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How to Pay the U.S. Visa Fee in India
The DS-160 itself has no submission fee. Applicants in India pay the separate nonimmigrant visa application (MRV) fee through the official U.S. visa appointment service before an interview can be scheduled.
India is one of the largest sources of U.S. visa applicants in the world, and its payment system offers more methods than most countries — including instant UPI activation.
Payment methods in India
The official India payment options page currently lists:
- UPI: pay from your smartphone via BHIM, Google Pay, or a QR-code scan from the payment confirmation screen. Instant activation — the fastest way to unlock scheduling.
- NEFT bank transfer: the profile generates a unique account number; send the exact fee amount from an Indian bank account via internet or mobile banking. Activates within one business day.
- RuPay debit or credit card: cards issued in India, paid online from the checkout page. Activates within one business day.
- Cash at AXIS Bank or Citibank: print the fee collection slip from your profile, pay at a designated branch, and keep the receipt. You can schedule the following business day.
- Cash at DRUK Bank (Bhutan): for applicants paying in Bhutan, in Ngultrums.
Official reference: the India bank and payment options page lists UPI, NEFT, RuPay cards, and AXIS/Citibank cash, and states activation can take up to one business day. Check the live page before paying.
Official U.S. Visa Information and Appointment Services page for India. Check the live page before paying — methods and activation times change.
Step-by-step payment process
- Submit the DS-160 and save the confirmation page.
- Create a profile on the official India visa service and choose Schedule Appointment.
- Continue until the payment confirmation screen shows your payment options and the exact rupee amount at the consular exchange rate.
- Pay once, with the exact amount, using one method. Save the receipt or transaction reference.
- Wait for activation (instant for UPI, up to one business day for NEFT and cards, next business day for bank cash).
- Return to the same profile to schedule your consular interview.
India-specific payment rules
- The fee is non-refundable and non-transferable, whether or not a visa is issued.
- If a payment appears to fail, do not pay a second time. Email support-india@usvisascheduling.com and let them investigate — a duplicate payment is not refunded.
- Do not dispute the charge with your bank either. The India payment page warns that disputing the transaction may delay your ability to schedule an appointment — so a chargeback raised to recover a payment that looks stuck can cost you the booking as well as the money.
- NEFT: do not pay from a co-operative or regional rural bank. ICICI Bank customers should select third-party account transfer. Delete the beneficiary account from your payee list after the payment succeeds.
- NRI applicants: RBI guidelines prevent refunds of discrepant payments to NRI accounts — pay from an NRO account instead, and never send a "test" payment.
- UPI: pay only through the payment page flow; do not send a plain bank-account transfer through a UPI app.
- One payment per unique account number, for the exact visa fee amount.
- F, M, and J students and exchange visitors also owe a separate SEVIS fee paid on fmjfee.com — the MRV payment does not cover it.
Interview activation times at a glance
| Payment method | When you can schedule |
|---|---|
| UPI / QR code | Instant |
| NEFT | Within one business day |
| RuPay card online | Within one business day |
| AXIS Bank cash | Following business day |
| DRUK Bank cash | Following business day |
Questions commonly searched in India
How much is the U.S. visa fee in rupees?
The fee is set in U.S. dollars and collected in rupees at the consular exchange rate, which is not the market rate and does not move daily. The India posts publish it and change it in steps: as of 25 May 2026 it is 98 rupees to the dollar, raised from 96, which the embassy attributes to shifts in the market rate.
At 98 to the dollar the visa fees work out as:
| Visa classes | Fee | At 98 INR/USD |
|---|---|---|
| B visitor, F and M student, J exchange | $185 | ₹18,130 |
| H, L, O, P, Q and R petition-based work | $205 | ₹20,090 |
| K fiancé(e) | $265 | ₹25,970 |
| E treaty trader and investor | $315 | ₹30,870 |
Treat these as the rate times the fee, not as a quoted price. The rupee figure that binds you is the one on the payment confirmation screen. The consular rate is changed by the posts whenever they judge the market has moved, so a figure here that is months old may be a step behind — check the rate on the India posts' visa page, where it is published under "Consular Exchange Rate", and the dollar amount on the Department of State fee schedule.
Can I pay the fee through Google Pay or PhonePe?
Yes — through the UPI option on the payment confirmation screen, which routes you to a payment page supporting BHIM, Google Pay, and QR codes. Do not send money as an ordinary UPI bank transfer outside that flow.
How long is my receipt valid?
An MRV fee receipt is normally valid for 365 days from payment. Schedule your appointment within that window (the interview itself can fall later).
I paid but the system still won't let me schedule. What now?
Allow the activation time for your method (up to one business day; next business day for bank cash). If it still doesn't appear, contact support-india@usvisascheduling.com with your payment reference. Do not pay again.
Can I use a fee paid in India for an interview in another country?
No. A fee paid through the India system is tied to applying in India. If you switch to another country, expect to create a profile in that country's system and pay again.
Already in the United States? If you are renewing while on another visa, see paying the fee when you apply from the United States.
Paying from a nearby country
The bank, currency and appointment service differ by country — if you are applying somewhere else in South Asia, use that country's guide:
- Paying the visa fee in Pakistan
- Paying the visa fee in Bangladesh
- Paying the visa fee in Nepal
- Paying the visa fee in Sri Lanka
Related guides
- U.S. visa fee overview and current amounts
- DS-160 form guide
- DS-160 photo requirements
- Find your embassy or consulate
Booking the interview
Once the fee activates, see booking a U.S. visa appointment in India.