All you got to know about Indian visa requirements

The Government of India is providing a visa for U.S. residents in two different ways. The first option is a Paper visa and the second is the E-visa. The COX and KINGS GLOBAL SERVICES (https://www.in.ckgs.us/ ) has been authorized by the Indian government to provide paper visas to India from the USA. The online portal (https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html) operated by the Bureau of Immigration under the Ministry of Home Affairs in India is offering the E-visa services globally.Apply BUSINESS VISA FOR INDIA

What is the reality of India visa requirements?

The basic requirements to obtain an Indian visa are traveler passport, travel documents, itinerary details, and support materials based on the purpose of travel. However, while applying for a specific visa to India, the traveler can get confused about the requirements–the high level general information available through various other sources will not be sufficient to help the applicant acquire an Indian visa successfully. This blog will provide more clarity about the India visa requirements.

What are the different types of Indian visas available for us residents?

Below, we have listed popular Indian visa types for US nationals. The Indian consulate general or India embassy has created visa types for various foreign travellers by grouping them under various categories to validate their purpose of travel. Most applicants opt for the below visas to India:

• Tourist visa to India
• Business visa to India
• Tourist E-Visa to India
• E-Medical Visa to India
• E-Medical Attendant Visa to India
• Indian Business E-Visa

A few exceptions apply to all of the above listed visas. These limitations might be your age, nationality, travel history, professional status, etc. In this article, we will see eligibility and requirements of each visa type in detail.

Document requirements for India visa

Document requirement for India business visa

A traveler involved in business-related activities in India will want the India Business Visa. Hence, while applying for this visa, the traveler should prove his/her travel purpose and the details of the business entities involved during the period of stay. The Consular will verify the document and provide approval for the visa if the information and documents submitted are genuine. The document requirements for an Indian Business Visa are listed below:

1. Passport: Your original passport and one photocopy of passport bio information and signature page. The passport must be signed by you and it must be valid for at least six months beyond your period of entry into India, with at least two blank passport pages available for stamping of INDIAN VISA ELIGIBILITY. 
2. Completed Indian Visa USA Application Form: You must complete the application form matching the information requested in the document. To avoid rejection of your visa application, you need to furnish correct information and avoid mistakes in the data.
3. Latest passport size photograph of the applicant
4. A Self-declaration form updated with your nationality information, spouse details, origin of parents, origin of grandparents, employment with armed forces, employer details, etc.
5. Certificate of Incorporation: You should have a copy of your Certification of Incorporation from the inviting company in India. It is a legal document issued by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs to a company in India.
6. Letter Of Invitation: The company sponsoring you must provide a letter of invitation on its letterhead. This letter should be signed by an appropriate person in the inviting company, such as HR, executive, or inviting business contact. The invitation letter must clearly establish your purpose of travel.

Note: This is the first document the traveler will receive from the inviting organization. Based on the invitation letter, the applicant will begin the application for a business visa.

1. Business Cover Letter: You should also possess a document provided by the employer or sponsoring company in the United States, on its letterhead. In this, the employer must clearly delineate your designation.
2. Proof of State Residency
3. NOC Form: If you are a minor i.e., if your age is less than 18 years, then you should submit the No Objection Certification at the visa processing center.
4. Consular Report of Birth Abroad certificate. If you are a U.S. citizen who was born overseas you must present a report of birth abroad certificate.

Based on the traveler profile, the consulate of India may ask for additional documents.

Document requirement for India tourist visa

Unlike a business visa, the tourist visa is specific to individuals and it’s not related to any business entities. Hence the consulate will validate your eligibility and financial capability for the leisure trip to India. The document requirements are also simple, while you are applying for an Indian tourist visa.

1. Passport
2. India Visa Application Form
3. Additional Particulars Form
4. Proof of State Residency
5. NOC: In case you are a minor or accompanying a minor traveler, you must submit the No Objection Certificate at the visa processing center.

Your travel profile may also lead the consulate to ask for additional documents, while applying for the Indian tourist visa. The additional information and document requirements change for each individual. 

Special additional document requirements for India e-visas

Though you apply for business or tourist e-Visas, which require very minimal documents, all e-visa requests demand the same set of documents in digital format. But you need to ensure the quality and size of the file, meeting the requirements stated by the authority. Otherwise, it will lead to issues while processing the visa.

1. One Recent Passport Size Photo: Photo should present a full face, front view, eyes open, and without spectacles. The background should be plain light-colored or white background without any borders. Size – Minimum 10 K.B., Maximum 1 M.B., Format – JPEG.
2. Passport Copy: Scanned bio page of the passport showing the photograph and details like name, date of birth, nationality, expiry date, etc.
3. Two-way E-flight tickets 

Indian visa fee

USD $160 is the cost for your Business and Tourist visa.

USD $102.5 is the cost for your e-Tourist, e-business, e-medical, and e-medical attendant Visa.

Indian visa processing time

Generally it takes 4 business days to process your e-Visa application forms. But, it varies based on the traffic of requests. Typically, a regular visa will take 8 Business days to process the visa.

Indian visa validity and stay

Business Visa: The validity will be one year to ten years, and the Period of Stay will be six months for a single trip. Business Visas are generally issued with multiple entry endorsements, so the traveler can visit multiple times to India during the visa validity period.

Tourist Visa:  This is generally issued with multiple entry endorsements. The visa validity of stay is six months, and the tourist Visa validity could be up to ten years. All applicants of Indian Origin with U.S. Passports, applying for Tourist Visas, may apply for longer-term ten-year duration visas.

What are the nationalities eligible for India e-visas from u.s?

E-visas are an easy and fast way to get a visa. Below are listed the nationalities which can apply for the e-visa.

Albania, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia, & Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon Union Republic, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Chile, China, China- SAR Hongkong, China- SAR Macau, Colombia, Comoros, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote d’lvoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger Republic, Niue Island, Norway, Oman, Palau, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Republic of Macedonia, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Christopher and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos Island, Tuvalu, UAE, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay, USA, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vatican City-Holy See, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Note: All nationalities are eligible for a regular visa. But, a few times due to personal profile or travel history, restrictions may be applicable to few nationalities, which will be decided by Indian government or consulate general of India, operating in the US. E-visas’ validity of stay is 60 days.

How to apply for an Indian visa?

The visa application process is different for e-visa and regular paper visa. Each visa processing center operating from the US will have their own set of requirements and processes in place. We will see that in detail later.

How to apply for a regular visa for India?

A visit to the visa processing center and collection of biometrics is a must for a regular and paper visas. Currently 6 centers are operational in US to process regular visas to India. As communicated earlier, each centre will request different documents and adhere different process. For example, if a minor applies for an India visa in the center at Atlanta , he/she will need to submit the parental authorization and copy of the minor’s birth certificate signed by both parents. If the same minor applicant processes his/her request via Washington, DC centre,  the traveller should send the copy of the minor’s birth certificate and copy of both parents’ signed passports. Also the applicant will not be allowed to submit their visa application form in just any visa center; it will be determined by the resident location of the applicant. If the applicant opts for any visa center, which is not mapped to his/her resident location, his/her application form will not be processed. Hence the applicant needs to be aware of these details before going to a center while applying for an Indian visa.