The short answer: if you hold a foreign passport, you need an Indian visa (most visitors use the e-Visa), you should file India’s online e-Arrival card in the 72 hours before you land, and you must fly into one of the designated e-Visa airports, four of which are in Kerala. If you are an Indian citizen from another state, you need nothing special to enter Kerala, only a valid photo ID for trains and hotels. The permits that actually catch people out on a Kerala trip are local ones: forest treks, wildlife safaris and park seasons, plus a separate entry permit if you plan to hop over to Lakshadweep.
I was born and raised in Kerala, and the questions I hear most from friends planning their first visit are not about beaches or houseboats. They are about paperwork. Which visa? Which airport? Why is the homestay asking for a passport copy? Can I just walk into that forest? This guide answers those, in order, and links every rule to the official page so you can check it yourself before you book. Rules change, so treat the links at the bottom as the final word.
Do foreign visitors need a special visa for Kerala?
No. Kerala is a state of India, so there is no separate “Kerala visa”. You need a normal Indian visa, and for a holiday most people apply for the e-Tourist Visa on the government’s official portal, indianvisaonline.gov.in. Apply there directly. Lookalike agent sites exist and charge extra for the same form.
The e-Tourist Visa covers recreation, sightseeing, casual visits to friends or relatives, short courses, short unpaid voluntary work of up to a month, medical treatment and attending a conference. It does not cover paid work, NGO activity or journalism. Nationals of Pakistan and people of Pakistani origin are not eligible for the e-Visa.
Which e-Tourist Visa should you pick?
There are three versions. Here is how they compare, straight from the official e-Visa page:
| Type | Validity | Entries | Stay limit | When to apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30-day | 30 days from your first arrival | Double | Within the 30 days; not extendable or convertible | At least 4 days and no more than 30 days before arrival |
| 1-year | 365 days from the date the ETA is granted | Multiple | Up to 180 days in India per calendar year | At least 4 days and no more than 120 days before arrival |
| 5-year | 5 years from the date the ETA is granted | Multiple | Up to 180 days in India per calendar year | At least 4 days and no more than 120 days before arrival |
A few details that trip people up:
- The 30-day clock starts on arrival, but the 1-year and 5-year clocks start on approval. If you get a 1-year visa in March and only travel in December, most of its life is already gone.
- Passport: it must be valid for at least six months from the date you apply and have at least two blank pages for stamps.
- One passport, one visa. Every traveller, including children, needs their own passport and their own e-Visa. A child cannot be added to a parent’s passport.
- Print the approval (ETA) and carry it. The visa itself is stamped into your passport at the immigration counter when you arrive.
- Yellow fever: if you arrive within six days of leaving a yellow-fever-endemic country, carry the original vaccination certificate.
Nationals of Japan, South Korea and the UAE can also get a visa on arrival; UAE nationals qualify only if they have previously held an Indian e-Visa or regular visa. The e-Visa page has the details.
Can you fly straight into Kerala on an e-Visa?
Yes, and this is the good news for a Kerala trip. An e-Visa only works if you enter through one of the airports or seaports on the official list, and four of those airports are in Kerala:
| e-Visa entry point in Kerala | Type | Handy for |
|---|---|---|
| Cochin (Kochi) | Airport | Central Kerala, Fort Kochi, Munnar, the backwaters |
| Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram) | Airport | The south: Varkala, Kovalam |
| Calicut (Kozhikode) | Airport | The north and Wayanad |
| Kannur | Airport | Far north Malabar and northern Wayanad |
| Cochin | Seaport (cruise passengers) | Cruise visitors |
You can leave India from any authorised immigration checkpoint, so flying into Kochi and out of Bengaluru or Chennai at the end of a longer trip is fine. If you arrive in India somewhere else first, say Delhi or Mumbai, you clear immigration there and Kerala is simply a domestic flight or train away. How the state’s airports, trains and roads link up is covered in getting around Kerala without a driver.
What is the e-Arrival card, and do you need one?
Since 1 October 2025, foreign nationals and OCI card holders arriving in India are asked to fill in a digital e-Arrival card online within the 72 hours before arrival. According to the Indian Embassy’s notice, you can submit it on the Bureau of Immigration website (boi.gov.in), on the Indian visa website, or in the official “Indian Visa Su-Swagatam” app for iOS and Android. It takes a few minutes; do it the evening before you fly so it is one less thing at the airport.
What about OCI card holders and people of Indian origin?
An Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card works as a multiple-entry, lifelong visa for visiting India, so OCI holders do not need an e-Visa for a holiday in Kerala. Two things still apply: the e-Arrival card above, and the fact that OCI holders need special permission for activities such as research, journalism or mountaineering, and for any area the central government notifies as protected or restricted. Both points are on the official OCI FAQ.
Why does your homestay ask for your passport and visa?
Because it has to. Any hotel, guest house, homestay or even private home that hosts a foreign national must submit that guest’s details to the immigration authorities through an online form called Form C within 24 hours of the guest’s arrival, as set out on the National Portal of India. That is why the person at the front desk photocopies your passport and visa page. It is routine, not suspicion. Keep a couple of printouts and a phone photo of both pages; it speeds up every check-in.
Do Indian travellers from other states need anything to visit Kerala?
Not to cross the border. If you are coming from Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi or anywhere else in India, you arrive like you would in any other state. What you do need is an original photo ID in your bag:
- On trains: under IRCTC’s e-ticket rules, at least one passenger on the booking must carry an original photo ID and show it when asked. Accepted IDs include a passport, voter ID, driving licence, PAN card and Aadhaar (including m-Aadhaar, and Aadhaar or a driving licence from DigiLocker’s “Issued Documents” section). Travelling without one counts as travelling without a ticket. The full list is on the IRCTC e-ticket FAQ.
- At hotels and homestays: expect to be asked for ID at check-in, the same as anywhere in India.
- In forests and parks: some programmes check ID before entry, and some, like the Muthanga jeep safari, list separate rates for Indian and foreign visitors. More on that below.
Which Kerala places need a permit or advance booking?
This is where most first-timers get surprised. Much of Kerala’s best walking country sits inside national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and tiger reserves run by the Kerala Forest and Wildlife Department. You cannot simply wander in. Kerala Tourism’s do’s and don’ts for ecotourism destinations spell out the basics: get the necessary permission before visiting, go into forests with a guide, do not go alone, and do not stay inside parks or reserves between 7 pm and 7 am unless accommodation is provided there.
Here are the ones visitors ask about most, with what the official pages say:
| Place | The rule to know | Official source |
|---|---|---|
| Agasthyarkoodam trek (near Thiruvananthapuram) | Booked online through the Forest Department. Foreigners are not permitted. Trekkers must be over 14 and carry the original photo ID used at booking. Passes are non-transferable and non-refundable. Payment currently by RuPay debit card or net banking. | Forest Dept booking page |
| Eravikulam National Park (Munnar) | Closed every year in February and March for the Nilgiri tahr calving season. | Kerala Tourism |
| Muthanga jeep safari (Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary) | Run by the Forest Department. Morning slot 7–10 am, evening slot 3–5 pm; jeeps are hired at the entrance. Availability changes with weather and conditions. | Kerala Tourism |
| Periyar Tiger Reserve (Thekkady) | Boating, jungle safaris, treks and stays are booked through the reserve’s official website. | Periyar Tiger Reserve |
A word on Agasthyarkoodam, because it is the one that disappoints foreign hikers. It is one of the most beautiful treks in the southern Western Ghats, and it is open only to Indian nationals. Daily passes are limited (Kerala Tourism mentions 100 a day), and the season is short. Historically it has opened around the Makaravilakku festival in mid-January and closed around Shivaratri in February or March, but the Forest Department sets the dates each year, so watch its booking page from December.
If wildlife is on your list, the seasons matter as much as the paperwork. Pair this section with when to visit Kerala, and if you are choosing between the two big hill regions, Munnar vs Wayanad covers what each one is like on the ground. For Wayanad specifically, ten things to know before you go covers the practical details.
Can you add Lakshadweep to a Kerala trip?
Many people look at the map, see the Lakshadweep islands off the Kerala coast, and assume they can just add a few days. You can, but Lakshadweep is a separate Union Territory with its own entry rules. Under the islands’ entry regulations, anyone who is not a native of the islands needs an entry permit, and that includes Indian citizens from the mainland. The official e-Permit portal says tourists should apply under the Tourist category, that sponsorship and police clearance certificates are no longer required for tourist applications, and that foreign tourists need a valid passport and Indian visa.
One fresh change to note: the old portal (epermit.utl.gov.in) announced that it would run only until 15 October 2026, with services moving to lak.e-permit.utl.gov.in. Start from the new address, and give the permit plenty of lead time before you book anything non-refundable.
A simple pre-trip checklist
Foreign passport holders
- Passport valid six months from your application date, with two blank pages
- e-Tourist Visa applied for on the official portal, at least four days before arrival; ETA printed
- Flight into a designated e-Visa airport (Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode or Kannur, if you are flying straight to Kerala)
- e-Arrival card submitted in the 72 hours before landing
- Printouts or photos of your passport and visa pages for check-ins
- Yellow fever certificate, if your route requires it
Indian travellers from other states
- An original photo ID (or a DigiLocker-issued Aadhaar or driving licence) for trains and hotels
- Forest treks such as Agasthyarkoodam booked as soon as the Forest Department opens bookings
Everyone
- Park seasons checked against your dates (Eravikulam’s February–March closure is the classic one)
- Lakshadweep permit, if you are going
Once the paperwork is sorted, the fun part begins. How to plan a slow Kerala trip yourself walks through choosing bases and pacing the days.
Quick answers
How early can I apply for the 30-day e-Tourist Visa?
No more than 30 days before your arrival date, and no later than four days before it. For the 1-year and 5-year versions the window opens 120 days ahead.
Can I extend a 30-day e-Tourist Visa while I’m in Kerala?
No. The official page describes the 30-day e-Tourist Visa as non-extendable and non-convertible. If you think you may want to stay longer, apply for the 1-year version instead.
I’m landing in Delhi and flying on to Kochi. Where do I clear immigration?
At your first point of arrival in India, so Delhi in this example. Delhi is on the e-Visa list. The Kochi leg is then a domestic flight.
Do Indian citizens need a permit for Lakshadweep?
Yes. The islands’ rules require a permit for everyone who is not a native, apart from on-duty government and armed forces staff and their families.
Can foreigners do the Agasthyarkoodam trek?
No. The Forest Department’s booking page states that foreigners are not permitted on the Agasthyarkoodam trek.
Verify the latest
Every rule, timing and closure in this guide comes from the official pages below. Check them again close to your travel date.
- e-Tourist Visa types, validity, application windows, passport rules, designated airports and seaports, visa on arrival, yellow fever: Indian e-Visa portal (indianvisaonline.gov.in)
- e-Arrival card (from 1 October 2025, within 72 hours of arrival): Embassy of India notice (PDF) and Bureau of Immigration
- OCI card benefits and permissions: OCI Services FAQ
- Form C (accommodation providers report foreign guests within 24 hours): National Portal of India
- Photo ID on trains: IRCTC e-ticket FAQ
- Lakshadweep entry permits: Lakshadweep e-Permit portal (new) and previous portal and notice
- Ecotourism rules (permission, guides, no overnight stays without accommodation): Kerala Tourism do’s and don’ts
- Agasthyarkoodam booking, foreigner restriction, age and ID rules: Kerala Forest Department trekking booking; season and daily passes: Kerala Tourism
- Eravikulam National Park February–March closure: Kerala Tourism
- Muthanga jeep safari timings: Kerala Tourism ecotourism
- Periyar Tiger Reserve bookings: periyartigerreserve.org
- Contacts for other sanctuaries and eco-destinations: Kerala Tourism ecotourism contacts
Last checked: 23 October 2026.