If you are planning to explore India, it is important to understand the visa procedures. Like any other country, Joint Travel Regulations apply to Indians traveling abroad. Therefore, you need to take care of all your travel documents before you embark on your journey.
The visa procedure is nearly same for everyone; whether it’s a business person or tourist.If you are living in the USA and plan to travel to India for the first time, then you should definitely look for the best travel agent in India.The Travel Agent will help you in getting a tourist visa application form which is necessary first step to get your visa.
The Tourist Visa is a permit that allows you to enter and stay in India temporarily. It is valid for a period of 30 days, after which you can apply to extend it for another 30 days. You will need to obtain an extension if you wish to stay longer than the first 30 days.
In order to get your visa, you must have a passport that is valid for at least six months from the date of entry into India. You’ll also need a completed application form and two passport-sized photos (one photo must be signed by a witness). You’ll need more documentation if you’re applying for multiple-entry visas or if you’re over 65.
If possible, make sure that your passport has at least two blank pages before applying for the visa so that any additional copies can be made without having to get a new one from your country’s embassy or consulate office in India.
The Tourist Visa must be obtained prior to entering India; once inside its borders, it will not be granted unless specifically requested by authorities at immigration checkpoints at all airports and train stations in India’s national capital territory (NCT).
Requirements for the Indian visa
Are you travelling to India for a holiday or business trip? Then you must abide by the rules and requirements imposed by the immigration authorities on the use of a tourist or business visa. For most travellers, this will not be a problem. However, it is important to check whether you also meet the following requirements:
- Your passport must be valid for at least six more months on arrival in India, and contain two empty pages
- You must follow the coronavirus rules in India, check them again before travelling
- You must have already booked a return or transit ticket before the trip to India
- You must prove that you have sufficient financial means to pay for the entire trip
- Were you in a country with yellow fever in the six days before your arrival? Then you must be vaccinated against that.
- Arriving by plane is only allowed at the airports of: Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bagdogra, Bengaluru, Bhubaneshwar, Calicut, Chennai, Chandigarh, Cochin, Coimbatore, Delhi, Gaya, Goa, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Madurai, Mangalore, Mumbai, Nagpur, Port Blair, Pune, Tiruchirapalli, Trivandrum, Varanasi and Vishakhapatnam.
- Arriving by boat or cruise ship is only allowed at the ports of: Cochin, Goa, Mangalore, Chennai, and Mumbai
- You may also leave India at other locations, for a full list see the visa requirements page
- You cannot visit certain protected regions in the north-eastern point of India, to the north and east of Bangladesh. These are Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim. Do you want to travel to these areas? Then you need a special permit.
Online Indian visa application
Submitting an Indian visa application is easily done with the online application form. Filling in the online form usually takes no more than fifteen minutes. After filling it in, you pay the visa fee of £39.95 per person. This can be paid for safely and reliably through Visa, MasterCard, American Express or PayPal. Finally, you must provide a photograph and a passport scan for all travellers in the Indian visa application. These documents can be easily uploaded online, almost all file formats are accepted.
Your visa application is manually checked for errors. First, a visa specialist will check the filled in form for commonly made mistakes. Next, it is checked whether the documents you provided meet the requirements, and match the details filled in on the application form. Do we find an error? Then you are cotacted right away, so that the application can be corrected and processed in time. Is everything correct? Then your visa application is sent to the Indian immigration service for processing.
Your Indian visa is on average granted in a week, urgent cases usually within 24 hours. This is counted from the moment you submit all documents in good order. Are you in urgent need of an Indian visa? Then you can check the option “urgent delivery” in the application form. Urgent applications are checked faster for errors, even outside office hours. A surcharge of £17.50 per visa applies. Urgent applications are also dependant on how busy it is at the immigration service. On average, urgent applications are approved in 24 hours.
Receive the e-visa by e-mail, print it and take it with you on your trip. Keep it in your hand luggage, so that you can show it during your trip. You can view an example e-visa here. Do you still have questions? Please check the frequently asked questions about the Indian e-visa.
How do I apply for an Indian tourist visa?
As of now, all foreign nationals intending to visit India may visit on any visa since most tourist visas have been re-instated. You can follow the below steps to obtain an e-tourist visa:
Applying online
You can fill and submit visa application form securely here. This application form is meant for those foreigners who are applying for a visa from outside India.
- Each online application form is meant for one person only. Separate application has to be filed for each applicant.
- Furnish information exactly in the manner asked for in the forms, especially the names, address and date of birth.
- Applicants are required to verify the application details before submitting the online application. They can save the online application form in case it is not to be submitted.
- Once the applicant submits the online application form, further modifications are not allowed. Hence applicants are requested to check and validate the details before submitting the online application form.
- Applicants should keep the Application Id (generated automatically after submitting the online form) for further communications.
Photo requirements
The Online India Visa Application requires the Applicant to upload a digital photograph of self and a copy of the passport page to complete the regular visa application.
The digital photograph to be uploaded along with the Visa application should meet the following requirements:
- Format JPEG
- Size
- Minimum 10 KB
- Maximum 300 KB
- The height and width of the photo must be equal, without borders.
- Photo should present full face, front view, eyes open.
- Center head within frame and present full head from the top of hair to bottom of the chin.
- The background should be plain light coloured or white.
- No shadows on the face or the background.
Setting appointment and payment
Upon successful completion of the application form, the system will automatically ask you for the following confirmation:
- Select ‘Yes’ if you want to seek an appointment and make payment online or
- ‘No’ if you just want to print the submitted application form.
If your response is ‘No’, you should take the printout of the submitted online application form here and approach the concerned Indian Mission for submission of the online form along with supporting documents.
If your response is ‘Yes’, the system automatically takes the link to perform the following:
- Selection of Date and Time of appointment at the concerned Indian Mission
- Calculation of Visa fee, service charge, VAT
Submit your application with required documents at Indian Visa Application Center or Indian Mission after setting an appointment online. Each applicant must schedule a separate appointment with the Indian Mission.
Checking for visa status and receiving your visa
You can check your visa status here. You can collect your visa from the Indian Mission/Visa Application Center or by post.
Types of tourist visa available
One month Tourist Visa
- Duration: One Month (30 Days).
- Entries: Double Entry, non-extendable and non-convertible
One year Tourist Visa
- Duration: One year (365 Days) from the date of grant of Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA).
- Entries: Multiple
Five years Tourist Visa
- Duration: Five years from the date of grant of ETA.
- Entries: Multiple
Stay duration:
- Continuous stay during each visit shall not exceed 90 days for countries except the USA, UK, Canada and Japan.
- For the USA, UK, Canada and Japan, continuous stay during each visit shall not exceed 180 days.
How much is the cost for India tourist visa?
The fee for India tourist visa varies depending on your nationality and type of tourist visa. Based on some sources, it can range from $25 to $75.
Conclusion
An Indian tourist visa sticker is essential for foreign nationals who wish to travel to India and spend time in the country. To apply for this visa, most people will require an Indian visa application form. There are also other documents that an applicant must provide for a tourist visa.