New Delhi’s Ministry of Home Affairs activated a major expansion of its e-Visa platform on 6 January 2026, bringing the number of eligible nationalities to 167—including Canada—and introducing nine sub-categories ranging from business and conference visits to medical attendants.
Canadian passport-holders can now apply entirely online and receive approval within 72 hours, eliminating consular appointments that previously took several weeks. Fees remain unchanged, but applicants must upload a recent photograph and a passport data-page scan. Biometric collection still occurs on arrival.
Canadian applicants who prefer professional assistance can streamline the process even further through VisaHQ, whose Canadian portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) walks travellers through the photo and document requirements, checks forms for errors, and submits the e-Visa on their behalf—useful for busy executives or first-time visitors who want peace of mind.
![India adds Canada to expanded e-Visa scheme covering 167 countries]()
For Canadian companies the change slashes lead-times for short-term projects in India’s booming tech and clean-energy sectors. Employers should update global-mobility checklists to reflect the electronic process and remind travellers that the e-Visa is single-purpose; work exceeding the permitted activities still requires an employment visa.
Travel insurers note that Delhi’s airports handled record volumes over New-Year week, so employees should factor extra time at e-Visa lanes until throughput stabilises. Meanwhile relocation firms expect the simplified entry to boost dual-career moves, enabling spouses to accompany transferees on longer look-and-see trips before committing to assignments.
The upgrade precedes a full system revamp slated for late 2026 that will integrate immigration data with India’s DigiLocker platform, further streamlining compliance for frequent travellers.
Canadian passport-holders can now apply entirely online and receive approval within 72 hours, eliminating consular appointments that previously took several weeks. Fees remain unchanged, but applicants must upload a recent photograph and a passport data-page scan. Biometric collection still occurs on arrival.
Canadian applicants who prefer professional assistance can streamline the process even further through VisaHQ, whose Canadian portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) walks travellers through the photo and document requirements, checks forms for errors, and submits the e-Visa on their behalf—useful for busy executives or first-time visitors who want peace of mind.
For Canadian companies the change slashes lead-times for short-term projects in India’s booming tech and clean-energy sectors. Employers should update global-mobility checklists to reflect the electronic process and remind travellers that the e-Visa is single-purpose; work exceeding the permitted activities still requires an employment visa.
Travel insurers note that Delhi’s airports handled record volumes over New-Year week, so employees should factor extra time at e-Visa lanes until throughput stabilises. Meanwhile relocation firms expect the simplified entry to boost dual-career moves, enabling spouses to accompany transferees on longer look-and-see trips before committing to assignments.
The upgrade precedes a full system revamp slated for late 2026 that will integrate immigration data with India’s DigiLocker platform, further streamlining compliance for frequent travellers.
