Visa processes
India is undoubtedly, one of the most sought-after tourist destinations in the world. Planning your days in India and working a good itinerary will ensure smooth transit. Here is everything you need to know about visa for India, from the application process for e-Visa to overland travel and extending your stay.
For a short tourism trip, you will need an electronic visa which can be applied for quickly online. It is a very easy and self-explanatory visa application form which you can fill in one go. You will need all the required information and documents handy. Make sure the scans of the documents you upload are not blurry and are proper. For a tourist visa, you can apply 120 days in advance prior to expected date of arrival in India. For Visa application, you will need to log on to https://indianvisaonline.gov.in and find the form here – https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/tvoa.html
Once the form is duly filled and submitted, you will need to print the completed application form and sign and submit the physical copy along with the supporting documents and the Passport to the concerned Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC) or directly at the Indian Mission on the scheduled appointed date. The instructions for filling the form and scheduling the appointment can be seen at Instructions for Regular Visa Application.
The status of Visa Application can be seen on the link for Visa Enquiry.
There are three sub-categories of e-Visa i.e.
(a) e-Tourist Visa: For recreation, sightseeing, casual visit to meet friends or relatives, and attending a short-term yoga programme,
(b) eBusiness Visa: For all activities permitted under normal Business Visa and
(c) e-Medical Visa: For medical treatment, including treatment under Indian systems of medicine.
(Source: https://www.mha.gov.in/PDF_Other/AnnexIII_01022018.pdf and https://www.mha.gov.in/PDF_Other/AnnexI_01022018.pdf )
You must be in possession of a valid national passport establishing your nationality and identity. Passport should have at least six months validity at the time of making application for grant of visa. It should have at least two blank pages for stamping by the Immigration Officer. The validity of all visas will commence from the date of issue of visa.
Entry points
People holding e-Visa are allowed to enter into India only through the designated international airports namely, (1) Delhi (2) Mumbai (3) Chennai (4) Kolkata (5) Trivandrum (6) Bangalore (7) Hyderabad (8) Cochin (9) Goa (10) Ahmedabad (11) Amritsar (12) Gaya (13) Jaipur (14) Lucknow (15) Trichy (16) Varanasi (17) Calicut (18) Mangalore (19) Pune (20) Nagpur (21) Coimbatore (22) Bagdogra (23) Guwahati , (24) Chandigarh and (25) Visakhapatnam.
Validity
e-visa will be granted for a period up to 60 days with double entry on e-Tourist Visa and eBusiness Visa. e-visa is also non-convertible except in specific cases. For repeat visits e-Visa will be allowed for a maximum of two times in a calendar year to a foreigner.
You will also require a ticket to show you are ready for travel. In most cases, you need to have tickets for a round trip before.
RT-PCR test mandatory for flyers arriving from these six nations –
Here is a useful piece of information updated in January 2023 which states that Foreign nationals from six nations (China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Japan, Singapore, and the Republic of Korea) have to undergo an RT-PCR test within 72 hours before flying to India. They must upload a negative test result on the Air Suvidha form. It is unclear whether all internationals arrival must use the Air Suvidha form (which was cancelled in November 2022).
Watch this space for more on What to expect from WPRF and PRAXIS this year