Visa Fees from India in 2026: What 15 Popular Countries Actually Cost
By Ananya Singh (Ananya Singh writes step-by-step first-international-trip guides for Indians — passport rules, visa cascade timing, document checklists, and the unglamorous logistics that separate a smooth application from a rejection. She tracks consulate and VFS practice across India month to month.) · Published · 12 min read
A 2026 rupee-by-rupee comparison of tourist visa fees from India — the embassy/government fee, the VFS or BLS service charge, and the hidden forex markup — across 15 destinations Indians fly to most.
Quick answer
As of June 2026, the cheapest tourist visas from India are the visa-free or low-cost Asian options (Thailand visa-free, Malaysia visa-free until 31 Dec 2026, Sri Lanka ETA, Indonesia e-VOA ~₹3,000), and the most expensive by far is the United States B1/B2 — around ₹36,000–₹40,000 all-in after the new USD 250 Visa Integrity Fee added from 2026. A Schengen visa costs ₹11,000–₹16,000 (€90 fee + VFS charge), the UK visitor visa is about ₹16,500 for 6 months, and Dubai is ₹7,000–₹9,500 for a 30-day e-visa. Always add the VFS/BLS service fee and a 2–4% forex markup if you pay the government fee in foreign currency — and verify on the official site before applying, as fees change.
The full 2026 fee table (in rupees)
Below is the tourist/short-stay visa cost for an Indian passport holder as of June 2026. "Govt/embassy fee" is the visa fee itself; "service fee" is the VFS Global / BLS / appointed-centre charge that you almost always pay on top; the all-in figure assumes one adult and excludes optional add-ons (premium lounge, courier, SMS). Rupee conversions use mid-2026 rates and move with the currency — treat them as approximate.
| Country | Visa type | Govt/embassy fee | Service fee (approx) | All-in (approx ₹) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA | B1/B2 (10-yr) | USD 185 + USD 250 integrity fee | VFS ₹2,500–3,500 | ₹36,000–40,000 |
| UK | Standard Visitor (6 mo) | ~₹16,512 | included / optional add-ons | ₹16,500–19,000 |
| Schengen | Short-stay (90 days) | €90 (~₹8,100) | VFS ₹2,000–3,500 | ₹11,000–16,000 |
| Canada | Visitor (TRV) | CAD 100 + CAD 85 biometrics | VFS ₹2,000+ | ₹13,000–15,000 |
| Australia | Visitor (subclass 600) | AUD 200 | nil online (VFS for biometrics) | ₹11,000–13,000 |
| Dubai/UAE | 30-day tourist e-visa | — | agent/airline ₹7,000–9,500 | ₹7,000–9,500 |
| China | L (tourist) | ~₹4,500 single-entry | CVASC ₹1,500+ | ₹6,000–7,500 |
| Japan | Single-entry tourist | traditionally nil for Indians* | VFS ₹1,500–2,500 | ₹1,500–3,000* |
| Singapore | e-visa (30-day) | SGD 30 (~₹1,900) | agent ₹1,000 | ₹2,100–2,900 |
| Vietnam | e-visa (90-day) | USD 25 single / 50 multi | nil official | ₹2,200–4,400 |
| Indonesia | e-VOA (30-day) | IDR 500,000 | nil official | ~₹3,000 |
| Thailand | Visa-free (60-day) | nil | nil | ₹0 |
| Malaysia | Visa-free to 31 Dec 2026 | nil | nil | ₹0 |
| Sri Lanka | ETA | USD ~50 (tourist) | nil official | ~₹4,200 |
| Saudi Arabia | Tourist e-visa (1-yr) | SAR 300 + insurance | nil official | ₹7,500–9,000 |
*Japan has signalled a visa-fee increase for FY2026 (its first in decades) as part of an overtourism response — at the time of writing the increase had been announced but the new Indian-applicant figure was not yet confirmed. Confirm the current fee on the Embassy of Japan / VFS Japan page before you budget. The same caution applies to Thailand's consular-fee revision from 27 April 2026, which raised paid visa categories but kept the 60-day visa-free entry free.
Why your card statement is always higher than the sticker fee
The number on the embassy website is rarely what leaves your bank account. Three things inflate it for Indian applicants:
- VFS/BLS service charge — the outsourced centre adds its own fee (₹1,500–₹3,500 typically), and that is before optional premium lounge, courier-back, or SMS-tracking up-sells they push at the counter.
- Forex markup — when the government fee is charged in USD, EUR, GBP or AUD (US, Schengen, UK super-priority, Australia), your Indian debit/credit card adds a 2–4% forex markup plus GST on that markup. On a ₹40,000 US visa that is ₹800–₹1,600 of pure markup. Pay with a zero-forex card (Niyo Global, Fi, IndusInd, Scapia) or a pre-loaded forex card to avoid it — see our zero-forex card guide.
- TCS — for most individual visa fees you are below the LRS TCS threshold, but if you batch a large forex spend (visa + flights + forex card load) in one go, the 20% TCS on foreign remittance can bite. Read our TCS/LRS explainer before a big spend.
Biometrics fees are a separate line again — Canada (CAD 85) and the UK both charge for biometric enrolment on top of the visa fee.
Cheapest to most expensive — how to think about it
If budget is the deciding factor for your 2026 trip, the visa-fee ladder roughly looks like this:
- Free / near-free: Thailand (visa-free 60 days), Malaysia (visa-free to 31 Dec 2026), Bhutan and Nepal (special arrangements for Indians), Japan (traditionally nil fee, pending 2026 change).
- Under ₹5,000: Singapore, Vietnam e-visa, Indonesia e-VOA, Sri Lanka ETA.
- ₹5,000–₹10,000: China L-visa, Dubai/UAE, Saudi tourist e-visa.
- ₹10,000–₹16,000: Schengen, Canada, Australia.
- ₹16,000+: UK Standard Visitor, and the US in a class of its own at ~₹36,000–₹40,000.
Remember the fee is non-refundable on rejection for almost every country — so a US or Schengen refusal is an expensive lesson. That makes document quality (covered in our documents checklist) and the right bank balance worth far more than the few thousand rupees you might save on the application itself.
Fee vs. total trip cost — pick destinations smartly
Visa fee is only one input. A ₹0 Thailand visa pairs with cheap flights and cheap on-ground costs, which is why it is the most popular Indian outbound destination. A ₹40,000 US visa is a 10-year multiple-entry document, so amortised over several trips it is far less painful than it first looks. When you are weighing destinations, look at the visa fee and the flight: a Schengen visa plus a ₹45,000 return to Europe is a very different budget from a Dubai visa plus an ₹18,000 return to DXB.
Check live fares for any destination in the FlightGPT chat at flightgpt.in before you commit — compare, for example, Delhi to Dubai against Mumbai to Singapore, or browse Bangkok for the visa-free option. The right combination of cheap visa + cheap flight often beats chasing the absolute lowest visa fee in isolation.
Where to pay the fee — official portals only
Pay the visa fee only on the official channel. Agents legitimately charge a convenience fee for assembling your file, but the government fee itself should match the published number. Official routes as of 2026:
- USA: ustraveldocs.com (fee payment + appointment) — see our US visa slot strategy.
- Schengen: the relevant consulate's appointed VFS/BLS/TLScontact centre — start at the Schengen visa page.
- UK: gov.uk visa application + VFS Global India.
- Canada: Canada.ca (IRCC) + VFS for biometrics — see Canada visa info.
- Dubai/UAE, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Saudi: the respective official e-visa portals (or a reputable airline/agent for Dubai). Browse all destinations at /visas.
Never wire a visa fee to a personal account or pay through a WhatsApp "agent". If a price looks far below or far above the table here, treat it as a red flag and verify on the official site.
Frequently asked questions
Which country has the most expensive tourist visa for Indians in 2026?
The United States. The B1/B2 fee of USD 185 plus the new USD 250 Visa Integrity Fee introduced in 2026, plus the VFS service charge, totals roughly ₹36,000–₹40,000 depending on the exchange rate. It is a 10-year multiple-entry visa, so it amortises across trips.
How much does a Schengen visa cost from India in 2026?
The Schengen short-stay visa fee is €90 (raised from €80 in June 2024), about ₹8,100, plus a VFS/BLS service charge of ₹2,000–₹3,500. The realistic all-in cost is ₹11,000–₹16,000 per adult, varying by which country's centre you apply through. Verify on the consulate's official page before applying.
Are there any free visas for Indians in 2026?
Yes. Thailand offers 60-day visa-free entry (extended through 2026), Malaysia is visa-free until 31 December 2026, and Japan has traditionally charged no visa fee for Indians (a 2026 increase has been announced but not confirmed at the time of writing). Bhutan and Nepal have special arrangements for Indian travellers.
Why is my visa fee higher on my card statement than the embassy website?
Three reasons: the VFS/BLS service charge added on top, a 2–4% forex markup (plus GST) when the fee is billed in foreign currency, and separate biometrics fees for countries like Canada and the UK. Use a zero-forex card to remove the markup.
Is the visa fee refundable if my application is rejected?
For almost every country, no. The US, UK, Schengen and Canada visa fees are non-refundable regardless of outcome. That is why getting your documents and bank balance right the first time matters more than saving a small amount on the application.
What is the cheapest international visa for Indians?
Excluding fully visa-free destinations, the cheapest paid options as of June 2026 are Singapore (~₹1,900 government fee), Vietnam e-visa (USD 25 single-entry, ~₹2,200) and Indonesia e-VOA (IDR 500,000, ~₹3,000). Sri Lanka's ETA and the China L-visa are also under ₹7,500.