Foreign passengers should ensure that they are in possession of valid Indian Visa before they start their journey to India except nationals of Nepal and Bhutan who do not require visa to enter India and nationals of Maldives who do not require visa for entry in India for a period up to 90 days (a separate Visa regime exists for diplomatic/official passport holders).

The Consular Passport and Visa (CPV) Division of the Ministry of External Affairs is responsible for issuance of Indian visas to the foreign nationals for their visit for various purposes. This facility is granted through various Indian missions abroad.

Visa fees are non-refundable and subject to change without notice. The Embassy/High Commission/Consulate reserves the right on granting and deciding type/duration of visa irrespective of the fees tendered at the time of making application. Granting of Visa does not confer the right of entry to India and is subject to the discretion of the Immigration Authorities.

Specific Visas are granted for a variety of purposes. Listed below are the types of visa; categorised on the basis of purpose of staying in India.

• Tourist Visa
  A Tourist Visa is given to those visiting India for tourism or other non-business related purposes and is generally valid up to 6 months.
• Business Visa
  A Business Visa is given those who are doing business in India such as making sales or establishing contacts on behalf of a company outside of India. This type of Visa may be valid for one year or more with multiple entries. However, the period of stay in India (for each visit) under this category is limited to six months only.
• Journalist Visa
  A Journalist Visa is given to professional journalists and photographers for up to three months' stay in India. For applicants who to make a documentary in India, kindly contact the Press and Information wing in the Embassy/Consulate.
• Conference Visa
  This type of Visa is for international conferences, or on certain subjects, as decided by the Government of India from time to time. Such a Visa can be issued only after clearance for the said conference is received from the Government of India.
• Transit Visa
  A transit visa is granted for the sole purpose of enabling the holder to travel through India to reach his/her ultimate destination. Change of purpose is not allowed. The Transit visa is valid for direct transit only for a maximum period of 3 days. For a stay in India beyond 3 days, an appropriate visa should be obtained.
• Entry Visa
  An Entry Visa is issued to those of India origin visiting India for tourism or other non-business related purposes. Members of the family of a person employed in India are also eligible for Entry visa. In the latter case, documents establishing the employment of the spouse along with a copy of his/her Employment visa must be attached.
• Employment Visa
  An Employment Visa is granted to those who are an employee of an Indian company. The Embassy/Consulate may grant Employment visa valid for a year irrespective of the duration of the contract. Further extension up to 5 years could be obtained from MHA/FRRO in the concerned state in India.
• Student Visa
  Student visas are given to bona fide students to pursue regular studies at recognised institutions in India. The Visa has multiple entry options and is valid for the period of study as approved by the educational institution in India.
• Missionaries Visa
  Missionary Visas are granted for those going to India for religious purposes and a single entry visa is issued.
• Research Visa
  Research Visas are given to Research Professors or Scholars and to participants attending research Conferences/Seminars/Workshops. Applicants should apply for this Visa at least six weeks before their date of departure to India.
• Sports Visa
  This visa is for professional and amateur sportspeople, judges and adjudicators who want to come to India to participate in their field of sport. In fact, it's an invitation letter from India to the persons involved in sports.

Procedure for obtaining Visa
Visas can be applied for in person or by post at Indian Embassy/ High Commission/ Consulate based in the country from where the candidate intends to depart for India. You are requested to contact the nearest Indian mission for details. Specific visas are granted for a variety of purposes that are aforementioned.

Requirements for Visa
Generally the following documents are required for obtaining Indian Visa. However, the requirement may vary from country to country.

• Original passport valid for at least 6 months
• Visa fee
• Two passport size photographs
• Supporting documents, where necessary
• Duly completed application form

TOURIST VISA ON ARRIVAL (T-VoA) SCHEME
The Government of India has announced a scheme of granting Tourist Visa on Arrival for the citizens of Finland, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand and Singapore. The scheme is valid for citizens of the above mentioned countries planning to visit India on single entry strictly for the purpose of tourism and for a short period of upto a maximum of 30 days. The salient features of the scheme are given below:

WHO IS ELIGIBLE:

-Citizens with valid passports of the following countries:

Finland
Japan
Luxembourg
New Zealand
Singapore

- Visiting India for the purpose of tourism (recreation, sight seeing, visitin friends and relatives)
- Fulfills all other criteria for grant of normal tourist visa to India like assured financial standing (production of return ticket and proof of availability of sufficient funds to spend in India), passport of at least six month validity and reentry permit if required.

WHO IS NOT ELIGIBLE:

- Citizens of the above countries who was or whose parents or grand parents (paternal or maternal) was born in, and was permanently resident in Pakistan.
- Persons holding Diplomatic/ Official passports
- A person who is a resident of India and /or works in India
- A person who is declared persona non grata by Government of India and is not the subject of a black list or any warning circular or other restrictive list.

VALIDITY
The Visa on Arrival is valid for a single entry into India for a period of upto 30 (thirty) days.This Visa is non-extendable and non-convertible and will be issued at arrival only at the designated international airports of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata.Only two visits on a Tourist Visa-on-Arrival shall be permissible in a calendar year and there shall be a gap of at least two months between each visit.

FEE
The fee for the visa on arrival is USD 60 (Sixty United States Dollars) or equivalent amount in Indian Rupees per passenger (including children).

Visa for NRIs and PIOs

Persons of Indian Origins and Non-Resident Indians who possess either OCI (Overseas Indian Citizenship) or PIO card don't need to apply separately for an Indian Visa. OCI and PIO cards give them the freedom to visit India without visa within rules. However, those NRIs and PIOs who don’t have OCI or PIO card can apply for and get Indian visa through the procedure mentioned above.

Foreign nationals holding Tourist Visas with multiple entry facility, there should be a gap of at least 2 months between two visits to the country on such a Tourist Visa.

Foreigners holding Tourist Visas, who after initial entry into India plan to visit another country largely on account of neighbourhood tourism related travel and re-enter India before finally exiting, may be permitted two or three entries, as the case may be (need based), by the Indian Missions/Posts subject to their submission of a detailed itinerary and supporting documentation (ticket bookings). If they are already outside of their country of origin, they can also get such an endorsement from the nearest Indian Mission/Post.

The Immigration authorities in all the Immigration Check Posts may also allow such foreign nationals on Tourist Visas arriving in India without the specific authorization from the Indian Missions/Posts to make two or three entries into the country (need based) subject to production of an itinerary and supporting documentation (ticket bookings).

The total period of stay in the country counted from the date of first entry into the country shall not exceed the stay stipulation period of 180 days or 90 days, as the case may be.

Once such a foreign national finally exits the country after availing the facility of two or three entries (within the stay stipulation period of 180 days or 90 days as the case may be), there should be a gap of at least 2 months before he/she can come again to the country.

If any foreign national falling in the category as mentioned in sub-para (IV) above is required to visit India again within a period of 2 months after his/her last departure, such foreign national should obtain special permission from the Mission/Post. Such re-entry within the stipulated gap of two months may be permitted only in emergent situations like death/serious illness in the family, non-availability of connecting flights to return to his/her country of origin or travel to another country or any other exigent situation which can be duly justified with proper documentation to the satisfaction of the Mission/ Post granting the permission. The Mission/Post will have to examine each case on merits before grant of requisite permission subject to the following onditions:-

The applicant should furnish an undertaking on the following lines:-

(i) That the purpose of his/her visit is because of emergency situation.
(ii) That he is not engaged in Business activities, nor in Employment or pursuing studies/research etc.
In all such cases i.e. those covered by sub-para V above, the foreign national should register himself with the FRRO/FRO concerned within 14 days of arrival. This registration may be done with the FRRO/FRO concerned preferably at the first place of entry. An endorsement to this effect will be made on the visa sticker.

If a foreign national applies for Tourist Visa frequently i.e. within one month of expiry of the previous Tourist Visa, the Indian Missions/Posts abroad should scrutinise the application thoroughly and refer such cases to MHA (Foreigners Division) for clearance before grant of fresh Tourist visa