# AI tells a US/UK citizen they can re-enter India on e-Visa immediately after a previous visit, or that the 2-month gap rule does not apply

- **ID:** `visa/india-evisa-gap-rule`
- **Domain:** visa
- **Category:** regulatory_barrier
- **Error Code:** `IND-EVISA-002`
- **Verification:** ai_generated
- **Fix Rate:** 78%

## Root Cause

India's e-Visa (e-Tourist, e-Business, e-Medical) requires a mandatory 2-month gap between consecutive e-Visa visits; immediate re-entry is not allowed under the scheme.

## Version Compatibility

| Version | Status | Introduced | Deprecated |
|---------|--------|------------|------------|
| India e-Visa Scheme 2024 | active | — | — |
| Ministry of Home Affairs Gazette 2023 | active | — | — |

## Workarounds

1. **Wait at least 2 months after your previous e-Visa visit before applying for a new e-Visa. Plan your travel accordingly. Use the official e-Visa portal to check eligibility: https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/** (90% success)
   ```
   Wait at least 2 months after your previous e-Visa visit before applying for a new e-Visa. Plan your travel accordingly. Use the official e-Visa portal to check eligibility: https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/
   ```
2. **If you need to return to India within 2 months, apply for a regular paper visa (sticker visa) at an Indian embassy or consulate in your home country, which does not have the e-Visa gap restriction.** (75% success)
   ```
   If you need to return to India within 2 months, apply for a regular paper visa (sticker visa) at an Indian embassy or consulate in your home country, which does not have the e-Visa gap restriction.
   ```
3. **For urgent travel (e.g., medical emergency), apply for an e-Medical visa and provide supporting documents; the gap rule may be waived in exceptional cases, but approval is not guaranteed.** (40% success)
   ```
   For urgent travel (e.g., medical emergency), apply for an e-Medical visa and provide supporting documents; the gap rule may be waived in exceptional cases, but approval is not guaranteed.
   ```

## Dead Ends

- **** — Assuming that applying for a new e-Visa immediately after exiting India is allowed; the system will reject the application if the previous e-Visa was used within 2 months. (85% fail)
- **** — Believing that the gap rule only applies to e-Tourist visas; it applies to all e-Visa categories (e-Tourist, e-Business, e-Medical). (70% fail)
- **** — Thinking that leaving India and re-entering on a paper visa (sticker visa) bypasses the rule; the gap rule is specific to e-Visa, but paper visas have their own restrictions. (60% fail)