Overland crossing from Bhutan (Samdrup Jongkhar) on evisa
Hello,
I have a question Indian evisa for crossing the Samdrup Jongkhar border from Bhutan to India.
We will fly from Europe to Delhi (enter India for a day), then fly to Paro and later cross back to India overland.
My question is about the evisa. Lot of people online including this forum (I searched) that once Indian multiple-entry evisa is used to enter at designated airport, the next entries can be done overland. However, the official evisa website is quite clear in the aspect that land crossings are no-go and I should get a paper visa.
I see lots of reports of people who claim they were able to cross from Nepal or from Bhutan in Jaigaon, which clearly contradicts what the Indian evisa website states.
However, I am still being careful as I don't want to get stuck in remote part of Bhutan. Since the border crossing was reopened just recently, is there anyone who could assure me or deny if I can smoothy reenter India in Samdrup Jongkhar, or I should getter a paper visa (which is much more complicated for me, but will go this way if I am not sure)? We will have entered India in Delhi airport for the first time.
Thank you!
//My question is about the evisa. Lot of people online including this forum (I searched) that once Indian multiple-entry evisa is used to enter at designated airport, the next entries can be done overland.
This is correct
//the official evisa website is quite clear in the aspect that land crossings are no-go and I should get a paper visa.
As above on your first question. Once first arrival with ETA s at a designated airport/seaport and you get an e-Visa stamp in your passport, subsequent arrivals can be at a land border. I can't see any advice on the requirement for a paper visa.
Edited: 1 year agoThank you very much. The reason I am worried is because it contradicts what the official evisa website says.
However there seems to be lot of data points confirming the same thing as you so I believe we will go this way.
Thank you!
How was your trip? Were you able to return to India from Bhutan via land border with e-visa?
Hi, thanks for reminding me to post the update. The trip was wonderful. The crossing was a bit lengthy because there was a junior officer that never processed a reentry so it took quite a long time before he was able to get instructions. But after that it was smooth. Took about 2 hours altogether for the whole crossing.
Hello!
Excellent. Thank you.
A whole 2 hours!
Do you have a link to the official source to confirm your case to the border officer?
I am planning to return to India from Bhutan via the land border in Jaigaon and I really don't want to have problems or get stuck in Bhutan.
Thank you!
No, I don't - the whole point of my post here was that the official policy directly comtradicts many travellers' experience, now including mine. I even have an email from the evisa support where they explicitely wrote that crossing the land border with evisa is not possible.
Jaigaon will be ok, it's a busy crossing. My friend crossed successfully in April using evisa. In fact many other people did, I was mainly concern about Samdrup Jongkhar as it is newly open and there was no one to confirm successful crossing online.
The e-Visa website does not cover re-entry to India and misleadingly refers to entry at designated airports/seaports with e-Visa. It should be made clear that this is with ETA. However this is covered in the ETA that you take and present for first entry. This states " This ETA is not valid for entry into India through Land Immigration Check Posts and other Airports or Seaports which are not included in the list of designated e-Visa Airports/Seaports" The rule is only for first entry being with ETA.
Yes, with evisa, on first entry you do not have a "visa" at all. You only have an ETA (electronic authority to enter). That's why the entry ports are restricted. On that first entry you are given an actual "visa" (a stamp in your passport) so you can subsequently re-enter at any border post within the validity of that visa. There is no contradiction on the website, but it is a bit unclear if you do not understand what an ETA is.
Edited: 4:17 am, January 16, 2025Thank you for your question. Officially, Indian e‑Visas require the first entry into India to be through a designated international airport or seaport, and land borders like Samdrup Jongkhar are not listed as permitted entry points, so technically you would need a regular paper visa to re-enter India overland from Bhutan. While there are anecdotal reports of travelers successfully using an e‑Visa at land crossings, these are unofficial and contradict the rules, so relying on them is risky. To avoid any complications in a remote area, the safest option is to obtain a paper Tourist Visa for India if you plan to cross from Bhutan via Samdrup Jongkhar.
Based on recent traveler reports, Indian eVisas are officially not accepted for land border crossings like Samdrup Jongkhar; you'll need a paper visa for overland re-entry. Many online claims about smooth eVisa crossings are outdated or refer to specific exceptions. To avoid getting stuck, it's safer to get a paper visa if you plan to cross by land.
