INDIA VISA REQUIREMENTS
India visa requirements
Navigating the visa requirements for India is a crucial step for anyone planning to visit this diverse and culturally rich country. Whether you’re a tourist, a business traveler, or on a spiritual pilgrimage, understanding the India Visa requirements is essential. This is an overview of the various types of visas available, the application process, and important considerations to ensure the entry into India.
Indian authorities will require you to apply for Indian visa to be able to enter the country, no matter the person’s age or gender. Now, you have available the India visa, an online visa for India. With this method, the application process is easier and faster than ever since you will carry out the whole process online. You won’t have to go to an Embassy or Consulate.
If you have any doubts about the Indian visa requirements, we have an article with information about visa requirements for India and all necessary documents to enter the country.
India tourist visa
- Scanned passport data page displaying the photograph and details.
- For short-term courses: a copy of the letter from the respective institute/organization/hospital, etc., on official letterhead.
- For short-term voluntary work: a copy of the letter from the concerned organization on their official letterhead.
India business visa:
- Scanned passport data page displaying the photograph and details.
- Copy of the business card.
- Any invitation letter, if applicable, from Indian parties wishing to engage in business with you.
- For sports-related activities:
- Copy of the passport page containing personal information.
- Approval from the Government of India in the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (Department of Sports).
- Invitation letter for foreign sports teams and athletes to visit India from the corresponding sports federation/association in India.
- If the applicant participated in any commercial sports event during their previous visit to India, documents related to tax compliance for that visit must also be submitted.
- If the sports event involves a visit to restricted or protected areas in India, the following additional documents must be submitted:
- Authorization for hosting the event from the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Government of India.
- Political clearance for hosting the event from the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India.
- Required authorization from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
The Indian visa photo requirements are:
1. Image Format: JPEG
2. Size: Minimum 10KB / Maximum 1MB
3. Height and width of the photo must be equal.
4. The photo should display the full face, front view, with eyes open, and without glasses.
5. Center the head within the frame and present the full head from the top of the hair to the bottom of the chin.
6. The background should be light or white in color.
7. No shadows on the face or in the background.
8. Scanned passport data page displaying the photograph and details:
- Format: PDF
- Size: Minimum 10KB, Maximum 300KB
9. Other document for business/medical purposes
- Format: PDF
- Size: Minimum 10KB, Maximum 300KB
10. Do not crop the passport image to use it as your recent photo
Applications for diplomatic and official visas are accepted directly at the Embassy and Consulates of India. Once you have received your visa, please carefully check to ensure that the visa type and number of entries are appropriate for your travel plans. The documents for these visas are:
- Printed online visa application.
- Official Note
- 2 Photographs of size 50 mm X 50 mm (2 sq inches)
- Passport of the Applicant, valid for at least 180 days and having a minimum of two blank pages.
Additional information about the India visa requirements:
You can apply for an e-visa India if:
- You visit India for tourism
- You visit friends and family
- You undertake a short-term yoga program, short-term courses on local languages, music, dance, arts and crafts, cooking, medicine, etc. These should not be formal or structured courses (courses not exceeding 6 months in duration and not issued with a qualifying certificate/diploma, etc.).
- You want to do short-term voluntary work (for a maximum period of one month, without any monetary payment or compensation involved).
- You undergo medical treatment, including treatment under Indian medical systems or acting as an e-Medical visa holder’s assistant.
- You attend a conference/seminar/workshop organized by a Ministry or Department of the Government of India, state governments or UT administrations, etc. and their subordinate/affiliated organizations, and private conferences organized by individuals/companies/private organizations.
Layovers in India:
- You might need a transit visa for India if you are stopping in India on your trip to another country. It can be mandatory depending on the duration of the layover and the traveler’s nationality.
Validity and allowed length of stay of an India visa:
- Your visa can last for up to 5 years. There are visas that have 30-days of validity, 1 year of validity, and 5 years of validity.
- If you don’t travel within that time frame, you must apply for a new visa or an extension of your current one.
- The length of stay depends on the type of visa. The 30-day visa allows you to stay for up to 30 days, the 1 year tourist visa allows you to stay in India for up to 90 days each time you enter India and the 5 year tourist visa allows stays for up to 90 days each time you enter India.
Key clues to remember of the visa application:
- Your passport must have at least six months of validity at the time of applying for the e-Visa.
- International travelers must have a return or onward ticket, with sufficient funds to cover their expenses during their stay in India.
- International travelers holding Pakistani passports or of Pakistani origin may apply for a regular visa at the Indian mission.
- The evisa to India it is not available for: holders of diplomatic/official passports or Laissez-passer travel documents, individuals endorsed on their parent’s/spouse’s passport and holders of international travel documents other than passports.
Countries eligible to apply for India Visa
All European Union citizens
Afghanistan
Albania
Andorra
Angola
Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Australia
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Barbados
Belarus
Belize
Benin
Bolivia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Brunei
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Cape Verde
Chile
Colombia
Comoros
Costa Rica
Cuba
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
East Timor
Ecuador
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Eswatini
Fiji
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Ghana
Gibraltar
Grenada
Guatemala
Guinea
Guernsey
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Iceland
Indonesia
Israel
Isle of Man
Ivory Coast
Jamaica
Japan
Jersey
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kiribati
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Lesotho
Liberia
Liechtenstein
Madagascar
Mauritius
Mexico
Micronesia
Moldova
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nauru
New Zealand
Cook Islands
Niue
Nicaragua
Niger
North Macedonia
Norway
Oman
Palau
Palestine
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Russia
Rwanda
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent & Grenadines
Malawi
Malaysia
Mali
Marshall Islands
Samoa
San Marino
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Solomon Islands
South Africa
South Korea
Sri Lanka
Suriname
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Togo
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tuvalu
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
Anguilla
Cayman Islands
Montserrat
Turks and Caicos Islands
United States
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vatican City
Venezuela
Vietnam
All European Union countries, Afghanistan, Albania, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, Colombia, Comoros, Costa Rica, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Iceland, Indonesia, Israel, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, the Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, New Zealand, Cook Islands, Niue, Nicaragua, Niger, North Macedonia, Norway, Oman, Palau, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, the Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Anguilla, the Cayman Islands, Montserrat, the Turks and Caicos Islands, the United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vatican City, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Can I go to India without a visa?
The short answer is no. Most foreign travellers need a India e visa, it is one of the India entry requirements. Only those from Bhutan and Nepal can enter India without a passport or visa unless they arrive from mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, the Maldives or Pakistan. Visitors from the Maldives may enter India visa-free for a maximum of 90 days (except if they arrive from mainland China).