Frequently asked questions

You should obtain a visa from the country of your normal residence or country of origin.

Two recent colour passport size (about 51 mm x 51mm) photograph, showing full frontal view of face against a white background to be pasted/stapled on the application form.

Applicants can pay the fees by E-wallets, bank cards and by Cash.

The passport has to be valid for at least 6 months from the date of application with at least 2 blank visa pages. Applicants are advised to check their passport validity before submitting their application.

You may stay in India only until the date of expiry of your visa irrespective of your date of arrival.

Visa Fees and all other charges, once paid will not be refunded under any circumstances.

Your India visa processing site depends on where in China you currently reside, also known as jurisdiction.

The Indian Embassy does not require any specific vaccinations for travellers to obtain a visa to India.

Yes, all Foreigners except for national of Nepal and Bhutan need a visa to enter India.

You do not need a visa for your pet, but you have to comply with certain customs and vaccination-related regulations. Consult your airline/travel agent for details of these regulations and the necessary documents needed to take your pet.

No, you are requested to collect your passport from the same visa center where you applied the visa.

You can print your Visa Application Form within 30 calendar days of completing it online. To access your completed online application, you are required to note your Web Reference Number before you exit, an Email with this information will also be sent to your valid email id, if provided.

If your application is not submitted for processing within this time, the information will be purged out/deleted from our system and you will need to commence entry of your details afresh.

If you have completed your application and saved it, you will have received your Web Reference Number via email as long as you have provided us with a valid email id. You can retrieve your application and complete the remaining payment procedure or additional family members’ applications, as required.

Applicants are requested to confirm their particulars on the Invoice-cum-receipt at the time of submitting their visa applications and on receipt of their Visa to ensure that there are no errors in printing.

If the particulars are incorrect, this needs to be informed to one of our team members immediately to ensure timely rectification of the same.

No, you can collect the application of your family member / friend / colleague as long as you have the Invoice-cum-receipt issued by us and a letter of authority from them along with Photo Identity proof of person collecting the passport.

Applications which are processed as normal cannot be changed to Emergency/Urgent applications unless in a Medical or Death situation. It is strongly recommended that applicants do not make any confirmed travel arrangements until they receive their Visas. Any loss occurring due to confirmed travel plans being made prior to receiving your Indian Visa; under any circumstances, will not be reimbursed. Please refer to the average processing timelines on our website prior to submitting your Visa Applications for processing. Our personnel in the office or at the Contact Center cannot promise you an earlier issuance at any time.

You are required to fill the Application form online.

The online form cannot be edited once it has been printed. Please ensure that you verify all the information you enter before you finally submit the application and take a printout. In case of an error, you would have to start a new application form.

At the start and on each subsequent page of the online form, there is a Unique Temporary ID that is generated at the top of the page. This number must be correctly noted for you to be able to retrieve your application before it is printed.

Visas are issued at the Embassy or Consulate's discretion. In some circumstances, visas will be issued for a length of time that is less than what was requested.

No, you are requested to follow the jurisdictions carefully.

No, Embassy and consulates they don’t accept postal applications.

No, the applicant must apply for a visa in China.

Yes. The applicant can opt for the courier service.

Yes, all applicants have to submit their applications at the India Visa Application Center.

The gap of two months between two visits would apply to all Tourist visa holders

No. The two months gap is applicable only for Tourist Visa holders.

For persons coming for medical treatment, there is a separate category of Medical Visa. Foreign nationals coming for medical treatment will have to come only on Medical Visa and not on Tourist Visa.

The family members of diplomatic households who do not qualify for diplomatic visas may have to come on an ‘Entry(X)’ Visa if eligible. If they come on Tourist Visa, the restrictions as laid down will be applicable.

Tourist Visa is granted for visiting India for recreation, sightseeing, casual visit to meet friends and relatives etc. No other activity is permissible on a Tourist Visa.

No. If a person holding ‘Tourist’ visa is found to be involved in Business activities, action may be taken for visa violation.

No. If a person is found working, while holding ‘Tourist’ visa, he/she may be booked for visa violation.

No. Even if the tourist’s passport is not stamped, the restrictions as laid down will be applicable.

Miscellaneous Consular Service fee may be charged for making an Endorsement

No, you need to apply for a fresh visa at any Indian mission/post outside India

Period of stay is not calculated from the date of your entry in India but from the date of issue of Visa.

A tourist visa is not sufficient to visit these areas because all of these regions in India are restricted/protected areas for which it is necessary to obtain a Restricted/ Protected Area Permit (RAP/PAP). This permit can be obtained in India either from the Ministry of Home Affairs or FRRO concerned after entering India with a tourist visa. You can visit certain open areas in Sikkim for a maximum period of 15 days in case you request a 'special endorsement for Sikkim' at the time of applying for your tourist visa.

No, post-dated visas are not issued. The validity of the visa begins from the date of issue only.

Visas are granted on holidays and after service hours in case of a genuine emergency like death or medical emergency subject to production of sufficient documentary proof. The decision of the Consular officer in this regard shall be final. Please note a tourist visa cannot be applied for under emergency procedure.

The Indian Citizenship Act, 1955, does not allow dual citizenship. Holding Indian passport/acquiring Indian passport/ travelling on Indian passport after acquisition of foreign citizenship constitutes an offence under the Indian Passport Act, 1967, and attracts penalty. Under Indian law, a person whose previous nationality was Indian before acquiring any foreign Nationality, are required to surrender their Indian passport to the nearest Indian Mission/Post immediately after acquisition of foreign citizenship and obtain a surrender certificate. All applications for renunciation/surrender of Indian passport are to be made at any of the India Visa Application Centres in China, as per the Jurisdiction.

Business Visa is granted to a foreign national who wants to visit India to establish an industrial/business venture or to explore possibilities to set up industrial/business venture, or wants to purchase/sell industrial products in India . This Visa is granted subject to following conditions:

1. The applicant is a person of assured financial standing and expertise in the field of the intended business.
2. The applicant is not visiting India for the business of money lending or petty trading, or for a full time employment in India involving payment of salary in India etc.
3. The facility of Business Visa will also be extended to senior executives of firms, experts, tour conductors and travel agents, etc., visiting India in connection with work related to projects of national importance, including those undertaken by public sector undertakings, and conducting business tours of foreigners or business relating to it, etc.
4. A foreign national will have to comply with all other requirements like payment of tax liabilities etc.
5. The grant of Business Visa is subject to any instructions issued by the Government of India on the basis of reciprocity with other foreign countries from time to time.
6. The Business Visa must be issued from the country of origin, or from the country of domicile of the foreigner provided the period of permanent residence of that applicant in that particular country is for more than 2 years

1. Foreign nationals who want to visit India to establish industrial / business venture or to explore possibilities to set up industrial / business venture in India.
2. Foreign nationals coming to India to purchase / sell industrial products or commercial products or consumer durables.
3. Foreign nationals coming to India for technical meetings / discussions, attending Board meetings, general meetings for providing business services support.
4. Foreign nationals coming to India for recruitment of manpower.
5. Foreign nationals who are partners in the Business and / or functioning as Directors in the company.
6. Foreign nationals coming to India for consultations regarding exhibitions, for participation in exhibitions, trade fairs, business fair, etc.
7. 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. 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 with Indian customers and / or to provide some high level technical guidance.
9. Foreign nationals coming to India for pre-sales or post-sales activity not amounting to actual execution of any contract or project.
10. Foreign trainees of multinational companies / corporate houses coming for in-house training in the regional hubs of the concerned company located in India.
11. Foreign students sponsored by AIESEC for internship on project based work in companies / industries.
12. Foreign nationals who are coming to India on short visits to customer location to repair any plant or machinery as part of warranty or annual maintenance contracts.
13. Foreign engineers / technicians coming to India for installation and commissioning of equipments / machines / tools in terms of the contract for supply of such equipment / machine / tools.
14. Foreign experts coming to India for imparting training for the personnel of the Indian company.
15. Foreign personnel deputed for providing technical support / services, transfer of know-how, services & supplies for which the Indian company pays fees / royalty to the foreign company

No. A foreign national coming for executing projects/contracts will have to come only on an Employment Visa.

No

No

Indian Missions may grant an ’X’ Visa [i.e. a Dependent Visa] to the family members of a foreign national granted a Business Visa at their discretion, subject to usual security checks provided the family members are otherwise eligible for grant of such a Visa

Yes, directly at the Ministry of External Affairs and the second time at the nearest local FRRO.

You may apply for a business visa valid for multiple entries for either six months or one year along with the requisite documents as per the checklist. Kindly note, that a Business Visa does not permit you to work in India. In case you wish to work in India, you should apply for an Employment Visa.

A Foreign national coming to India for employment may initially be granted an Employment visa by the Indian Missions abroad up to one year. The first extension, if necessary, would be granted by MHA. Further extensions, if required, can be granted by concerned State Government / FRO up to maximum period of five years from the date of issue of the visa. Foreigners coming on Employment visa are required to register with concerned FRRO / FRO within two weeks from the date of arrival.

No

Yes

No

Employment Visa.

Employment Visa.

Employment Visa

You must apply for an employment visa along with the requisite documents. Once your visa application is approved, your wife and children may apply for entry visas in case they are accompanying you on your stay in India. Your children will be able to secure admission in schools/colleges in India once they have been granted entry visas. Kindly note, that you have to undergo mandatory registration formalities at the nearest office of the FRRO/FRO within 14 days of your arrival in India if you are planning to stay in the country for a period longer than 180 days.

No change of employer shall be permitted during the currency of the Employment Visa within India except in respect of change of employment between a registered holding company and its subsidiary and vice-versa or between subsidiaries of a registered holding company. The change of employment in such cases could be considered subject to the following conditions:

1. Prior permission of the Ministry of Home Affairs is required for change of employment.
2. The change of employment would be permitted at a senior level e.g. .managerial or a senior executive position and/or at a skilled position e.g. a technical expert.
3. The foreign national concerned will have to fulfil all other conditions stipulated for grant of Employment Visa
4. A certificate from the holding company that the company in which the change of employment has been requested, is a subsidiary of the holding company.
5. No objection from the company from where the foreigner is seeking change of employment.
6. Justification from the holding company warranting change of employment.
7. Change of employment between the holding company and its subsidiary and vice versa or between two subsidiaries may be permitted only once during the currency of 5 years on Employment Visa
8. Change of employment would not entitle the foreigner to stay in India for a period of 5 years from the date of change of employment. The residency of 5 years on Employment Visa would commence from the date of issue of the original Employment Visa.
9. The change of employment would be subject to approval and satisfaction of the competent authority.

No change of employer shall be permitted during the currency of the Employment Visa within India except in respect of change of employment between a registered holding company and its subsidiary and vice-versa or between subsidiaries of a registered holding company. The change of employment in such cases could be considered subject to the following conditions

1. Prior permission of the Ministry of Home Affairs is required for change of employment.
2. The change of employment would be permitted at a senior level e.g. .managerial or a senior executive position and/or at a skilled position e.g. a technical expert.
3. The foreign national concerned will have to fulfill all other conditions stipulated for grant of Employment Visa
4. A certificate from the holding company, that the company, in which the change of employment has been requested, is a subsidiary of the holding company.
5. No objection from the company from where the foreigner is seeking change of employment.
6. Justification from the holding company warranting change of employment.
7. Change of employment between the holding company and its subsidiary and vice versa or between two subsidiaries may be permitted only once during the currency of 5 years on Employment Visa
8. Change of employment would not entitle the foreigner to stay in India for a period of 5 years from the date of change of employment. The residency of 5 years on Employment Visa would commence from the date of issue of the original Employment Visa.
9. The change of employment would be subject to approval and satisfaction of the competent authority.

Yes. With a valid employment visa only.

You need to apply for a transit visa if you are going to change from an international terminal to a domestic/international terminal of any Indian airport or if you are going to stay in an airport hotel even for a few hours. You don't need a transit visa if you stay in the waiting area reserved for international transit passengers in an Indian airport. Note that you can stay for a maximum period of 72 hours in India on a transit visa. You should have a confirmed air ticket for the onward journey.

You should apply for a Conference Visa to enable you to participate in the Conference/Seminar/ Workshop along with invitation letter, details of the Conference etc. Clearance from competent authority from India is required.

Ans : A Conference visa is granted to a foreigner:

1. Whose sole objective of visiting India is to attend a conference / seminar or workshop being held in India;
2. Who holds a valid passport, and a re-entry permit if that is required under the law of the country of nationality of the applicant;
3. Who is not a persona-non-grata to the Government of India;
4. Who is not considered an undesirable person and is not the subject of a negative list or any warning circular or other restrictive list; and
5. Who is a person of assured financial standing (the production of a return ticket and availability of sufficient money to spend during his stay in India may be considered sufficient for this purpose).

Conference visa will be issued for the duration of the conference and the travelling time. However, the delegates coming to attend conference etc. in India can combine tourism with attending the conference. Missions can, at their discretion, grant visas for the required period. Such visa shall not exceed maximum validity of Tourist Visa, i.e. 6 months subject to usual conditions applicable for grant of the Tourist visa.

You should apply for an entry visa along with a copy of the offer letter stating the terms of internship. You may also be required to submit a copy of the inter-university student exchange agreement if the proposed internship is a component of such an agreement. You would be required to submit proof of financial standing to support your stay in India. If you receive any monetary compensation/salary from the Indian organization, you will have to apply for a business visa.

You should apply for a student visa along with a copy of the letter from the institute/university confirming your acceptance as a student. You would also be required to submit proof of financial standing to support your stay in India.

Yes, with a valid student visa.

A. Foreign students holding Student Visa of more than 180 days are required to register himself/herself with the local FRRO/FRO within 14 days of arrival.

You need to transfer the visa from the old passport to the new passport. The name on both passports must match. Please review the Transfer of Visa requirements for more information.