What Is an e-Visa?

An e-Visa (Electronic Visa) is a digital visa issued online by a country’s immigration authority.
Instead of going to an embassy or submitting physical documents, travelers can apply for a visa completely online and receive approval through email. It is one of the fastest and easiest ways to get permission to enter a foreign country.


How an e-Visa Works?

• Apply online on the official government portal
• Upload documents (passport, photo, travel details)
• Pay visa fee online
• Receive visa approval via email
• Show the e-Visa at the airport on arrival
• No physical sticker or stamp is required in the passport before travel.

Advantages of an e-Visa

• Quick and convenient
• No need to visit embassy or visa center
• Faster processing time
• Reduces paperwork
• Accessible from anywhere in the world

Types of e-Visas (Example: India)
Many countries offer e-Visas for purposes like:

• Tourism
• Business
• Medical treatment
• Short-term conferences
• Family visits

What Is a Stapled Visa?
A stapled visa is a type of visa where the foreign country does not stamp the visa inside the traveler’s passport.
Instead, the visa is printed on a separate sheet of paper and stapled to the passport.

This is done when the issuing country does not recognize the passport holder’s region or nationality in a certain way, often due to political or territorial disputes.

Example: China Giving Stapled Visas to Indians
China issues stapled visas to people from Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir (earlier)

Why?
Because China claims Arunachal Pradesh as “South Tibet.” By not stamping the Indian passport, China signals that it does not accept India’s sovereignty over that region.

India strongly rejects this and considers stapled visas invalid.