Most travelers applying for an India e-Visa use the government's web portal on a desktop. Fewer that the Government of India has an official mobile app that handles the same functions, and several more; built specifically for foreign nationals travelling to India.
The app is called Indian Visa Su-Swagatam. It was developed by India's Ministry of Home Affairs and is available for free on both Android and iOS. It has been extended to nationals of 195 countries, including Sri Lanka, Italy, Germany and is designed as a one-stop platform integrating all major India visa and Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) services — covering the full journey from initial visa application through to exit from India.
The name is worth understanding before the features. Su-Swagatam (सुस्वागतम्) is a Sanskrit and Hindi compound — su meaning "good" or "auspicious," and swagat meaning "welcome." Together: a warm welcome, or a welcome well given.
The name reflects its intent: a single, official point of welcome for foreign nationals from the moment they apply for an India visa through to their departure.
Here's exactly what it does!
What the Su-Swagatam App Covers!
1. India e-Visa and Regular Visa Applications
Foreign nationals can use the app to apply for both India e-Visa and regular visa applications. The app is fully integrated with the official India visa portal — users are free to use either the online portal at indianvisaonline.gov.in or the Su-Swagatam app for submitting visa applications. Both are valid official routes.
This means the full India e-Visa application including form, document upload, and payment, can be completed entirely from a mobile device through the app without needing to access the portal through a browser.
2. Visa Status and ETA Download
The app provides real-time status checking for both India e-Visa and regular visa applications, using your nationality, passport number, and date of birth to pull your current status from the government system.
Indian e-Visa applicants may download their Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) directly through the app once approved.
The alert system is more specific than most travelers realize: the app sends weekly alerts 30 days in advance of visa expiry, then switches to daily alerts as the expiry date approaches. For anyone on a longer India stay, an e-Business Visa holder approaching the 180-day per-visit limit, or a student visa holder nearing the end of their permitted duration, this automatic reminder removes the risk of an accidental overstay through simple oversight.
3. e-Arrival Card (Mandatory as of April 2026)
One of the app's most practically important functions right now: the e-Arrival Card — mandatory for all foreign nationals and OCI cardholders entering India since April 1, 2026 — can be completed and submitted through the Su-Swagatam app within 72 hours before arrival.
It is one of three official submission routes alongside the India Visa portal and boi.gov.in. Completing it through the app is the most convenient option for travelers already using the app for their India visa.
4. e-FRRO Services For Those Already in India
The app provides access to 10 frequently used e-FRRO services for foreign nationals already inside India. This is the feature most travelers don't think about before the trip, and the one they're most grateful for when they need it mid-stay.
The 10 e-FRRO services accessible through the Su-Swagatam app are:
- Visa Extension: applying to extend your current visa beyond its original validity, in genuine emergency circumstances
- Visa Conversion: converting from one visa category to another (subject to approval)
- Exit Permit: applying for permission to exit India if your visa has already expired
- Residential Permit: for long-stay foreign nationals requiring formal residential documentation
- Student Residential Permit: specific to foreign students on India e-Student Visa holders
- Visa Correction: for minor corrections to visa details
- Miscellaneous Services: covering additional individual cases outside the main categories
- Change of Address Notification: notifying authorities of a change in your registered address in India
- Change of Employer/Education Institute: for employment or student visa holders changing their primary India host institution
- Form-C Submission: a registration requirement for hotels, guest houses, and other accommodations hosting foreign nationals; travelers staying at non-registered accommodations (family homes, private Airbnbs) may need to submit this themselves
All of these are submitted through the app without needing to visit an FRRO office in person, which, for anyone who has navigated an Indian government office during a visa emergency, is a meaningful quality-of-life improvement.
Learn with IVC Visas, how FRRO helps in India e-visa process and services!
This is particularly relevant for travelers who cannot depart within their India visa validity due to a genuine emergency — the app provides direct access to the extension application route without needing to navigate the portal separately.
5. FTI-TTP Registration for OCI Cardholders
A newer feature onboarded on the app allows OCI cardholders to register for the Fast Track Immigration-Trusted Travelers Programme (FTI-TTP) — designed to provide faster, smoother, and more secure immigration clearance on arrival in India. OCI cardholders who travel to India frequently will find this particularly useful.
6. Tourist and Destination Information
The app includes information on tourist destinations across India, details on government agencies, and local amenities — useful context for first-time visitors planning their itinerary alongside their visa application.
7. Emergency and Essential Contacts
The app provides emergency contact details including medical services, police, hospitals, and embassy or high commission information — accessible in one place while you're inside India, without needing to search individually.
8. Multi-Language Support
The app includes multilingual support with text and audio features, confirmed as a Google Trial version for language translation. This covers form navigation guidance and general app content in multiple languages beyond English, useful for travelers whose first language is not English and who find form-filling in a second language more prone to error.
Beyond the language feature, the app includes a chatbot for answers to frequently asked questions and general guidance, covering common queries about visa status, document requirements, e-Arrival Card submission, and e-FRRO services.
A practically useful feature that sits under this same section: language and signage translation. Travelers can use the app to translate between English, Hindi, and other foreign languages, including translating signs, menus, and written text encountered while in India. For first-time visitors navigating non-English signage at smaller airports or local markets, this is a more immediately practical feature than it might sound when listed among visa-related functions.
When the App Doesn't Work: Troubleshooting Common Issues
The Su-Swagatam app runs on the same government infrastructure as the India Visa web portal — which means that during high-traffic periods (Indian public holidays, long weekends, and the October–March peak travel season), both can experience slowdowns or temporary unavailability.
❗If the app is unresponsive or shows an error:
Switch to the web portal for the e-Arrival Card, or for visa applications. Both access the same underlying system. If both are unavailable simultaneously, wait a few hours and try again; the systems typically recover quickly without needing any action from you.
❗If your OTP for login isn't arriving:
Check that the phone number and email address on your account are current. OTPs are routed through the government system and can occasionally be delayed by a few minutes. If the OTP still doesn't arrive after 5–10 minutes, try requesting a new one once rather than multiple times in quick succession, which can trigger a temporary lock.
❗If your previously submitted e-Arrival Card isn't showing in Quick Fill:
The Quick Fill retrieval uses your passport number and nationality to locate existing submissions. Verify that you're entering the passport number exactly as it was used in the original submission — no spaces, no dashes. If you've renewed your passport since the last submission, the new passport number won't match the old record and you'll need to fill a new form from scratch.
❗If your ETA isn't downloading through the app:
Check visa status first using the Status function. If the status reads GRANTED, try downloading through the web portal instead, which occasionally processes downloads more reliably than the app's in-app download function. If the status reads something other than GRANTED, the ETA is not yet ready.
General rule: If the app and the web portal are both down and your travel is imminent, airport kiosks are available at designated Indian airports as a last resort for the e-Arrival Card. They are not a plan, they are a fallback.
Where to Download It?
The Indian Visa Su-Swagatam app is available for free on:
- Android: Google Play Store (search: Indian Visa Su-Swagatam)
- iOS: Apple App Store (search: Indian Visa Su-Swagatam)
All applicants are advised to use only the official app and government websites for India visa and consular services. The app does not charge any fee beyond the standard India e-Visa processing fee. Any third-party app or website charging for Su-Swagatam access or setup is not official.
How to Set Up the Su-Swagatam App: First-Time and Returning Users
Downloading the app is the easy part. Here's what the setup and navigation actually look like, which the app's own interface doesn't make immediately obvious on first launch.
Step 1 Download from the correct source
The app is available on Google Play and the Apple App Store. Search for "Indian Visa Su-Swagatam" on either platform. Before downloading, verify the publisher name: it should read National Informatics Centre on the Play Store and show the official Indian government branding on the App Store. All applicants are advised to use only the official app and government websites for visa and consular services. Any app in search results that charges a setup or registration fee is not the official version.
Step 2 First launch: what you see
On opening the app for the first time, you'll see the main menu. The primary options visible from the home screen are:
- Arrival Card - for submitting the mandatory e-Arrival Card
- Online Visa Application - for e-Visa, regular visa, or Visa on Arrival (Japan, South Korea, UAE only)
- Visa & FRRO Status
- Download ETA
- e-FRRO Services
- FTI-TTP (OCI cardholders)
- Nearby Services and Information
Step 3 For the e-Arrival Card specifically
Tap Arrival Card from the home screen. The next screen gives you two options:
- Quick Fill from Existing Data — if you've submitted an e-Arrival Card before (on the app or the web portal), enter your passport number, nationality, and the captcha code shown. The system pre-fills your personal details from your previous submission. You only need to update your arrival date, flight details, and current India address.
- Fill New Arrival Card — for first-time submissions. Scroll down to access the full form.
Step 4 Filling the form on the app
The form fields within the app are identical to the web portal version. In order:
- Full name (exactly as on passport — be very careful, no errors)
- Nationality and passport number
- Purpose of visit (must align with your India visa category)
- Arrival date (the app shows a date range — select the date shown on your ticket)
- Countries visited in the last 6 days (tap "Select Countries" or check "No Country Visited")
- Address in India with state and district dropdowns
- Email address and contact number with ISD code
- Emergency contact number (recommended: a local Indian number if available, though not mandatory)
Step 5 Adding co-travelers
If you're traveling with family or a group, tap Add Member and enter their details. You can add multiple travelers. If any traveler holds dual nationality, the app allows you to add additional nationality details separately. Once all members are added, proceed together.
Step 6 Captcha, declaration, and submission
Enter the captcha code shown, tick the declaration box confirming accuracy, and tap Submit. A QR code is generated and sent to the email address you provided. Save it on your phone. Take a screenshot as backup. For smaller airports where connectivity at the immigration counter can be patchy, a printed copy is worth having.
Who Should Download It?
The Su-Swagatam app is relevant to any foreign national travelling to India — but particularly useful for:
- First-time India e-Visa applicants who want to manage the full application from a phone
- Frequent India travelers who want visa status alerts and quick ETA access
- OCI cardholders who want FTI-TTP registration for faster immigration clearance
- Travelers already in India who need FRRO services without accessing a desktop portal
- Everyone flying to India — since the mandatory e-Arrival Card can be submitted directly through it
Need an Expert to Apply for your India e-Visa? IVC got your back!
IVC Visas reviews your India Visa application before it reaches the portal — catching photo, document, and form errors before they cost you a non-refundable fee.
Once your India e-Visa is approved, the Su-Swagatam app or the India Visa portal handles everything from ETA download to the mandatory e-Arrival Card in one place.
Got any queries? get in contact with 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.