How to Get a Travel Visa for India

If you plan to travel to India, you have to obtain a valid visa before you enter. There are several different types of visas available to foreigners, so it's important that you choose the appropriate one for your trip. Visas are differentiated by the purpose of your travel and the length of your stay.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Passport valid for at least 6 months
• Two passport photos
• Visa application
• Visa fee

1. Determine what type of visa is appropriate for your trip. You can get tourist visas that are valid for 6 months, 1 year, 5 years or 10 years. Business and student visas are also available for 1 year.

2. Visit the Indian Embassy or one of the Indian Consulates located in Chicago, San Francisco, New York or Houston to apply for your visa in person. This usually can be done in the same day. Alternatively, you can apply through the mail, but it takes longer.

3. Provide your trip information, passport number, photographs, visa fee and completed application for your visa. Check that you sent everything you need if you are applying through the mail, or your visa could be delayed.

4. Wait for your visa to arrive. If you sent your application materials through the mail, it could take several weeks for your visa to be sent back to you. Plan to apply early enough to allow for mailing delays.

5. Show your visa along with your passport and disembarkation card when you arrive in India. Check that your passport has been stamped correctly before you leave immigration so there are no problems during your stay.

6. Get registered at a foreigner's registration office in one of India's main cities within 14 days if you are traveling on a visa that's valid for more than 180 days.

Tips & Warnings

• Photocopy your Indian visa and the bio-data page from your passport and store them in a safe place other than with your passport. If you happen to lose these documents while you are in India, this can help when it comes time to leave the country.
• Get a missionary visa if your main reason for going to India is to take part in religious rites and activities. A tourist visa is inappropriate for this type of travel.
• When applying for a visa in person, go in the morning so you can pick up your finished passport in the afternoon.
• You cannot obtain a visa when you arrive in India. You must get one before you travel. Not having a valid visa will get you deported immediately at your expense.
• If you stay in India longer than your visa allows, you may find it difficult to leave. At the very least, you may be required to get your exit approved by immigration officials, and you may have to pay a fine or face a temporary jail sentence until you can be deported.