How to Get India Tourist Visa – A Complete Guide
Are you visiting India for a vacation? You would need an Indian Visa to enter and explore the country. There are numerous types of visas introduced by Indian government for the welfare of different types of tourists. When it comes to Visa, there are numerous questions and confusions among tourists of different nations.
This guide will talk in detail about Indian tourism visa.
Who needs Indian Visa?
Not everyone out of India would need a visa to visit the country. Tourists from Bhutan and Nepal do not need a visa to enter India. Maldives citizens can enter India without passport and stay for 90 days. However, if they were visiting from Mainland China, they would need proper visa.
If you are staying in India for less than 72 hours, you need a transit visa. Transit visa can be applied with a confirmed airline ticket for leaving India, within the time. If you do not have a confirmed ticket, you would be requested to take an Indian tourist visa.
What kind of visa do you need to explore India?
There are numerous types of visa applications like student visa, employment visa, intern visa, journalist visa and so on. If you are looking for tourism visits, choose tourist visa. This tourist visa can be taken for different time, starting from 60 days to 10 years. No matter how long your tourist visa runs, you cannot stay for more than 90 days in India, continuously. There should be at least two months gap between two visits on a tourist visa, even if you are visiting two different regions of India.
How long can I extend my Indian tourist visa?
As said before, tourist visa are available from 60 days to six months for all country citizens. Some country’s citizens are allowed even ten years visa, like US citizens. Citizens of certain countries like France, Netherland, Spain, Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, Germany, Luxembourg, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Chile, Brazil, Vietnam, Mexico, Argentina and others are offered five-year visas. Beyond this, tourist visa cannot be extended or converted into other types of visas.
Documents required for Indian tourist visa
a) Original passport (should have at least six months validity and at least two blank pages)
b) One passport size photo
c) Tour details
d) Copies of flight ticket (for certain countries)
e) Proof of residential options (this can include proof of own residence or relatives or hotel booking details)
Can I scale entire India with tourist visa?
Unfortunately, the answer is no. Even if you hold a valid Indian tourist visa and your passport, you are not allowed to visit certain secluded locations like specific regions of Arunachal Pradesh, Northern part of Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand regions, border areas of Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir military area and others. Only trekking groups are allowed to visit certain locations, only with PAP. PAP starts for Protected Area Permit.
How to Apply for PAP in India?
You can apply for the permit through Indian missions in your respective countries. Each region has its own restrictions and fee for providing PAP. Usually, tourists are allowed only in a group of at least four people. For applying PAP, you need to travel with a travel agent registered with the government. Normally, PAP is provided for 10 days and can be extended for 7 days.
If you are a citizen of China, Pakistan, Bangladesh or Myanmar, you can apply for PAP, only if you have an approval from Ministry of Home Affairs. People of Indian origin, holding a foreign passport also need to apply for PAP.
What is e-Visa of India?
In many countries, e-Visa is replacing conventional form of Visa. You can easily apply for ‘Electronic Travel Authorization’ through online site. You will receive an approval mail or you would have a PDF with required details. Take a copy of it and you can get visa stamping after entry, at the Indian airport. This stamping is valid for 60 days and approved for three entries. If you are visiting Indian on a cruise ship, you can still get e-visa. Cost of e-visa is $102.50 (It can vary from time to time and from country to country)
Eligibility for e-visa of India
a) Issued only for tourists visiting India for tourism, medical treatment, short-term business visit and for family visits.
b) Passport should have at least six months validity and two blank pages.
c) You should have copies of your return ticket, in coherent with the duration, you have mentioned in the form.
d) Children and infants should have separate e-visa
Documents needed for e-visa
a) Passport scan copy (first and last page)
b) Passport size photo
Documents to be submitted upon arrival in India
a) Printed copy of e-visa
b) Passport with passport size photo
c) Medical insurance cover for the duration of the stay.
Can I get on-arrival Indian visa?
You can get visa stamping after visiting India, if you are a citizen of certain countries. All you need is your flight tickets, passport, photo and any special documents. Those who plan to choose Visa on Arrival, should apply on-line, at least four days in advance to the travel date. After uploading required documents, fee has to be paid (non-refundable). Upon arrival at India, biometric details of the passport holder will be captured and visa will be approved.
Visa on Arrival (VOA) is provided only at Bengaluru, Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Chennai international airports. VOA can be provided only for 30 days (for S. Korea citizens, VOA is provided for 60 days).
The Government of India has introduced this Scheme for the nationals of eleven countries, namely, Japan, Singapore, Philippines, Finland, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar and Indonesia.
Rejection of Indian tourist visa
An immigration authority can reject your visa application for the following reasons.
a)Any information missing/ illegible/ found to be wrong
b) Any of the documents missing
c) Validity or number of blank pages of passport lower than required
For more informations about how to apply contact Agnes
