To complement India’s economic growth and facilitate foreign investors to do business in India, the Government of India has undertaken many reforms in visa procedures recently. For instance, the recent merger of Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) and Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) schemes has simplified the visa/ citizenship rules under a single set of guidelines.

Government has launched e-Tourist Visa (eTV) for travellers from 163 countries via designated Indian airports (24) and seaports (3). Additionally, most part of visa process and foreigner registration in India have been made online.

Foreign nationals planning to travel to India are required to possess a valid passport of their home country and a valid India visa. Indian Visa application process can be initiated online via this link

Foreign nationals can also apply for E-visas, which are granted under three categories, namely tourist, business and medical. The duration of stay on e-visa has now been increased from 30 to 60 days, with double entry on e-tourist and e-business visa, and triple entry on e-medical visa.

For most of the countries, around 163 nationalities, e-tourist visa is available within 3 working days and the process can be completed online. One can conduct business meetings while being on this visa for 15 days. Applicants from eligible countries/ territories may apply online minimum 4 days in advance of the date of arrival with a window of 120 days. Example: If an applicant is applying on 1 Sept, then he or she can select an arrival date between 5 Sept and 2 Jan.