Hey, Traveling to India? As a US Citizen you can Go there for 5 years without leaving. How? It’s simple — Just apply for an Indian Visa. Now this is easier said than done, because it involves a lot of paperwork and interaction with your lawyer that you don’t know. But I am here to guide you through the entire process and find you the best lawyer to help you get your visa the fastest possible way. American Citizens can now rejoice thanks to the new visa agreement between the U.S. and India that was signed on January 2, 2017! The new visa agreement allows U.S. citizens to stay in India for a period of 5 years or with multiple entries for a period of one year after an initial stay duration of 30 days. As of now, US Citizens are being provided with a 3-month Non-Immigrant Visa (NIV) however; this will soon be changed once more guidelines are shared .
In a move that would benefit thousands of Indian and American citizens, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is considering granting five-year multiple entry business visa to US citizens. International business visitors to India currently have to renew their visas every year. If approved, the new visa will not be extended and will have to be renewed before five years.
5 Year e-Tourist Visa
Foreign nationals keen to visit India for sightseeing or recreation, casual visits to meet friends and family or short term Yoga programme are eligible to apply for a 5 year India e-Tourist Visa.
Indian Immigration Authority has overhauled their e-Tourist Visa policies from September 2019. In order to realise the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of doubling the number of tourists coming to India, both domestic and foreign in 5 years, tourism minister Prahlad Singh Patel announced a spate of changes to Indian Online Visa. The minister stressed that we need to change the perception of foreign tourists coming to India and work together for that.
So with effect from September 2019, a long-term 5 year Indian Tourist Visa (India e-Visa) is now available to foreign tourists who desire to visit India multiple times in a span of 5 years.
An e-Tourist Visa is now available in following categories:
e-Tourist Visa 30 days: Double entry visa valid for 30 days from date of entry in India.
e-Tourist Visa for 1 Year (or 365 days): Multiple entry visa valid for 365 days from date of grant of e-Visa.
e-Tourist Visa for 5 Years (or 60 months): Multiple entry visa valid for valid for 5 years from date of grant of e-Visa.
All visas mentioned above are non-extendable and non-convertible. If you have applied and paid for a 1 year Tourist Visa, then you cannot convert or upgrade that to a 5 year Visa.
5 Year e-Tourist Visa Stay Notice
- Continuous stay during each visit shall not exceed 90 days for any nationality, except citizens of USA, UK, Canada and Japan.
- For passport holders of United States, UK, Canada and Japan the continuous stay during each entry shall not exceed 180 days.
5 year e-Tourist Visa is usually issued with 96 hours. However it is advisable to apply 7 days in advance of your flight.
What can 5 Year e-Tourist Visa be used for?
India e-tourist visa is granted to those who intend to travel to India for 1 or more of following reasons:
- Trip is for recreation or sightseeing
- Trip is for visiting friends, family or relatives
- Trip is to attend short term yoga programme
Read more about Tourist e-Visa for India
What are essential requirements to obtain 5 year e-Tourist Visa?
The essential requirements for 5 year India e-Tourist Visa are:
- A passport that is valid for at least 6 months from the date of first arrival in India.
- An Email ID.
- A valid method for payment like a debit card / credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Amex etc), UnionPay or a Paypal Account