India Visa for Yoga Teacher Training (2026): e-Tourist Visa, e-Arrival Card & Air Suvidha, Step by Step

Getting your visa sorted is the least fun part of planning a yoga teacher training in Rishikesh. It does not have to be stressful. Every year, students from more than 60 countries arrive at our school in Tapovan, and almost all of them use the same simple route. This guide shows you exactly what to fill in, step by step, with screenshots of the real government forms.

Written by Mayuri Shewale, E-RYT 500 (Yoga Alliance) and founder of Swaastik Yog School in Rishikesh. We help our international students with their visa paperwork, and we have checked every step below against the official Indian e-Visa, e-Arrival and Air Suvidha portals. Rules can change, so always confirm on the official sites before you pay or fly.

Your 3-step checklist (at a glance)

Step	What it is	Official website	When to do it	Cost
1	e-Tourist Visa (1 year): your permission to enter India	indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa	At least 4 days before arrival (we suggest 3–4 weeks)	US$40 for most countries + 3% bank charge
2	e-Arrival Card: tells immigration who you are and where you will stay	indianvisaonline.gov.in/earrival	Within 72 hours before you land	Free
3	Air Suvidha 2.0: a short health self-declaration	airsuvidha.civilaviation.gov.in	Within 72 hours before you land (easiest at web check-in)	Free

Important: the e-Arrival Card and Air Suvidha are not visas. They do not replace the e-Visa. You need all three.

Which visa should I choose? (comparison)

India's e-Tourist Visa comes in three lengths. All of them list "attending a short term yoga programme" as an allowed purpose. Here is how they compare:

Visa	Valid for	Entries	Stay limit	Fee (most countries)	Good for
e-Tourist, 30 days	30 days from arrival	Multiple	30 days total (cannot be extended)	US$25 (Jul–Mar), US$10 (Apr–Jun)	A short retreat only. Too tight for a 4-week course.
⭐ e-Tourist, 1 year (recommended)	365 days from the day it is granted	Multiple	Up to 180 days in a calendar year	US$40	200hr, 300hr, 100hr, aerial and sound-healing courses, plus travel
e-Tourist, 5 years	5 years from the day it is granted	Multiple	Up to 180 days in a calendar year	Varies a lot (e.g. US$160 USA, US$484 UK, US$200 most of Europe)	People who come back to India often
e-Student Visa (yoga)	1 year	Multiple	Course length	Varies	Long, formal academic programmes at institutes registered on India's "Study in India" portal. Not needed for our courses.

Fees are from the official e-Tourist Visa fee table (dated 8 September 2026). A 3% bank charge is added. Fees are non-refundable, even if the visa is refused. Check your country's exact fee on the official fee table (PDF).

Why we recommend the 1-year e-Tourist Visa

• No stress if your dates move. Our 200-hour course runs about 28 days. Arrive two days early to beat jet lag and a 30-day visa is already almost used up. The 1-year visa gives you breathing room.
• Multiple entries. You can pop over to Nepal or Sri Lanka after your course and come back in.
• Time to travel. Many students stay on to explore the Himalayas, Varanasi or Goa after graduating.
• Come back for your next level. If you return within the year for a 300-hour course, the same visa still works.
• The price difference is small. For most countries it costs only US$15 more than the 30-day visa.

Good to know: the official e-Tourist rules allow short-term yoga programmes. Formal, structured courses longer than 6 months fall under the Student visa route instead. All our teacher trainings and retreats are short-term programmes of under two months. If you plan to stay in India for a long, formal academic course, check the Student visa rules with your Indian embassy.

Step 1: How to apply for the 1-year e-Tourist Visa

Before you start, have these ready:

• Passport valid for at least 6 months from the date you apply, with at least 2 blank pages.
• A photo: JPEG, 10 KB–1 MB, square (height = width), plain white or light background, full face, eyes open, no glasses, no shadows, no border.
• A scan of your passport photo page: PDF, 10–300 KB.
• Our admission letter. The form asks for a letter from the institute for short-term courses. We email it to you after you pay your deposit.
• A credit/debit card and an email address you check often.

1. Open the official site and click "Apply here for e-visa"

Go to indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa. Type it yourself; do not click ads. A small box first asks for your passport number, country and name. Fill these in and click Continue.

2. Fill in the first page and pick the yoga option

1. Nationality/Region: the country on your passport. Passport type: Ordinary Passport.
2. Port of Arrival: choose DELHI AIRPORT, or the airport where you first land in India. Dehradun is not on the e-Visa list.
3. Visiting India for: choose "e-Tourist Visa 1 year (e-T1 V) – SHORT TERM YOGA PROGRAMME". The page then shows "Purpose: Short Term Yoga Programme" and "Visa Service: e-Tourist Visa 1 year".
4. Expected Date of Arrival: the day your flight lands in India. It must be at least 4 days away.

Enter your date of birth and email, type the captcha, tick the box and click Continue. Write down the Temporary Application ID it gives you. You need it to come back later.

3. Complete the rest of the form

The next pages ask about you, your passport, your family, your job and your trip. A few tips that save time:

• Spell your name exactly as it is on your passport, including middle names.
• Address in India / reference in India: use Swaastik Yog School, Badrinath Road, Tapovan, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand 249192, phone +91 70454 64750.
• Places to visit: Rishikesh, plus anywhere else you plan to go.
• Previous visa details: this field is mandatory. If you have never been to India, the official FAQ says you can write "NA".
• Click Save often. The site can time out.

4. Upload your photo, passport and admission letter

Upload your square photo, your passport photo-page PDF and our admission letter as the supporting document. Blurry or wrong-sized uploads are the number one reason applications are sent back. If something is not right, they email you within about 24 hours asking you to re-upload. Use the "Reupload Data" button on the homepage.

5. Pay the fee

Pay by card or wallet: US$40 for most nationalities, plus a 3% bank charge. Payment must be made at least 4 days before you travel. The government does not charge any "express" or "emergency" fee. If a website offers one, it is not the official site. If your card is charged but the status does not update, wait 2 hours, then use "Verify Payment" before paying again.

6. Get your ETA, check it and print it

Your Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) arrives by email. Check the status with Check your Visa Status. It must say GRANTED before you fly. Check every detail: name, passport number, date of birth. Print a copy and carry it with your passport. At Delhi immigration, the officer stamps the visa into your passport and takes your fingerprints and photo.

Step 2: How to fill in the India e-Arrival Card

The e-Arrival Card replaces the old paper landing card you used to fill in on the plane. Foreigners and OCI card holders complete it online within 72 hours before arrival. You can use indianvisaonline.gov.in/earrival, boi.gov.in or the official "Indian Visa Su-Swagatam" app. It is free and takes about 5 minutes.

1. Purpose: choose TOURIST. This matches your e-Tourist Visa.
2. Date of Arrival: the day you land in India. Then tick "No Country Visited", or list any countries you were in during the last 6 days.
3. Address in India: Swaastik Yog School, Badrinath Road, Tapovan, Rishikesh 249192.
4. State: UTTARAKHAND. District: TEHRI GARHWAL. Tapovan is in Tehri Garhwal district, not Dehradun.

Add your email and phone number, tick the declaration and submit. Travelling with family? Use "Add Member". Keep the confirmation on your phone.

Step 3: How to fill in Air Suvidha 2.0 (the health declaration)

What is it? Air Suvidha 2.0 is a free online health self-declaration. India brought it back in June 2026 because of the Ebola outbreak in parts of Africa. The official FAQ says all international passengers arriving in India must fill it in, whatever their nationality. That includes Indians and OCI holders. On landing you show your Air Suvidha form, on paper or on your phone, at the health desk.

Part A: personal details and the Ebola question

1. Choose Individual, or Family if you are adding up to 4 family members.
2. Type your passport number exactly as printed.
3. Under "Ebola affected countries visited in last 21 days", tick None unless you really were in one of the listed countries.

Part B: your flight

1. Direct to India, or Via transit if you change planes in Dubai, Doha, Istanbul and so on.
2. First International Airport of Arrival in India: DELHI (DEL) for most of our students.
3. Flight number of the flight that lands in India. The seat number is optional.
4. Arrival date and time in Indian time (IST). Check your ticket, because the time zone catches many people out.

Part C: onward travel, places you will stay and OTP

1. Onward travel: choose Domestic if you fly Delhi → Dehradun, or Others (Road / Train) if you take a taxi, bus or train to Rishikesh.
2. Places to visit: State Uttarakhand, District Tehri Garhwal, with your course dates. Add more rows if you will travel elsewhere.
3. Email: if you have a foreign phone number, the OTP code is sent by email only, so use an inbox you can open right now.
4. Click Continue, check everything and submit. Download the form and keep it on your phone.

Your flight or seat changed? Use "Click here to edit" on the portal. You can edit up to your arrival time. Air Suvidha helpline: 1075.

Arriving in Rishikesh: what happens after you land

1. Delhi airport (DEL): health desk (show Air Suvidha), then immigration (show your passport and printed ETA; your e-Arrival Card details are already in the system), then baggage.
2. Delhi → Dehradun (DED): a domestic flight of about 1 hour. Dehradun is the closest airport to Rishikesh, about 35 km from our school. You can also take a taxi or bus from Delhi, which takes 6–7 hours.
3. Dehradun → Tapovan: about 45–60 minutes by taxi. Ask us about pickup from Dehradun airport when you book.

Still packing? Read our yoga teacher training packing list for India and the best time to visit Rishikesh for yoga.

Common mistakes (and how to avoid them)

Mistake	What happens	How to avoid it
Using a "visa agent" or lookalike website	You pay 2–4× the real fee, or nothing arrives	Only use sites ending in .gov.in. The e-Arrival Card and Air Suvidha are always free.
Photo with glasses, shadows or the wrong size	The application is sent back for re-upload	Square JPEG, white background, no glasses, 10 KB–1 MB
Choosing Dehradun as your port of arrival	It is not on the e-Visa list	Land first at Delhi (or another listed airport)
Picking the 30-day visa for a 28-day course	No buffer if your flight changes or you want to travel	Pick the 1-year e-Tourist Visa
Passport expiring soon or full	Application refused, or problems at the border	At least 6 months' validity and 2 blank pages
Applying the week you fly	Stress, and no time to fix a re-upload request	Apply 3–4 weeks before travel (up to 120 days ahead)
Forgetting Air Suvidha / e-Arrival	Delays at the airport	Do both at online check-in, 24–72 hours before landing

Frequently asked questions

Can I do a 200-hour yoga teacher training on an e-Tourist Visa?

Yes. The official e-Tourist Visa rules list "attending a short term yoga programme" as an allowed purpose, and "Short Term Yoga Programme" is an option on the form. Our 200-hour, 100-hour, 300-hour and aerial yoga trainings are short-term programmes, and most of our international students use the 1-year e-Tourist Visa.

Which e-Tourist Visa should I choose: 30-day, 1-year or 5-year?

For a 4-week course, choose the 1-year e-Tourist Visa. It is multiple-entry, valid for 365 days from the day it is granted, and costs US$40 for most countries. The 30-day visa leaves almost no buffer for a 28-day course, and it cannot be extended.

Is Air Suvidha mandatory in 2026?

Yes. Since June 2026, the official Air Suvidha 2.0 portal says all international passengers arriving in India must submit the free self-declaration form. This follows a government health advisory linked to the Ebola outbreak. Fill it in at airsuvidha.civilaviation.gov.in up to 72 hours before you land, and show it at the health desk on arrival. This is a temporary health measure, so check the portal before you travel.

Is the e-Arrival Card the same as Air Suvidha?

No. The e-Arrival Card is an immigration form from the Bureau of Immigration, for foreigners and OCI holders. Air Suvidha 2.0 is a health declaration from the Ministry of Health. Both are free, both are filled in within 72 hours before arrival, and neither is a visa. Most foreign students need the e-Visa plus both forms.

Can I fly straight into Dehradun on an e-Visa?

No. Dehradun (DED) is not one of the airports where e-Visa holders can enter India. Fly into Delhi or another listed airport, clear immigration there, then take a domestic flight to Dehradun or travel by road to Rishikesh.

How early should I apply for my India e-Visa?

You can apply up to 120 days before arrival and no later than 4 days before. We recommend 3–4 weeks before your flight. That leaves time to fix a photo or document re-upload request.

Will Swaastik Yog School give me a letter for my visa?

Yes. After you pay your deposit, we email you an official admission letter on our letterhead. You can upload it as the supporting document for a short-term course and carry a copy for immigration.

Can I extend my e-Tourist Visa in India?

No. Indian e-Visas are non-extendable and non-convertible. If you think you might stay longer, choose the 1-year visa from the start, and remember the 180-days-per-calendar-year limit.

Disclaimer: We are a yoga school, not a visa agent. This guide was last checked against the official Indian Government portals on 14 October 2026. Visa rules, fees and forms can change without notice. Always confirm on indianvisaonline.gov.in and airsuvidha.civilaviation.gov.in before you apply or travel. Screenshots were taken from the official portals and show sample data only.