How to Apply for Family and Group India e-Visas?
A family or travel group should be organised as a set of individual applicants, not as one shared visa. Each traveller needs a separate passport, application, fee display, application reference, and decision document.
Submitting applications close together can make administration easier, but it does not create one combined authority decision or guarantee that every result will arrive at the same time.
Understanding Family and Group e-Visas
For every traveller:
- Use the passport that person will carry.
- Enter their personal and passport details separately.
- Upload their own photograph and passport bio page.
- Select the category appropriate to their own principal travel purpose.
- Review their own fee before payment.
- Save their application ID and issued document separately.
There is no reliable basis for assuming a shared group form, shared approval, automatic group discount, or maximum group size unless the official application specifically presents such an option.
Family e-Visa Requirements
The current Government of India e-Visa portal lists an e-Family Visa among the available categories. The presence of that category does not mean that one applicant's visa covers relatives or that a tour group can be submitted as one person.
Category availability and eligibility can depend on nationality, relationship, travel purpose, and the options shown in the official application. Check what the application presents for each traveller rather than selecting “family” simply because several relatives are taking the same trip.
Group e-Visa Requirements
People on the same itinerary may not always need the same category. Examples include:
- A traveller receiving medical treatment and a relative travelling as an attendant
- A business traveller accompanied by relatives visiting for tourism
- A conference participant travelling with family members whose main purpose is sightseeing
- A student or other purpose-specific applicant travelling with dependants
The main purpose of each person's visit should drive that person's category. Do not copy the first applicant's selection across the group without checking.
Application Process for Families
A simple coordination sheet can reduce avoidable errors. Record, for each applicant:
- Full passport name
- Passport number and expiry date
- Nationality
- Intended category
- Application ID
- Payment status
- Decision status
- Email address used for updates
Review names, passport numbers, and dates directly from each passport. Similar names within a family make it especially important not to attach one person's passport page or photograph to another person's application.
One person can coordinate records, but each traveller remains an individual applicant.
Application Process for Groups
For a larger group, appointing one coordinator can help with record keeping, but it does not create a group visa. The coordinator should track each traveller's category, application ID, payment, and decision without mixing passports or files.
Submit only when each individual application is complete. Do not promise the group one processing time, and prepare a contingency plan in case one traveller receives a request for more information.
Required Documents
Each traveller should prepare their own passport bio page, photograph, and category-specific evidence. A group itinerary or accommodation record may help with trip planning, but it is not automatically a required upload for every applicant.
Use the upload instructions displayed for each selected category. Avoid adding marriage certificates, family photographs, financial records, insurance, or other group documents unless the form or a relevant authority specifically requests them.
Children and Minor Travelers
Every minor child needs a separate passport and separate application. A parent's application does not include a child.
The e-Visa upload requirements and the wider travel requirements are not always the same. Airlines, transit countries, or border authorities may ask for proof of relationship or consent when a child travels with one parent, a guardian, or another adult. Check those requirements separately from the visa form.
Fees, Timing, and Decisions
Fees are assessed per individual application and should be reviewed before each payment. Do not assume that a family or larger group receives a discount.
Likewise, applications submitted at the same time can be assessed separately. One approval does not predict another, and one delayed case does not necessarily delay the rest. Avoid finalising non-refundable travel arrangements until every traveller has received and checked the required permission.
This assistance service cannot guarantee that applications will be processed together or that authorities will issue matching decision times.
Travel and Arrival Planning
Family and group members may coordinate an itinerary, but each person must carry the passport and issued document connected to their application. Before departure:
- Check the personal details on every decision document.
- Confirm that each traveller's category covers their main purpose.
- Confirm validity and entry conditions individually.
- Check that the planned arrival point accepts the relevant e-Visa.
- Keep copies accessible to the traveller or responsible adult.
Do not assume that all members must use one application ID or that one group leader's document can be presented for everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I submit one India e-Visa application for my whole family?
No. Each traveller needs a separate passport and separate application.
Does e-Family Visa mean one visa covers several relatives?
No. It is a category presented by the official portal, not a shared family approval. Check its eligibility and purpose for each applicant.
Should everyone choose the same category?
Only when that category genuinely matches each traveller's main purpose and is available to them.
Are group discounts available?
Do not assume so. Review the amount shown for each individual application before payment.
Will applications submitted together be decided together?
Not necessarily. Each case can have a different assessment or request for information.
Can one email address be used to coordinate applications?
Use the contact arrangement permitted by the form, but keep every application ID and decision clearly matched to the correct traveller.
Summary: Treat a family or group as several coordinated individual applications. Choose the correct category per traveller, avoid promises about group pricing or processing, and verify every issued document separately.