An e-Visa, or electronic visa, is a digital travel permit that is commonly required in conjunction with a valid passport for entry into specific jurisdictions. It is an alternative to traditional visas issued at embassies or consulates. An e-Visa is an official document that permits entry into and travel within a country, and it is obtained online without visiting the issuing states consular mission or visa agency. An e-Visa is a system developed to save passengers from long-term and tiring bureaucratic procedures, as well as creating an alternative to visas. An e-Visa is a paperless version of a traditional visa, and the application for an e-Visa takes place virtually.

There are some differences between an e-Visa and an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA). An ETA is a kind of pre-arrival registration, which may or may not be officially classified as a visa depending on the issuing jurisdiction, required for foreign travelers who are exempted from obtaining a full visa. An e-Visa is simply a visa that travelers can apply for and receive online without visiting the issuing states consular mission or visa agency.

In the United States, e-Visas are available for treaty traders, treaty investors, and certain nonimmigrant employees of such people (and their spouses and children) who are coming to the U.S. . The E category includes Treaty Trader (E-1), Treaty Investor (E-2), Employee of an E-1 or E-2, and Australian Specialty Occupation Worker (E-3) . Before entering the U.S., treaty traders or investors and their nonimmigrant employees must apply for and receive an E-1 or E-2 visa from a U.S. Consulate or Embassy overseas and subsequently be admitted to this country by CBP.