India’s online visa system is once again under scrutiny after a traveller from the United States reportedly faced a frustrating experience that disrupted her long-planned visit to the country.
According to a social media account, the woman had completed the required pre-arrival application before departing the US to meet her fiancé’s family in India. However, the expected approval or status update never arrived while she was in transit. As a result, she was stranded in Dubai for nearly a week before being forced to abandon her trip and return to the United States.
The incident has reignited criticism of India’s online visa and arrival portals, with many international travellers describing the system as confusing, outdated, and difficult to navigate. Users have frequently complained about unclear instructions, complicated application forms, delayed responses, and websites that are poorly optimized for smartphones.
The problem extends well beyond the portal’s appearance. Applicants often struggle to identify the correct visa category, upload supporting documents, monitor application status, or understand what additional information is required. For travellers with fixed flight schedules, the lack of timely updates can quickly become a stressful and expensive experience.
The issue recently gained wider attention after The Economist highlighted usability concerns surrounding India’s official visa portal. The publication noted that the website appears to be designed primarily for desktop users, with an interface and application flow that can make even straightforward applications unnecessarily complicated.
Frustrated users have also voiced their concerns on social media. One user remarked that India could attract far more international tourists if it invested in a more visitor-friendly digital experience. Others responded with sarcasm, joking that the slow website was designed to ensure only the most determined travellers could complete the application process.
Behind the humour lies a larger concern. As India seeks to significantly increase international tourist arrivals, the visa portal often serves as a visitor’s very first interaction with the country. A frustrating application experience can leave a negative impression before the journey even begins.
Experts believe the issue reflects a broader challenge across many government digital platforms. While India has successfully digitized services such as railway bookings, tax filing, voter registration, and educational applications, several systems were created by simply transferring paper-based procedures online rather than redesigning them for ease of use.
According to The Economist, user experience (UX) became part of the official design guidelines for Indian government websites only in 2023. Many public portals continue to balance the requirements of multiple ministries, departments, security protocols, and compliance rules, often resulting in complex interfaces that prioritize administrative processes over user convenience.
As India continues to position itself as a major global tourism destination, improving the online visa experience could become just as important as expanding tourism infrastructure. For millions of international visitors, the visa portal is their first impression of India, and a faster, simpler, and mobile-friendly system could play a significant role in encouraging more people to visit the country.
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