently ranks among the most compelling long-haul destinations on the list.
Before any of it happens, there's one thing to sort: the India visa. New Zealand passport holders require one; the process is entirely online, and getting it right before you fly matters more than most people realise. Here's exactly what you need.
Do New Zealand Citizens stand eligible for an Indian e-visa?
An Indian visa is required for all New Zealand passport holders travelling to India. There is no visa on arrival for Kiwi travelers, and no visa-free access. Your visa must be confirmed before you board.
The straightforward route is India e-Visa — applied online, paid online, and delivered to your email as an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA). No embassy visit, no physical paperwork, no queues.
Two things worth knowing upfront:
- OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) cardholders are exempt from the India visa requirement regardless of which passport they hold. If you hold an OCI card alongside your New Zealand passport, you do not need to apply.
- Diplomatic and official passport holders are not eligible for an e-Visa and must apply in person through the High Commission of India in Wellington or the Consulate General in Auckland.
Confirm your eligibility before starting — it takes under a minute.
India e-Visa Categories for New Zealand Passport Holders
Choose carefully. Applying under the wrong category is one of the most common application mistakes — and the fee is non-refundable if it causes a rejection.
- For holidays, sightseeing, visiting friends or family, yoga retreats, or short recreational courses in cooking, language, music, or dance.
- Available in three durations — 30 days (double entry), 1 year (multiple entry), and 5 years (multiple entry).
- The 1-year and 5-year options cap total stay at 180 days within any single calendar year.
- For business meetings, trade visits, or commercial exploration.
- Valid for 1 year with multiple entries, each stay not exceeding 180 days.
- If your trip involves any business activity, technical meetings at all, this is the correct category — not the e-Tourist Visa.
- For New Zealanders travelling to India for medical treatment at a recognised Indian hospital.
- Valid for 60 days with triple entry.
- Requires a letter from the treating hospital in India as a supporting document.
e-Medical Attendant Visa
- For companions accompanying an e-Medical Visa holder.
- A maximum of two attendants are permitted per patient.
- Validity mirrors the patient's visa — 60 days, triple entry.
e-Conference Visa
For attending conferences, seminars, or workshops organised by Indian government bodies or recognised institutions. Requires a formal event invitation and, in some cases, political clearance from India's Ministry of External Affairs.
Documents New Zealand Citizens Need
Have everything ready before you begin. Stopping mid-application to locate a document is where details get rushed and errors get made.
✔️ Valid New Zealand passport — minimum 6 months validity from your intended India arrival date, with at least 2 blank pages for immigration stamps. If your passport was issued within the last 6 months, carry your previous passport too.
✔️ Scanned passport bio page — clear, colour PDF scan showing your full name, date of birth, nationality, and expiry date. Size: 10 KB–300 KB. Blurry or low-contrast scans are flagged during manual review even if they pass the upload check.
✔️ Recent passport photograph — JPEG format, plain white background, no glasses, taken within the last 6 months. Size: 10 KB–1 MB. File name in plain alphabets only — no numbers, spaces, or special characters.
✔️ Valid email address — your approved ETA is delivered here. A typo in your email address means your visa goes nowhere — double-check before submitting.
✔️ Payment Method — credit or debit. A bank transaction charge of 3% applies additionally to the India e-Visa fee.
✔️ Category-specific documents — business card and invitation letter (e-Business), hospital letter from India on letterhead (e-Medical), event invitation with MHA and MEA clearance (e-Conference). All supporting documents must be in English; documents in any other language are liable for rejection.
Learn about document requirements with IVC Visas.
How to Apply — Through IVC Visas
Step 1 — Choose your application option
Pick Option A if you'd like IVC Visas to complete and submit the full application on your behalf — you provide the information and documents, we handle the rest.
Pick Option B if you'd prefer to fill in the form yourself and have our team review it before submission. Both options include a photo and document compliance check before anything reaches the government portal — because a non-refundable fee is a poor price to pay for a preventable mistake.
Step 2 — Fill in your application
Complete the form with your nationality, visa category, intended travel dates, and passport details. Every name, date, and number must match your passport exactly — a mismatch between your form and your passport is grounds for rejection.
Step 3 — Upload your documents
Upload your passport bio page scan and passport photograph. If applying for a business, medical, or conference visa, upload the relevant supporting document. All documents in English, all file names in plain alphabets only.
Step 4 — Pay the visa fee
Fees are country and visa-type specific. Check the current India e-Visa fee for New Zealand nationals before applying. A 3% bank transaction charge applies additionally. All fees are non-refundable once submitted.
Step 5 — Receive your ETA and travel
Once approved, your ETA arrives by email as a PDF. Download it, print a physical copy, and carry it to India. Before you fly, confirm your status reads 'GRANTED' on the official portal — never travel on a pending status. You can also track your application through IVC Visas.
Apply a minimum of 4 days before travel — but realistically, current processing averages 8–10 business days. Two to three weeks before departure is the sensible benchmark. The 30-day e-Tourist Visa can be submitted up to 30 days in advance; all other categories allow up to 120 days.
Other Critical Guidelines that Applicants from New Zealand must follow!
✅ Entry points — airports, seaports, and land borders
India e-Visa holders may enter India through 33 designated airports, 33 designated seaports, or 4 designated land ports — Raxaul, Rupaidiha, Darranga, and Jogbani. Entry is not permitted through any other crossing. You may exit from any authorised Immigration Check Post. Confirm your entry point against the authorised entry and exit ports list before booking.
✅ A visa grant does not guarantee entry
An approved e-Visa authorises you to travel to India — it does not guarantee entry. Immigration officers at the port of arrival retain full discretion. Carry all relevant documents, a printed ETA, and ensure your purpose of travel matches your visa category.
✅ Adhere strictly to your visa purpose
You are required to conduct only the activities permitted under your visa category. Travelling on an e-Tourist Visa while conducting business activity is a violation of visa conditions and can result in denial of entry or deportation.
✅ Immigration tip — e-Arrival Card, biometrics, and passport stamp
As of April 2026, all international travellers to India must complete a digital e-Arrival Card within 72 hours before arrival — via the official portal or the Indian Visa Su-Swagatam app. Complete it before you fly. On arrival, your biometrics will be captured and your passport stamped at immigration. It is your responsibility to ensure the immigration stamp is affixed — if missed, contact the nearest FRRO immediately.
✅ Extension and conversion of India Visa
India e-Visas are non-extendable and non-convertible. If you genuinely cannot depart within your visa's validity, apply for an extension online at the e-FRRO portal before expiry. If an extension is not granted before expiry, you are required to depart — remaining beyond that point constitutes an illegal overstay. For a change in visa category or long-term purposes such as employment, study, or research, you must exit and apply through the High Commission of India in Wellington.
The same goes for citizens and residents of UAE, Germany, Singapore and Thailand - visit the Indian Mission in your country for such consular matters on an Indian Visa.
✅ Suppressing background information
The India e-Visa is not available to individuals with a defence, military, security, or police background. Attempting to enter India on an e-Visa while suppressing this information may result in denial of entry and deportation.
✅ No return or onward ticket
You must have a confirmed return or onward journey ticket before travelling. Immigration officers can, and do refuse entry to travelers who cannot demonstrate a planned departure from India.
✅ Yellow Fever vaccination
If you have visited a Yellow Fever endemic country within 6 days prior to your India arrival, you must carry a valid Yellow Fever vaccination certificate. Failure to produce it may result in quarantine on arrival.
✅ Restricted areas
Parts of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh require a Protected Area Permit (PAP) in addition to your e-Visa. Apply for this separately in advance if your itinerary includes these regions.
✅ Same passport rule
Travel on the exact passport used to apply. If your passport has been renewed since applying, carry both old and new passports to Indian immigration.
✅ Pakistani lineage
New Zealand nationals whose parents or grandparents were born in or were permanently resident in Pakistan are not eligible for an India e-Visa. A regular visa applied through the Indian Mission is required.
Summary Checklist for New Zealand Applicants
- Confirm your purpose of travel matches the correct e-Visa category
- Passport valid for 6+ months from arrival date — at least 2 blank pages
- Clear passport bio page scan in PDF, 10 KB–300 KB
- Compliant JPEG passport photograph — white background, no glasses, taken within 6 months
- If the passport is issued within the last 6 months, carry the previous passport too
- Supporting documents in English for business, medical, or conference applications
- All file names in plain alphabet — no numbers, spaces, or special characters
- Verify your entry point is on the authorized ports list, whether it is an airport, seaport or land border.
- Apply at least 2–3 weeks before travel
- Complete the e-Arrival Card within 72 hours before arrival
- Confirm status reads 'GRANTED' before flying
- Print your ETA and carry a physical copy
Halfway Around the World, Sorted Before You Board - All Possible with IVC Visas Assistance
India is a long way from New Zealand — roughly 11,000 kilometres, depending on your route. Most Kiwis connect through Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, or Dubai, arriving at Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, or another of India's 33 e-Visa-enabled airports. What awaits on the other side — the Golden Triangle, the backwaters of Kerala, Rajasthan's palace cities, the ghats of Varanasi, Rishikesh at dawn — is worth every hour in the air.
The India e-Visa is the only administrative step between your New Zealand passport and all of it. For travelers from Australia, the UK, the US, or Canada who are travelling alongside New Zealand companions, the same India e-Visa process applies — each on their own passport, each with their own application.
At IVC Visas, we handle India e-Visa applications for New Zealand nationals and travellers from over 175 countries. Our team reviews every application before submission — catching document errors, photo issues, and form mistakes before they reach the portal. With 24/7 support and post-approval guidance, we're with you from application to arrival.
✅ Human review of every application before submission
✅ Photo and document compliance check included
✅ Correct visa category guidance
✅ 24/7 support via Chat, WhatsApp, and Email
✅ Application tracking from submission to approval
✅ Transparent pricing — no hidden fees
Apply confidently through IVC Visas.
Disclaimer: IVC Visas is an independent visa service provider. We assist with application preparation and submission to official government portals. Final visa approval decisions are made solely by Indian immigration authorities. All information is based on current regulations as prescribed by the Government of India, which may change. Always verify the latest requirements before travel.