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Tourist Visa

IndiaShort stays and visits

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

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Explore pathways in India Read the five questions ↓

For the relevant traveller scope, is a visa, electronic authorisation, visa on arrival or no advance visa normally required?

Generally a visa issued by an Indian representative abroad is required. e-Tourist visas exist for listed e-Visa nationalities, and Visa-on-Arrival is available to citizens of Japan, South Korea and UAE (UAE only if previously holding an Indian e-Visa/regular visa).

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • No full nationality matrix
  • Pakistan-origin persons excluded from e-Visa and VoA

What short-visit purposes does this route cover?

A Tourist Visa is for a foreigner whose sole objective is recreation, sightseeing, a casual visit to meet friends or relatives, attending a short-term yoga programme (not exceeding 6 months and without a qualifying certificate/diploma) or short-duration medical treatment including Indian systems of medicine, and no other purpose or activity. Foreign tourists travelling in groups of at least four under a recognised travel agency can get a Group Tourist Visa for group tourism.

See recorded sources
  • https://www.mha.gov.in/sites/default/files/AnnexIIIDetailsofVisas_20082020.pdf
    A Tourist visa is granted to a foreigner whose sole objective of visiting India is recreation, sight seeing, casual visit to meet friends or relatives, attending a short term yoga programme, short duration medical treatment including treatment under Indian systems of medicine etc. and no other purpose/ activity. [Short term yoga programme means a yoga programme not exceeding 6 months duration and not issued with a qualifying certificate/ diploma etc.]
  • https://www.mha.gov.in/sites/default/files/AnnexIIIDetailsofVisas_20082020.pdf
    Foreign tourists travelling in groups of not less than four members, under the auspices of a recognized travel agency can be granted Group Tourist visa for group tourism in India.

What maximum stay, rolling-period rule, validity and entry rules apply?

The regular tourist visa is multiple-entry, 5 years by default, with each continuous stay up to 90 days (180 days for UK nationals; 10-year/180-day for USA, Canada and Japan). The e-Tourist 1-year and 5-year visas allow a maximum stay of 180 days per calendar year.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • Different limits for 30 listed countries, Bangladesh, China and Pakistan-origin
  • Source is MHA Annex III (2020 version); later changes not verified

What important funds, accommodation, invitation, insurance, onward-travel or passport evidence may be required?

For e-Tourist travel, the passport must be valid for at least six months at application, and the traveller must hold a return or onward ticket and sufficient money for the stay. The official source does not list the evidence for the regular tourist visa.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • Stated for the e-Visa route; regular-visa evidence not listed

Where/how is permission obtained when required, and under what important circumstances can a stay be extended or changed?

Tourist visas are non-extendable and non-convertible except in specific cases; for example, if a foreigner on a Tourist Visa marries an Indian national/PIO/OCI cardholder during the validity of the visa, it may be converted to an Entry ('X-2') visa by the FRRO/FRO concerned. For group tourist visas, the travel agency must fill in the applications online at indianvisaonline.gov.in.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • Source is MHA Annex III (2020 version); later changes not verified

These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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