Business Visa

B-1 Visa:

B-1 Visa is granted to a Chinese/Foreign National for the following purposes:

1. Chinese/Foreign National who wish to visit India to establish an industrial/business venture or to explore possibilities to set up industrial/business venture in India.
2. Chinese/Foreign nationals coming to India to purchase/sell industrial products or commercial products or consumer durables.
3. Chinese/Foreign Nationals coming to India for technical meetings/discussions, attending Board meetings, general meetings for providing business services support.
4. Chinese/Foreign Nationals coming to India for recruitment of manpower.
5. Chinese/Foreign Nationals who are partners in the Business and/or functioning as Directors of the company.
6. Chinese/Foreign Nationals coming to India for consultations regarding exhibitions or for participation in exhibitions, trade fairs, business fairs, etc.
7. Chinese/Foreign buyers who come to transact business with suppliers/ potential suppliers at locations in India, to evaluate or monitor quality, give specifications, place orders, negotiate further supplies etc., relating to goods or services procured from India.
8. Chinese /Foreign experts & specialists on a visit of short duration in connection with an ongoing project with the objective of monitoring the progress of the work, conducting meetings or to provide technical guidance.
9. Chinese/Foreign Nationals coming to India for pre-sales or post-sales activity not amounting to actual execution of any contract or project.
10. Chinese/Foreign Trainees of multinational companies/corporate houses coming for in-house training in the regional hubs of the concerned company located in India.
11. Chinese/Foreign nationals coming as tour conductors and travel agents and /or conducting business tours of foreigners or business relating to it.
12. Chinese/Foreign academicians/ experts coming under GIAN (Global Initiative for Academic Networks).
13. Crew members of scheduled/ non-scheduled flights operated by scheduled airlines, non-scheduled and chartered flights operated by non-scheduled airlines and special flights.
14. Visiting faculty for teaching in purely private institutes
15. Foreign nationals deputed for providing technical support/services, transfer of know-how/services for which the Indian company pays fees/royalty to the foreign company.
16. Crew members of any foreign flag vessel (including foreign military vessel) coming for repairs in India.
17. Pilots and crew of any scheduled or non-scheduled flight coming for the purpose of MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) services in India”

Additional Information:

1. Family members/dependents of a Chinese/foreign national who is granted Business Visa (B-1) also needs to apply for a Family Visa and choose the option accompanying family member of the Business Visa applicant
2. Conversion of Business Visa (B-1): Business Visa (B-1) cannot be converted to any other kind of visa during the stay of the Chinese/ Foreign national in India except in the following circumstances and with the prior approval of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government to India.
3. Business visa (B-1) may be converted to 'X-1' (Miscellaneous ) Visa if a Chinese/Foreign National who has come to India on Business Visa marries an Indian National during the validity of his/her Business visa and does not intend to continue on Business Visa.
4. Business visa (B-1) of a foreigner who falls ill after his/her entry into India rendering him/her unfit to travel and requiring specialized medical treatment, may be converted to a Medical visa if he/she is eligible for grant of the Medical Visa and a medical certificate is obtained form a government/government recognized hospital.

B2 Visa

B-2 Visa is issued to members of the Sports teams visiting India to participate in the International Sports competitions organized in India. Those coming to participate in commercial sports events in India on contract (including coaches) like Indian Premier League, Indian Soccer League, Indian Badminton League etc. with remuneration.

B3 Visa

Foreign nationals coming to India for participation in cultural/ commercial performances or concerts and also those involved in performative arts like acting, dancing, etc. may apply for B-3 Visa.

B-5 Visa ( For attending Conference)

B-5 Visa is to be obtained if the purpose of the visit is participation in symposium, seminar, summit, workshop, congress, etc. Application for a B-5 Visa has to be submitted at least two weeks prior to the date of travel.

Note: A foreign National intending to attend an International Conference/Seminar/workshop while already in India on business/Employment/Student/Research Visa may seek prior permission of the FRRO/FRO concerned.

B-6 (Film Visa)

A foreign team may shoot a feature film, wholly or partially, subject to the following conditions:-

(a) Four copies of the detailed shooting script in case of feature film and detailed concept in case of TV show/ TV serials, details of visiting film crew and location of film shooting shall be submitted by the foreign team to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Copies can either be forwarded directly or through an Indian Embassy / Consulate. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, New Delhi may levy a fee for examining of the application. The details of the fee will be intimated by the Consulate separately.

(b) The film has to be shot according to the script, as approved by the Government of India. In case any material deviation is considered necessary, prior permission of the Government of India has to be obtained by the foreign team.

(c) Ministry of Information and Broadcasting will attach a liaison officer to the foreign team to assist them in the shooting, wherever it is felt necessary to do so by the Script Evaluator. He/ she will stay and travel with the team. The actual expenses on the boarding, lodging and travel of the liaison officer, in connection with the shooting of the film, will be met by the Government of India as admissible under rules.

(d) The shooting of the film must be done in the presence of the liaison officer (where liaison officer has been attached on the recommendation of the Script Evaluator) who will, as part of his/ her duties, ensure that nothing detrimental to the image of India or the Indian people will be shot or included in the film. Should a disagreement arise in this respect, the matter shall be referred to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting whose decision shall be final.

(e) The foreign team must show the complete film to a representative of the Government of India, in India or abroad (i.e. an Indian Mission abroad), before its actual release anywhere in the world. In case the foreign team desires to show the film to an Indian Mission abroad, the name of the Mission must be specified by the foreign team in advance. No portion of the film should be shown in the open forum without prior approval of the Government of India.

(f) Local permission, wherever required, must be obtained by the filming team from the local authorities. The list of equipment to be temporarily imported in connection with the shooting is required to be submitted to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, in advance, who will issue recommendations to the Customs authorities to exempt such temporary import from Customs Duty.

(g) If the film is a joint venture (Indo-foreign collaboration), the detailed agreement between the Indian and foreign party shall be furnished to the Government of India for specific clearance.

(h) After the shooting is completed in India, a report giving the details of actual shots taken shall be provided, in duplicate, to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting by the Liaison Officer, in cases where a Liaison Officer has been attached with the filming unit.

(i) An undertaking (in the form given in Appendix II) will be required to be given to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in case any assistance is sought from any Ministry of Government of India or from any State Government/ UT. Separate agreements, as stipulated by these Ministries will, however, have to be signed with them by the foreign team.

2. The maximum number of crew for a specific film being shot by an international production company that can be allowed under this visa regime will be 125, unless the project is of such scale that it necessitates the presence of a larger international crew in India which will be allowed on case to case basis. The Production company requesting for issuance of such visas may be permitted to submit the visa applications in batches depending upon schedules and requirements instead of submission of complete list of crew.

3. The international cast and crew coming to India on a Film Visa for the film shoot shall be employed by the Foreign Company seeking permission to shoot the film in India and the company shall take the responsibility for the cast and crew coming to India for filming. The foreigners coming on Film Visa will have to register himself/ herself with the FRRO/ FRO concerned irrespective of the duration of the Film Visa/ stay of the foreigner in India.

4. The foreigners being given the Film Visa may need to demonstrate that they have adequate means to support themselves in India and may need to demonstrate that they have incentive to return to their place of residence when the said Visa expires.

Note:

Foreigners being given Film Visa should refrain from commenting on any issues relating to insurgency (if any) in the areas, participating in missionary activities, meeting banned outfits or its over ground/ underground functionaries.

The foreigners should strictly adhere to the norms and regulations of foreigner's guidelines during their stay in the country and visit only the areas permitted for their visit. They should not visit any restricted/ protected area or prohibited place without prior permission of the competent authority.

Money transaction for shooting of film should be done as per RBI guidelines.

Notacit agreement should be made by any foreigner (on Film, Journalist/business/employment visa or otherwise) to engage or open Indian company, registered under ROC or NGOs to involve in film/documentary making, not commensurating with national interest.