India is a country of folks with many cultures, faiths, and castes.
It is a big follower in ‘Unity in Diversity .’ India’s lifelines include abundant greenery, wildlife, art, and entertainment.
India is a lovely nation renowned for its ancient art and culture.
Visiting this location exposes you to the spectacular structures of Afghans, Turks, Mughals, British, and Indian emperors.
The culture here reflects the essence of its vast past, which has become a part of society through time.
India is a truly incredible country with an admirer from all around the world.
If you intend to visit India, you must first obtain a visa.
A visa is a legal authorization to enter a nation for a particular reason.
The particular technique for obtaining the visa will determine by the nation in which you reside.
Citizens in the United States, for example, will access a different website than those in other regions of the world.
However, regardless matter where you reside, the overall procedure for applying for a visa will be the same.
Table of Contents
Types of Indian Visa
1. Tourist Visa
Tourist visas are issued to those who intend to visit others, go sightseeing, or participate in short-term activities.
The primary point of a tourist visa is that, depending on the applicant’s nationality and purpose for travel, a person can obtain a tourist visa for up to six months; however, it is not feasible to stay in India for more than six months a tourist visa.
Formerly, re-applying for a tourist visa needed at least a two-month delay; though this regulation has repeal, several exceptions remain.
Note – An application might take up to 45 days to process after the Ministry of Home Affairs authorizes it. It is true even if you apply for a new tourist visa a month before your current one expires.
2. Employment Visa
Employment Visa is for foreigners who work in India for a recognized organization.
You can apply for an employment visa even if you are working as a volunteer for an extended length of time.
Employment visas are generally valid for one year or the duration of the contract, although they can extend in India.
Special Project Visa grant to highly train foreigners who come to India to work in the power and steel industries.
To apply for an Employment Visa to India, you must provide documentation of your employment with an Indian firm or organization, such as a contract outlining all terms and conditions.
3. Business Visa
Business Visas offer for anyone who wishes to do commercial or explore business prospects in India.
Business Visa differs from Employment Visa in that the applicant is not required to work in an Indian organization and earn a set salary.
Even though a Business Visa is valid for up to ten years with multiple entries, Business Visa holders are usually not permitted to stay on Indian premises for more than 180 days if they register with the Foreigners Regional Registrar’s Office.
For the application for a Business Visa, the applicant must send a letter from the organization with whom they want to do business providing specifics such as the nature of the company, destinations to be visited, duration of stay, and the intention of covering expenditures.
4. Student Visa
A Student Visa permits visitors to travel to India and study for an extended period at an officially recognized Indian educational institution.
The studies might range from long-term studies of Vedic culture, yoga, Indian dance or music system, etc.
A tourist visa is insufficient for long-term study at reputable educational institutions; thus, students from other countries must get a student visa.
Student visas are available for up to five years and can be extended in India, depending on the length of the program.
5. Intern Visa
Foreigners who meet specific requirements and want to work as interns in India can now get an Intern Visa.
Previously, these folks had to deal with the difficulties of obtaining a work visa.
One requirement of the Intern Visa is that the interval between graduation or post-graduation and the internship start should not be more than one year.
Furthermore, when applying for this visa, keep in mind that an Intern Visa cannot change into an Employment Visa or any other sort of visa.
An Intern Visa is valid for up to the duration of the internship program or one year, whichever is shorter.
6. Medical Visa
Those undergoing long-term medical treatment in accredited and recognized Indian hospitals or treatment centers must apply for Medical Visas.
The nature of the therapy must be substantial to obtain a Medical Visa, such as heart surgery, neurosurgery, organ transplantation, and so on.
With the granting of the Medical Visa, up to two Medical Attendants may accompany the patient.
If you are getting a short-term treatment, say for 60 days, you can even apply for an e-Medical Visa.
7. Journalists Visa
Do you want to travel to India as a professional journalist or photographer? If so, apply for a Journalist visa, which allows you to take images and write travel articles professionally and grants you access to a particular place and person.
Suppose you are a journalist or work in a media firm and identify a journalist as your vocation on the application form for your journey to India. In that case, you will very certainly require to get a Journalist Visa before entering the country.
India is quite sensitive to media and journalists because they may depict the nation; hence Journalist Visas are extremely tough to obtain. This visa is valid for three months.
8.Conference Visa
Delegates must get a Conference Visa to attend a conference hosted by an Indian government organization in India.
Those who need to attend a conference hosted by a private organization in India, on the other hand, must apply for a Business Visa.
9. Film Visa
People who want to create a TV show or a commercial film in India will need a Film Visa, and anyone who wants to shoot a documentary, movie, or advertisement will need a Journalist Visa.
The Film Visa is available for a duration of up to one year.
The Film Visa application, on the other hand, might take up to 60 days to process because it is examined and authorized by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
10. Research Visa
The Research Visa is one of the most complicated visas to get, and it only grants to researchers and professors who want to visit India for research reasons.
The fact that the application for Research Visas takes up to three months to grants adds to the heaps of barriers in securing the visa. They are first forwarded to the Department of Education and then authorized by the Ministry of Human Resource and Development.
How to apply?
Determine the sort of visa you need.
Depending on your reason for visiting India, you may grant a variety of visas. As a result, you must select the appropriate visa, for example. If you have a work offer in India, you can apply for an employment visa.
Check that your passport is not too old.
Your passport must be valid for at least 180 days after the day you intend to enter India.
If your passport is about to expire in the next six months, you should renew it before applying for a visa. Also, ensure that the passport book has at least two blank pages.
The passport book should not have been tampered with or altered.
Allow yourself enough time.
After you submit your application, it will take at least three days for the visa to be approved. Depending on the conditions, it might take longer. If you are of Pakistani descent, the processing period may be significantly longer, up to seven or eight weeks.
Each visa accepts on an individual basis. Individual permits may not obtain on the same day if a group of individuals (such as a family) applies together.
Go to the relevant website.
You may apply for a visa to India by going to https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html.
Go to the “Regular Visa Application” page to apply for a visa. If you want to visit India as a tourist for 60 days or less, you may be eligible for an e-Tourist visa.
You will receive an e-mail, which you must print and bring with you to Immigration in India to get your official visa.
Fill up your details.
A range of questions will post to you.
You should gather this information so that you can finish the visa application in one sitting:
- your country of origin
- your birthdate
- your anticipated arrival date
- the kind of visa for which you are applying the name on your passport
- your passport details (number, place of issue, dates of matter, and expiration)
- your place of birth
- your religion
Upload a digital photograph.
To finish the visa application, you must attach a photo of yourself.
The photograph must match the following criteria:
- JPEG image format
- have a minimum of 10 KB but no more than 300 KB in size, with equal height and width, no shadows on the face or backdrop, and the head should be placed in the center of the frame, with the entire head visible (from top of hair to the bottom of the chin)
Choose a date for your appointment.
Before applying, you will have the option of scheduling a meeting with the Indian Mission.
You might also choose to print your application and schedule a meeting with the Mission nearest you instead of selecting an appointment date online.
There are Missions in London, Edinburgh, and Birmingham, for example, in the United Kingdom.
On the initial screen of the program, you will pick the Mission that is closest to you. After inputting your nation, a drop-down window with a list of tasks will display.
Pay the processing fee.
The fee varies based on the type of visa you apply for and how long you expect to stay. When you finish your online application, the amount will present.
The cost is non-refundable, even if the visa deny or you need to withdraw your application.
Print the application.
You will be able to print the application. Make sure that you do.
At the very least, make a note of your application identification number.
Indian E- Visa
The India e-Visa is a digital license to travel to India for business, vacation, or medical purposes.
It is not essential to present your passport or other personal papers to the consulate when applying for an e-Visa. Everything complete over the internet. The e-Visa approval will be granted online in advance of your journey to India.
The actual visa will place inside your passport at the immigration checkpoint.
Countries eligible for e-visa
If you are a citizen of one of the countries listed below, you are eligible for an eVisa.
- Albania
- Andorra
- Angola
- Anguilla
- Antigua & Barbuda
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Aruba
- Australia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Belize
- Benin
- Bolivia
- Bosnia & Herzegovina
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Bulgaria
- Burundi
- Cambodia
- Cameroon Union Republic
- Cape Verde
- Cayman Island
- Chile
- Colombia
- Comoros
- Cook Islands
- Costa Rica
- Cote d’Ivoire
- Croatia
- Cuba
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Djibouti
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- East Timor
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Estonia
- Fiji
- Finland
- France
- Gabon
- The Gambia
- Georgia
- Germany
- Ghana
- Greece
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Guinea
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Jamaica
- Japan
- Jordan
- Kenya
- Kiribati
- Laos
- Latvia
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Macedonia
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Mali
- Malta
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Micronesia
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- Montserrat
- Mozambique
- Myanmar
- Namibia
- Nauru
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Nicaragua
- Niger Republic
- Niue Island
- Norway
- Oman
- Palau
- Palestine
- Panama
- Papua New Guinea
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Philippines
- Poland
- Portugal
- Republic of Korea
- Romania
- Russia
- Rwanda
- Saint Christopher and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent & the Grenadines
- Samoa
- San Marino
- Senegal
- Serbia
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Solomon Islands
- South Africa
- Spain
- Suriname
- Swaziland
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- Tanzania
- Thailand
- Togo
- Tonga
- Trinidad & Tobago
- Turks & Caicos Island
- Tuvalu
- UAE
- Uganda
- Ukraine
- Uruguay
- USA
- Vanuatu
- Vatican City-Holy See
- Venezuela
- Vietnam
- Zambia and Zimbabwe
Eligibility requirements for e-visa
An India e-Visa requires visitors to India for tourist, business, or medical purposes. Applicants must meet the following requirements to be eligible for an e-Visa:
- If visiting for tourism, you can stay for no more than 90 days from the date of your initial arrival; some countries can last for up to 180 days.
- Begin your application below to see if you are eligible.
- Under this visa category, all tourist applicants give multiple entries into India.
- If traveling for business, you may stay for no more than 180 days from the date of your initial arrival.
- Under this visa category, all business visitors are given numerous entries into India.
- For all Medical e-Visa holders, the intention is to make no more than three entries in 60 days from the entrance date.
- Intention to make no more than one entry for all Conference e-Visas in 30 days from the entrance date.
- Possess a passport with two blank pages valid for at least six months after the date of arrival into India for one of the above nations.
- Apply at least four days before admission and no more than 120 days before your trip to India.
- If you are a national of or traveling to one of the listed areas, you must confirm the Yellow Fever vaccine.