India has so much to offer the foreign visitor. Whether you’re embarking on a spiritual journey, a scenic tour, you want to climb a mountain or spend time in an ashram, India is the answer. Depending on the reason for visiting and the duration of the stay, there are a few bits of information that might be helpful before you apply for an Indian tourist visa.
For the most part, an Indian visa is issued giving permission to stay in India for six months. It is, however, possible to get a visa granted for a year, five years, or even ten years. It is at the discretion of the Consulate General how long the visa is granted for. Remaining in India after the visa expires would result in serious consequences, and it is best not to invoke those sorts of problems.
The application for Indian tourist visa requires the applicant to hold the necessary travel documents, which may vary depending on the country of origin. A valid passport, which must be signed, and valid for 6 months after the date of arrival in India is compulsory. The passport must have at the very least two blank passport pages for Immigration Officials to stamp on arrival and departure. Foreign nationals holding Tourist, Business or Medical Visas are permitted to remain in India for up to 180 days at a time. Application for Indian tourist visa must be made between 4 and 240 days before the expected date of arrival in India, with a window of either 90 days or 180 days, depending on nationality.
The Government of India issues many types of travel visas, and applicants should be aware of the type of visa required, depending on the reason for visiting India.
The Indian Government’s visa procedure requires foreign nationals visiting the country for longer than 90-180 days or for purposes other than short-stay tourism, business or medical visits to apply for a regular visa. Applicants may apply for an Indian tourist visa through an Indian Consulate or Visa Application Center (VAC). Most countries utilize a VAC since the visa application processing, and submission is outsourced. Applications for regular visas begin with the same online application procedure. The successful online application is followed by receipt of an automatically generated application ID to be used for further communication with the VAC. An appointment for an interview is scheduled with the Indian. Certain supporting documents must be produced before or at the time of the interview. A visa may take at least 3 business days to process. A regular visa is inserted into the applicant’s passport while an e-Visa is sent via email.
Nationals of most countries are eligible for the electronic e-Visa for short stays of up to 90-180 days. Applicants using the online facility need not consult an Indian Consulate or VAC. The e-Visa is electronic and doesn’t appear in the passport whatsoever. The emailed authorization must be printed out and carried on the applicant for the duration of the stay in India. Holders of the e-Visa issued online can enter India by air or sea through certain nominated airports and seaports only. The biometrics of the visa holder is checked by an Immigration Official on the applicant’s arrival in India.
The online procedure is the same for every e-Visa, and Indian Visa Online can assist in the simple 3-step process:
- Step 1: Apply for indian tourist visaa online
- Step 2: Submit Payment (all major credit and debit cards and PayPal payments are accepted)
- Step 3: Visa is issued via email in PDF format.
One – Two- Three – Bon Voyage!