Tirumala NRI Darshan: How NRIs Book (Official 2026)

Tirumala NRI Darshan: How NRIs Book (Official 2026)

Tirumala NRI darshan has two official routes in 2026. The first is the Andhra Pradesh Government's APNRTS Temple Darshan service, where NRIs request a priority VIP or Special Entry Darshan slot with a Devotee ID. The second is the regular Rs 300 Special Entry Darshan, which anyone can book on TTD's portal. Ignore agent sites and unverified "NRI counter" claims; the details below are as of Oct 2026, so confirm on the TTD portal before you fly.

If you live abroad and have only a short window in India, the paperwork is the hard part: which website is real, whether your Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card or foreign passport changes anything, and whether the "special NRI darshan" described on so many blogs actually exists. This guide sticks to what official sources say. We cite the Andhra Pradesh Non-Resident Telugu Society (APNRTS) and Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) for every rule, and we flag the claims we could not verify instead of repeating them.

Tirumala NRI darshan: the short answer

There is no separate NRI darshan rulebook published on tirumala.org. What exists, as of October 2026, is this:

• APNRTS Temple Darshan. APNRTS, a society of the Andhra Pradesh Government, lists a Temple Darshan service on its website offering, in its own words, priority darshan bookings and end-to-end pilgrimage travel support across Tirumala and other Andhra Pradesh temples. Requests cover both VIP Break Darshan and Special Entry Darshan, and you log in with a Devotee ID to book a slot.
• Rs 300 Special Entry Darshan on the TTD portal. TTD's paid Special Entry Darshan, also called Seeghra Darshan, is booked online on ttdevasthanams.ap.gov.in. It is the default route for any devotee, resident or not, and the fallback if APNRTS has no slot for your dates.
• Everything else is unofficial. Blogs describe a dedicated NRI counter, specific fees and arrival-window rules. TTD has not published those terms on tirumala.org, so treat them as unconfirmed.

The practical plan for most NRIs is to try APNRTS first if you qualify and your dates are open, and to have a Rs 300 ticket as a back-up. The darshan itself takes place at the same Venkateswara Temple, Tirumala, whichever route you use.

Route 1: APNRTS Temple Darshan (AP Government NRI channel)

Who runs it

The Andhra Pradesh Non-Resident Telugu Society is an Andhra Pradesh Government body for the state's non-resident community. Its website, apnrts.ap.gov.in, lists Temple Darshan among its services. The temple page covers Sri Venkateswara Swamy at Tirumala and other temples in the state; it lists eight shrines in all.

In July 2025 news reports said the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister had asked TTD to raise the daily VIP Break Darshan quota for NRIs to 100, up from 10, with NRIs registering free on the APNRTS website. That figure comes from press coverage, not a TTD notice, so treat it as reported rather than guaranteed, and do not assume a slot will be available on any given day.

How the request works (Devotee ID, block dates, video guide)

The APNRTS temple page sets out a short process:

• Check the block dates first. These are days when no slots are offered.
• Watch the video guide on the page, which walks through the application process for VIP and Special Entry Darshan.
• Log in and book a slot with your Devotee ID.

Eligibility details, such as which passports or residency proofs are accepted, are confirmed only once you register and log in. We have not seen a public eligibility list, so we do not state one. If your situation is unusual, for example you are a foreign national of Indian origin without an OCI card, ask APNRTS directly before planning your trip around this route.

Block dates to avoid

The APNRTS temple page lists the following block dates with no slots. The year is not stated on the page, so confirm them for 2026 before you plan.

Accessed 18 Oct 2026. As of Oct 2026, confirm on the TTD portal and the APNRTS site.

December is a popular month for NRIs visiting home, so these dates matter. If your trip falls in the second half of December, plan for the Rs 300 route or a different week.

Contacting APNRTS

The APNRTS temple page lists these contact numbers: +91 8500027678, +91 8500127678, +91 8500227678 and +91 0863 2340678. The office address given is Infosight Building, 4th Floor, NH16 Service Road, Tadepalli, Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh 522502. Use only the numbers on the official APNRTS Temple Darshan page, and re-check them there before calling, since contact details can change.

Route 2: book the Rs 300 special entry darshan online like any devotee

Every NRI, OCI holder and foreign visitor can use the same route as resident devotees: the Rs 300 Special Entry Darshan. TTD introduced Special Entry Darshan on 21 September 2009 and opened advance online booking on 27 August 2014 through ttdevasthanams.ap.gov.in. It remains the most predictable option because the quota is released online and you can see availability for your dates.

If APNRTS does not allot a slot, or your dates fall on a block date, switch to the Rs 300 special entry darshan booking route. We do not repeat the booking screens here; our step-by-step TTD online booking guide covers registration, slot selection and payment.

A few points matter more for overseas devotees:

• Register early. Create your TTD portal account before you leave home, so OTPs and email confirmations reach you while you still have reliable access.
• Use the passport you will carry. Enter the identity details exactly as they appear on the document you will show at the temple.
• Allow for jet lag. Choose a slot a day or two after you land rather than the morning after an overnight flight.

There is also TTD's Srivani Trust donation darshan, a separate route tied to a donation to the Srivani Trust. Check the current terms on the TTD portal if you are considering it; we do not quote amounts here because they are set and revised by TTD. For the premium protocol route, see our guide to VIP break darshan.

Which route fits you? NRI, OCI holder or foreign national

Your passport and residency status shape which route makes sense. The table below is a planning aid, not an eligibility ruling. APNRTS confirms eligibility only after login, and TTD's portal sets its own identity rules.

As of Oct 2026, confirm on the TTD portal and with APNRTS.

Whichever row applies to you, carry the original document you used to book. A holder of an Indian passport should bring that passport; an OCI holder should carry both the foreign passport and the OCI card; a foreign national should carry the passport with a valid Indian visa.

What the blogs get wrong: unverified NRI counter and fee claims

Search results for NRI darshan are dominated by user blogs and aggregator posts. Many repeat the same claims with different numbers. Here is what we found, and how to treat each claim:

• The Supatham entrance. Third-party guides describe an NRI facility at the Supatham entrance with set reporting hours. TTD has not published current terms for this on tirumala.org. Do not plan around it without written confirmation from TTD.
• A fixed NRI fee. Blogs quote different fees for NRI darshan. We found no official TTD source for any NRI-specific fee, so we do not state one.
• Arrival-window rules. Some posts say you must have arrived in India within a fixed number of days. The figures conflict between sources and none is backed by an official TTD notice.
• Unofficial booking websites. Several results link to look-alike portals. The only booking domains we treat as official are ttdevasthanams.ap.gov.in and tirumala.org for TTD, and apnrts.ap.gov.in for APNRTS.

Rules at Tirumala do change, and some of these facilities may have existed at some point. The safe approach is to follow only what you can read on an official page on the day you plan.

Documents and day-of checklist

Neither TTD nor APNRTS publishes a single NRI document list on the pages we checked, so treat the list below as a sensible carry list and confirm the current requirements with APNRTS or on the TTD portal.

As of Oct 2026, confirm on the TTD portal.

On the day, reach Tirumala with time to spare for security checks and the walk to your entry point. Follow TTD's traditional dress code for darshan and keep your documents together in one pouch so you can show them quickly.

Avoiding touts and fake booking sites

NRIs are easy targets for middlemen: they are short on time and less familiar with the booking system. TTD's Do's and Don'ts tell devotees not to approach touts for accommodation or darshan. In a statement reported by UNI on 25 June 2026, TTD again asked devotees not to fall prey to middlemen promising darshan or accommodation for money, and to report such approaches on its toll-free helpline 155257.

Our own recommendations for overseas devotees:

• Type ttdevasthanams.ap.gov.in or apnrts.ap.gov.in directly into your browser; do not follow links from WhatsApp forwards or social media ads.
• Never pay anyone who promises a guaranteed slot, an NRI quota seat or a "direct" VIP pass. No official channel guarantees a slot.
• Do not share OTPs or your Devotee ID password with anyone, including relatives booking on your behalf.
• If something looks off, call the APNRTS numbers on its official page or TTD's helpline before paying.

With an APNRTS request in progress and a Rs 300 ticket as a back-up, most NRIs can plan a Tirumala visit without relying on agents. Confirm block dates, contacts and quotas on the official sites close to your travel date, as all of them can change.

Written and reviewed by the Tirupati Darshan Booking editorial team. Facts checked against primary sources; see the reference above.

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