India has a diverse culture, language, religion, festivals and traditions. It is a country that offers a lot for tourists – be it the sacred temples or romantic vacations.
Many people coming to India for the first time may find it challenging to confirm India Visa validity. Before travelling to India, you must know the visa validity period or length. India visa validity is usually granted for one to six months, depending on the type of visa. However, some travellers may have to show additional proof of return travel and sufficient funds while applying.
Read on to know more about the India visa validity.
What Is The India Visa?
The Indian visa or e-visa is an electronic document that you can apply for on a website and receive in your email. It is a mandatory requirement for all visitors to India, including UK, EU, and Israel nationals.
You can apply for an Indian visa online via https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html. You can also fill in the application form online and print it out. Later on, gather the necessary documents and submit them to the concerned Indian Mission in your state.
When applying, you will need to submit your scanned passport copy and a recent photo during the application process. Depending on the type of visa a traveller wants, you may have to submit additional documents.
The India e-visa is mandatory for travellers to arrive by ship or boat at the ports of;
- Cochin
- Mumbai
- Chennai
- New Mangalore
- Goa
The India visa is also mandatory when arriving through these 28 selected airports. Ensure that you confirm your point of entry in advance to avoid inconveniences.
When it’s time to depart from India, use any exit point with an Immigration Check Post, this includes the valid entry points, i.e. seaports and international airports. Otherwise, you can exit India’s borders through Nepal at Raxaul, Jogbani and Banbasa. You can also use Gauriphanta, Rani Gunj, Rupaidiha and Sonouli.
Types of Indian E-Visas
There are three main types of Indian visas issued by the Indian government. They include;
-
E-Tourist Visa
The e-tourist visa is an online travel authorisation to India for tourism reasons. With a valid e-tourist visa, a traveller can have yoga retreats, visit tourist attractions and meet family and friends.
-
E-Business Visa
A foreigner travelling to India can apply for an e-business visa for business purposes. While in India, a foreign traveller can;
- Attend business meetings
- Startup a business venture
- Buy or sell or trade-in goods and services
- Conduct business tours
- Conduct human resources recruitments
- Take part in business exhibitions or trade fairs
- Participate in an ongoing business project
- Give a lecture under Global Initiative for Academic Networks (GIAN)
-
E-Medical Visa
The Indian e-medical visa is a digital travel authorisation that permits foreigners to seek medical treatment.
The e-medical visa is not available for family members but the patient only. However, the Indian government allows two blood relatives of a medical visa holder to apply for a medical attendant visa.
Requirements for India Visa Application
The general requirements for an India visa are;
- A scanned copy of your passport, including underage children. The passport must state that you are from a state eligible for visa application.
- A valid passport, valid for a minimum of six months
- Two empty passport pages
- A recent coloured passport photo
- Have a return ticket or a transit ticket to a second destination
- Proof of sufficient funds to sustain you during your stay period in India
How Long Should I Wait For My India Visa To Process?
India visa application takes an average of one week for regular processing applications.
However, urgent applications take about three working days to process.
Urgent applications save you many working days of waiting compared to regular applications. Such applications are available only for e-tourist, e-medical and e-business visas.
How Long Does The India Visa Last?
From the beginning of 2019, the issued e-business and e-tourist visas have one-year validity.
Within this one year, both visas guarantee you an unlimited number of visits to India.
However, the one-year validity does not mean that you can live in India for one successive year. The entire one-year validity period differs from the maximum length of every stay in the country.
The length of stay period in India will depend on the type of visa. Read on about the validity period and maximum length of stay of the visa type you chose.
The Indian Tourist Visa Validity
A tourist can use one visa to enter India unlimited times within one year.
An e-tourist visa allows at most 180 days stay period if you hold a UK, Canada, USA, or a Japanese passport. For instance, you can visit India thrice, each staying period being 180 days. Citizens of other nationalities have a guaranteed 90 consecutive day’s stay period.
Remember to use a tourist visa for holidaying. If you want to do business, apply for a business visa. Do not mix business with a holiday.
With a business visa, you can engage in tourist activities.
Note;
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, all granted visas have a validity of 120 days. You can use the pass for only one trip, which lasts a maximum of 30 days to stay in India.
The Indian Business Visa Validity
An India business visa is valid for one year, with unlimited trips into the country.
The business visa allows a foreigner to stay for 180 consecutive days. But, all the days for each trip on a single business visa summed up must not exceed 180 days. At the FRRO, you can seek your visa validity extension.
The Indian Medical Visa Validity
An Indian electronic medical visa has a validity of sixty days from the day you arrive in India.
The first date you arrive should not be different, with more than thirty days from the date you filled when applying for the visa.
You can travel to India twice within the sixty days validity. Also, keep in mind that the date you plan to depart must be within sixty days of arriving in India.
Can I Change My Travel Plans To A Later Date?
Yes, it is possible to change your travel dates. But, your departure date falls within the validity period of the visa. Informing the Immigration of your change of travel dates is not necessary.
Your entry point in India can also change, but only in the approved seaports and airports.
Extra Tips
- Ensure that your itinerary complies with the validity periods to travel with ease.
- If you plan to travel, fill in a self-declaration form on https://www.newdelhiairport.in/ in advance. Also, give accurate information about your travel details for the last two weeks. On the same portal, upload negative PCR test results done three days before departure.
- All arriving passengers need to download the Aarogya Setu app on their phones. The app records the details of the people you come in contact with as you run your errands.
- To curb the spread of the new Covid-19 omicron variant, India imposed a mandatory quarantine as of 30 November 2021. On arrival, passengers from high-risk countries must take a PCR test. If the results are negative, you must isolate for a week and re-test. When the results turn negative again, you’ll be free to start running your errands. If your results are positive, you must quarantine in a government-approved facility. This rule applies to all travellers from the UK and European countries on the ‘Category A list.’
- The Indian online visa application is unavailable for United Kingdom nationals. Instead, UK nationals will have to use the former process of paper visas. Apply for your paper visa at the Visa Facilitation Services (VFS) Global.