In this article, the information needed to obtain an India visa and the types of permits available is presented. At present, India is the most populous country in the world after surpassing China in April 2023 with more than 1,425 million inhabitants, according to UN estimates.
Beyond demographic relevance, the country stands out for hosting the Taj Mahal in Agra, one of the seven wonders of the world and a jewel of world heritage, consolidating status as one of the most important tourist destinations globally.
Do I need a visa to travel to India?
A visa is a mandatory requirement for entry into the country, with the exception of citizens of Bhutan, Nepal, or the Maldives, who benefit from exemptions under specific conditions. All other nationalities must obtain an entry permit, with the eVisa (electronic visa) being the fastest and most common method.
The most frequently requested options for short- and medium-duration trips are:
- 30-day e-Tourist Visa: ideal for short stays, allowing two entries into the country.
- 1- and 5-year e-Tourist Visa: long-duration permits authorizing multiple entries for tourism activities.
Eligibility and specific requirements by nationality may be checked through online inquiry forms before the process is initiated.
Types of visas
Depending on the purpose of the trip and the planned length of stay, one of the following eVisa categories must be selected. It is important to note that since late 2025, the timeframe for applying for these visas has been extended, allowing the process to be completed up to 120 days before the date of arrival:
e-Tourist visa
This is the most common option for leisure travel, family visits, or recreational activities. It is divided into three modalities:
- 30-day e-Tourist: double entry is permitted; it is neither extendable nor convertible.
- 1-year e-Tourist: valid for 365 days from the granting of the ETA, with multiple entries. It is also required for short-duration yoga courses.
- 5-year e-Tourist: valid for five years with multiple entries.
For these visas, a stay limit applies, and each visit may not exceed 90 consecutive days. However, nationals of the U.S., the United Kingdom, Canada, and Japan are permitted to extend the continuous stay up to 180 days.
E-Business visa
This visa is intended for business purposes and has a validity of one year with multiple entries. The maximum continuous stay is 180 days. If exceeding this period is anticipated, registration with the FRRO (Foreigners Regional Registration Office) is mandatory. Valid purposes include:
- Establishing businesses or industrial enterprises.
- Buying, selling, or exchanging goods.
- Attending technical meetings, fairs, or exhibitions.
- Recruiting staff or participating as a specialist in projects.
- Giving talks under the GIAN initiative or carrying out sporting activities.
e-Conference visa
This visa is specific to attending conferences organized in India. A maximum duration of 30 days from entry applies, it is single-entry, and an invitation letter from the organizers is required. If the conference is internal to a private company, the business visa must be applied for.
Medical visas (e-Medical)
- e-Medical: for applicants traveling to India to receive medical treatment. It has a validity of 60 days and allows up to three entries.
- e-Medical Attendant: accompanying a patient undergoing treatment is permitted. Its validity is the same as that of the main medical visa. A maximum of two attendants per patient is permitted.
Visas processed through the embassy or consulate
Tourist visa
This visa allows entry into India for a traveler, whether for holidays, visiting family, attending a wedding, etc. In general, the embassy issues a visa valid for up to 6 months. If a different length of stay is desired, it must be specified in the application form.
Business visa
This visa allows entry into the country for business purposes such as:
- Searching for customers to sell products.
- Searching for suppliers, purchasing products, reviewing specifications, checking orders, quality controls, and audits.
- Attending or showcasing products at a trade fair or commercial exhibition.
- Managing human resources or recruiting staff.
- Attending business meetings.
- Providing support and teaching technical procedures to a company in India.
- Participating in an event as an artist.
- Participating in an official business trip related to projects of national importance.
- AIESEC-sponsored students undertaking internships at a company.
This list is for informational purposes, is not exhaustive, and may vary. Foreign nationals who wish to work in India and live there as expatriates must apply for a work visa. A business visa with a duration of 3 months, 6 months, or 1 year may be applied for.
Employment visa (Employment Visa)
This visa is the required procedure for foreign nationals who have been hired by an Indian company or institutions based in the country.
It is generally issued for 1 year or for the duration of the contract, with the possibility of extension up to 5 years. If a stay exceeds 180 days, registration with the FRRO (Foreigners Regional Registration Office) or the local FRO is mandatory within the first 14 days after arrival.
Student visa
This visa is designed for applicants seeking to undertake regulated studies at institutions recognized by the Government of India, and it is granted for the duration of the academic program (up to a maximum of 5 years).
Under this visa, degree studies, postgraduate studies, academic exchange programs at universities or Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT), and yoga or Indian culture courses at accredited institutions are permitted.
An official Letter of Admission from the educational institution specifying the course duration, along with proof of financial means to cover the stay, is essential.
Trainee/Internship Visa
This visa is an ideal option for young professionals seeking work experience in the Asian market before or after graduation, and it may be applied for during the degree program or within the year following graduation.
NOTE: The intern visa cannot be converted into an employment visa directly within India; a new application from the country of origin is required at the end of the period.
Entry Visa
This visa is designed for situations involving family or patrimonial ties to the country. It is not a tourist visa, but rather a permit for an extended stay.
It is intended for persons of Indian origin, spouses and children of Indian citizens. It also applies to dependents of holders of employment, business, or research visas.
Journalist visa
This visa is intended for communications professionals traveling to carry out professional work or traveling solely for tourism while being industry professionals. Processing time is usually longer (a minimum of 15–20 days), so the process should be initiated with sufficient advance notice.
Film visa
This visa is specifically for the entertainment industry seeking to film on Indian territory. Prior approval from India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is required, along with a detailed list of the technical team and locations.
Transit visa
This visa is essential if a layover in India involves leaving the airport’s international zone or changing terminals.
It has a validity of 15 days from the date of issue and allows up to 2 entries, but with a maximum stay of 72 hours for each visit.
To obtain it, confirmed flight tickets to a third destination must be provided.
Research visa
This visa is intended for high-level academic profiles. The research topic must be approved by the relevant authorities and may require an invitation letter from the host organization.
Project visa
A highly specific technical visa for strategic sectors. Its purpose is the execution of large-scale contracts or specific engineering projects that require specialized foreign personnel.
Visa transfer
This service is purely administrative and is required in specific situations: when a passport is renewed but the valid visa is in the old passport.
This service allows the visa’s legal validity to be “transferred” to the new document to avoid issues at immigration control.
Diplomatic/official visa
This visa is available only to holders of diplomatic or service/official passports traveling on an official mission or assigned to diplomatic missions in India.
How to get a tourist visa to India
At present, entry into India may be arranged efficiently for most travelers thanks to the electronic visa (eVisa) system. Although this process is carried out entirely digitally, attention to detail is required to avoid errors that may delay travel.
The travel authorization may be processed through the official Government of India website or through a third party such as Visagov.
Processing through the government website requires completing lengthy forms and personally managing the upload of technical documents (such as photos and passports in very specific formats and sizes); by contrast, using Visagov offers many advantages:
- Forms in different languages.
- Personalized assistance 7 days a week.
- Human review of each application to correct any potential issue before submission to the Indian authorities.
However, a distinction should be made between electronic authorizations and more complex visas. For certain special permits or very long-duration visas (such as some residence permits or specific project visas), the procedure changes; in these cases, an in-person visit to the nearest consulate or embassy to the place of residence remains necessary.
Who needs to know how to get a visa for India?
Visa-exempt countries
Only citizens of Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives (the latter for tourist stays of up to 90 days) may enter India without a prior visa.
Diplomatic and official agreements
Bilateral agreements exist that facilitate the movement of officials and government representatives. Holders of diplomatic, official, or service passports from the following countries do not need to obtain a visa for short stays (generally up to 90 days):
- Americas: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay.
- Oceania: Cook Islands, Fiji, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
- Asia and Africa: Indonesia, Myanmar, Mauritius, Seychelles, and South Africa.
Important note: If a traveler is a citizen of one of these countries but travels with an ordinary passport (standard tourist or business), the exemption does not apply and a visa must be obtained through the usual process, preferably via the eVisa system.
What are the requirements to apply for a visa to India?
To obtain any type of visa for India, a series of standard requirements must be met.
General requirements (mandatory for all visas)
- Valid passport: the document must have a minimum validity of 6 months from the planned date of entry into India.
- Recent passport-style photograph: a color image with a plain white background. The expression must be neutral, with eyes open and without accessories that conceal the face (such as sunglasses or headwear, except for religious reasons).
- Email address: this is the channel through which the approved travel authorization will be received.
- A debit or credit card enabled for international transactions to pay the consular fees.
Specific requirements by visa type
In addition to the basic documents, certain categories require additional documentation that justifies the purpose of the stay:
- Business visa (e-Business)
- Business card: a scanned copy of a professional business card.
- Invitation letter: issued by the company or organization in India with which business contact will be maintained, detailing the purpose and duration of the visit.
- Medical visa (e-Medical)
- Hospital letter: a copy of the official letter on the medical center’s letterhead in India.
- Conference visa (e-Conference)
- Official invitation: from the event organizer in India.
- Government authorizations: political clearance from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and security clearance from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) of the Government of India.
At Visagov, files are adjusted to the exact technical parameters, ensuring that the application is processed without system errors.
Can the India visa be changed once it has been processed?
One of the most frequent questions arises when, after visa approval is received, an error is detected or travel plans change. Unfortunately, once an India visa has been processed and issued by the Government, no modification is allowed. The details contained in the document (such as the passport number, name, dates, or visa type) are final for that specific record.
Any error in the information, however small, could be grounds for denial of boarding at the airport or refusal by immigration authorities upon arrival in the country. If an inconsistency is detected in an already approved visa, a new application process must be started from scratch.
As this is a new record, processing costs and government fees must be assumed again, as the Government of India does not issue refunds for applicant errors. To avoid the cost and time involved in repeating the process, the details should be reviewed before final submission.
At Visagov, an additional safety filter is provided. Before an application is submitted to the Indian authorities, the team manually reviews each detail and document. If a discrepancy is detected, it is corrected immediately, ensuring that the final visa is 100% correct and preventing the need for payment twice for the same procedure.
How much does a visa to India cost?
There is no single fee for an India visa. The final cost of the application varies and is determined mainly by three factors: the traveler’s nationality, the visa type requested, and its duration.
For most nationalities, the standard government fees for the tourist visa are structured as follows:
- e-Tourist Visa (30 days): between USD 10 and USD 25.
- e-Tourist Visa (1 year): around USD 40.
- e-Tourist Visa (5 years): approximately USD 80.
- e-Business / e-Medical Visa: generally cost USD 80.
When a visa is processed with Visagov, the final cost includes both the official government fee and the professional processing fees. In return, the traveler receives:
- Expert review: documents and photographs are verified to meet strict standards in order to avoid rejections.
- 24/7 support: technical assistance in the traveler’s language to resolve any issue with payment or the platform.
- Handling of contingencies: if additional information is requested by the government, communication is handled by Visagov.
How far in advance should an India visa be applied for?
To avoid unforeseen issues, applying for a visa at least 15 days before travel is recommended, and it is important to note that applications with fewer than 4 business days of advance notice are not accepted.
Depending on nationality and visa type, the process usually takes between 3 and 8 business days.
What are the entry borders to India?
When traveling with an electronic visa (eVisa), it should be taken into account that entry into the country is permitted only through selected airports and seaports.
Authorized international airports
- Main airports: Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad.
- Tourist and regional destinations: Jaipur, Goa (including Mopa Airport), Cochin, Thiruvananthapuram, Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Lucknow, Varanasi, Gaya, and Trichy.
- Other authorized points: Calicut, Mangalore, Pune, Nagpur, Coimbatore, Bagdogra, Guwahati, Chandigarh, Visakhapatnam, Madurai, Bhubaneswar, Kannur, Indore, and Port Blair.
Seaports
Access with an eVisa is restricted to the country’s 5 most important ports:
Mumbai, Cochin, Mormugao (Goa), Chennai, and New Mangalore.
Do I need a transit visa to travel to India?
A visa will be required only if:
- The layover exceeds 24 hours.
- Leaving the airport is planned, even if only for a few hours.
- Baggage must be collected and checked in again for a different connecting flight (especially with low-cost airlines or separate tickets).
Otherwise, no visa will be required.
