India Visa Policy

Policy on Indian Visas

• The Visa Policy of India lays forth the norms, guidelines, and restrictions that visitors from outside of India must follow.
• Most people from outside India need a visa to enter the country. Different visas are offered for visitors of various nationalities, depending on their intended duration of stay, purpose of trip, and the country they come from.
• Most nationalities can apply for an e-Visa to enter India electronically. You just need to fill out a short application form to get it. An electronic visa for India can be obtained in a matter of days and sent directly to the applicant’s inbox.
• There are currently three distinct categories of electronic visas for India: the India Tourist e-Visa, the India Medical e-Visa, and the India Business e-Visa. These visas allow foreign nationals to enter India for a certain time and work in a specific field.
• People from some nations can’t apply for a visa to India online and must instead visit an embassy in their own country to do so.
• For those who need a visa or permission for employment, study, or a longer stay in India than is allowed with an e-Visa, the Indian embassy can help.
• Indian law exempts citizens of a small number of countries from obtaining a visa to enter the country, and allows them to remain there indefinitely. Also, they can work and live in India without a visa or any other paperwork.
• Visitors from the Maldives do not need a visa to enter India for a stay of up to 90 days.
• Below you’ll find a comprehensive list, based on Indian visa policy, of the rules that visitors of various nations must follow when visiting India.

Visa requirements for tourists travelling to India

• Except for a handful of visa-exempt nationalities, all foreign nationals visiting India on a tourist visa are required to get a tourist visa in India before entering the country.
• India offers visitors two options for obtaining tourist visas: an electronic visa and a consular visa.
• The India e-Visa can be applied for online by citizens of nearly all countries. Depending on the reason for your trip to India, you may need to apply for a specific form of electronic visa before you leave home. The e-Visa for tourists to India is one such option. The bearer can stay in the country for a maximum of 90 days straight for tourist purposes.
• Tourist visas for India are not readily available online for citizens of roughly 70 countries. These individuals must instead visit an Indian embassy or consulate abroad to apply.
• Tourist visas for stays in India longer than 90 days are required from the Indian embassy for all non-Indian nationalities.
• Only citizens of a few countries can visit India as tourists without first obtaining a visa, and even then, their stay is limited to 90 days (for longer stays, an embassy visa is required).
• Foreign nationals applying for a tourist visa to India must submit relevant documentation and fulfil all eligibility criteria.
• Below you’ll find more specific information for tourists of each ethnicity.

Electronic visa for entry into India

• You can get your India e-Visa by filling out an online application form.
• To far, the India e-Visa has been made available to citizens of roughly 170 different countries.
• E-Visas to India can be obtained for a variety of reasons, including tourism, business, and medical care. Conditions for each electronic visa are unique.
• Foreign nationals holding an India Tourist e-Visa are allowed multiple entries into the country and a maximum stay of 90 days per visit. It’s good for an entire calendar year (365 days) from the date of issuance.
• Those who are in possession of an India Business e-Visa are only allowed to stay in the nation for a maximum of 180 days. Like the Tourist e-Visa, the Business e-Visa for India is valid for a full year from the date of approval and allows for multiple entry into the country.
• A foreign national may enter India up to three times within a 120-day period using the India Medical e-Visa for the purpose of receiving medical treatment. Subsequent entries are required to be made within 60 days of the initial entry.
• With a Medical e-Visa, visitors can stay in India for up to 60 days.
• Accompanying family or friends can apply for their own India Medical e-Visas online, with a maximum of two (these must be adults; children may only travel with a Medical e-Visa if they are the patient).
• To see if your country is on the list of those that can apply for an eVisa to India, scroll down.

E-Visa for India: List of Acceptable Countries:

India requires visitors to obtain visas from either the embassy or the consulate:

• If you are a citizen of one of about 70 countries, you will need to visit an Indian embassy in your home country to apply for a consular visa before you can enter India.
• A valid embassy visa is required for all visitors of certain nationalities to India, regardless of the purpose of their visit (tourist, business, medical care, etc.) or the length of their stay (even if brief).
• If you are planning to relocate to India or stay in the country for more than 90 days in a row, you will need to secure the appropriate long-term visa and/or permissions from an embassy (over 180 days for business visitors).
• An India Residence Permit is required for foreign nationals to legally reside in India.
• According to Indian immigration regulations, the foreign national would need an Employment Visa for India if they plan to work in the country.
• If you want to enrol in a college or other school in India, you’ll need a student visa.
• A foreign national applying for any type of visa from the Indian embassy must appear in person with a completed application form, as well as supporting evidence, including a valid passport.
• To learn which countries need a consular visa to enter India, read on.

India’s Visa Requirements for Visitors from the Following Countries with an Embassy or Consulate Abroad

Entry to India Doesn’t Require a Visa

• The inhabitants of a select number of countries are exempt from India’s visa policy and are able to visit the country without a visa.
• The India-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship from 1950 and the India-Bhutan Treaty from 1949 guarantee citizens of these two countries, which share a border with India, the right to travel freely within either country.
• Visitors from Bhutan and Nepal do not need a visa or passport to enter India unless they are coming from mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, the Maldives, or Pakistan.
• Visitors from these countries are permitted to live and work in India indefinitely. Visitors from India are also welcome in Nepal and Bhutan.
• It is possible for citizens of the Maldives to enter India visa-free for up to 90 days (except if they arrive from mainland China). Nonetheless, Maldivians need a visa to stay in India for more than 60 days or to work there permanently.
• Please refer to the list of visa-exempt nations below for more details about travelling to India.

List of Countries That Do Not Require a Visa to Visit India