Visa Types

Source: http://passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/online/visaServices
Other sources: http://www.immihelp.com/nri/indiavisa/business-visa-india.html

 

RELEVANT VISA TYPES

  • Student Visa: Student visa valid up to five years or duration of course (whichever is less) is granted to a foreigner coming to India to pursue a course of regular and fulltime academic studies in a recognized institution. The applicant should furnish proof of admission in a recognized/reputed educational institution and evidence of financial support. In case of admission to a medical or para-medical course, a no objection certificate from the Ministry of Health must be furnished. Student visa valid for up to 6 months can be granted for exploring admission or for taking admission tests. There is no restriction on the number of courses of study that can be pursued or with respect to change of course or institute or both. The list of recognized institutions/universities is available on the website (www.education.nic.in).

 

  • Conference/Seminar Visa: Visas may be granted by Missions/Posts to foreign delegates to international conferences, seminars etc conducted by Government bodies, Public Sector Undertakings or Government aided bodies and NGOs provided necessary clearance by nodal Ministries/Departments of the Government of India/State Governments is in place.
  • Research Visa: Depending upon recognition/reputation of the research institution and eligibility of the applicant, Missions/Posts may grant research visa valid for up to three years or duration of research project, whichever is earlier, except scholars of certain nationalities or/and where research work involves visits to 'Restricted' or 'Protected' areas in India or areas affected by terrorism, militancy and extremism etc.

 

  • Entry Visa: Entry visa is issued to a Person of India Origin, foreign spouse of Indian national and to spouse/children of foreigners holding any type of visa other than tourist/transit visa.

 

 

 

OTHER RELEVANT VISA TYPES

  • Tourist Visa: Tourist visa is issued to foreigners who do not have a residence or occupation in India and whose sole objective of visiting India is recreation, sightseeing, casual visit to meet friends and relatives etc.
  • Indian Missions/Posts abroad may issue multiple entry tourist visas for a maximum period of ten years to US nationals and five years to UK nationals, with the stipulation that stay during each visit shall not exceed 180 days. However, should the visa holder desire to stay continuously for more than 180 days, he/she should register with the concerned FRRO/FRO within 180 days of arrival.

 

  • Indian Missions/Posts abroad may issue multiple entry tourist visas for a maximum period of five years to nationals of Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland and Vietnam with the stipulation that stay during each visit shall not exceed 90 days.
  • In respect of foreigners holding multiple-entry tourist visas valid for 5/10 years, there should be a gap of at least two months between two successive visits. If a tourist visa holder needs to return to India within two months of his/her last departure from the country due to exigencies like death or serious illness in the family, non-availability of connecting flights to return to his/her country of origin or travel to another country using India as a transit point or any other exigent situation which can be duly justified with proper documentation to the satisfaction of an Indian Mission/Post abroad or immigration authorities in India, the condition of two month's gap can be waived. In all such cases, the foreign national should register with the FRRO/FRO concerned within 14 days of arrival.

 

  • Foreign nationals holding six month tourist visas valid for up to three entries would not be subject to the above condition of two month's gap between two visits if they submit their itinerary and confirmed air tickets for travel to neighboring countries.
  • Travel agents of foreign travel agencies and foreign tourists visiting India frequently for genuine tourism may be granted multiple-entry tourist visa with the condition that stay on each visit should not exceed 180 days.

 

  • Tourist visa on arrival has been introduced on experimental basis for nationals of eleven countries viz. Finland, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Singapore, Myanmar, Indonesia, Philippines, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. Tourist visa on arrival is valid for 30 days with single entry facility and is granted by Immigration Officers at Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata international airports.
  • Tourist visa is neither extendable nor convertible into other type of visa except, in very exceptional circumstances.

 

  • Mountaineering Visa: Visa for mountaineering expeditions is granted only after clearance by concerned authorities in India.

 

  • Restricted/Protected Area Permits: Visas issued to foreigners are not valid for certain specified areas. Special permits viz. Restricted or Protected Area Permits are required to visit them. These permits are issued by Indian Missions/Posts abroad and MHA/State Governments in India. All Tibetan settlement are Restricted Areas.

 

  • Gratis Visa: In view of the existing bilateral agreements/arrangements, all types of visas are issued gratis to the nationals of Afghanistan, Argentina(Tourist visa only), Bangladesh, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Jamaica, Maldives, Mauritius, Mongolia, South Africa and Uruguay.

 

REGISTRATION AND EXTENSION OF VISA
Source: http://indianfrro.gov.in/frro/

 

Registration: Foreigners entering India on Student visa, Employment visa, Research visa, Missionary visa valid for more than 180 days are required to get themselves registered with the concerned ForeignersRegional Registration Office (FRRO) within 14 days of their arrival in India. Foreigners holding any other type of visa valid for more than 180 days do not require registration if the period of their stay in India on each visit is less than 180 days. However, they must register themselves within 180 days of arrival if the period of their continuous stay exceeds 180 days. For more details, please access the website of MHA or Bureau of Immigration (www.immigrationindia.nic.in).
Supporting documents required for the Registration

  1. Original valid passport and Visa along with 4 passport size color photographs (4 cm x 4cm with white background, ears distinctly visible without spectacles and cap).
  2. Registration form
  3. 3 photocopies of the relevant pages of passport (photo page, page indicating validity, page bearing arrival stamp of Indian Immigration.
  4. Undertaking letter (3 copies signed by Indian Host/ sponsor/ Guarantor along with any one valid identity document like passport, election identity card, official identity card, PAN card, etc.).
  5. Proof of Residence (3 copies of either electricity bill/Telephone bill/ Municipal bill/ certificate of municipal authority/Leave & License agreement or any other valid proof of residence).
  6. Registration fee- Rs. 100/-. This fee can be revised from time to time.
  7. Three copies of Bona-fide certificate from School, College or academic Institute for the academic year mentioning relevant particulars including validity of admission and nationality of the foreign student.

Penalty for late Registration
No fee is charged for registration, but a penalty in Indian currency equivalent to US$ 30/-(Rs.1395/-) in case of late registration is charged. This fee can be revised from time to time.

Residential Permit
Residential permit is issued at the time of registration, its validity being the period of stay as Specified in the Visa. Application for extension of the Residential Permit should be made at least TWO months before its expiry to the nearest Registration Officer in the prescribed form.

Report of absence from address
If at any time a foreigner who is required to register proposes to be absent from his/ her registered address for a continuous period of eight weeks or more; or is changing the registered address; or is finally departing from India, he shall, before leaving, inform in person, or through an authorized representative, or by registered post to the jurisdictional Registration Officer of his/ her intention to leave, either temporarily or permanently. In case he/ she is moving to another address in India, the new address should also be intimated to the Registration Officer.
Departure formalities
Every registered foreigner who is about to depart finally from India shall surrender his/ her certificate of registration either to the Registration Officer of the place where he/ she is registered, or of the place from where he/ she intends to depart, or to the Immigration Officer at the port/ check post of exit from India. If the certificate is surrendered to any authority other than the Immigration Officer of the post or check post of exit, a receipt indicating such surrender of the document may be obtained and shown to the Immigration Officer.

 

Extension of Visa: Extension of visa, while in India, is dealt by Foreigners Regional Registration Offices, Ministry of Home Affairs.
Extensions are granted on different categories of visas as per requirements on case-to-case basis. The foreigner seeking extension must ensure that he/she submits application and the required supporting documents for extension well before date of expiry of visa.

One sets of below mentioned documents are requested by the applicant:

  1. Original valid Passport and Visa.
  2. Bona-fide certificate from School, College or institute for the academic year mentioning nationality.
  3. Four passport size photographs (4 cm x 4 cm color photo with white background, ears distinctly visible, without spectacles and caps).
  4. Bank remittance i.e. bank statement showing that the applicant can support himself/herself financially during his/her stay of one year in India.
  5. Marks sheet or Examination passing certificate for the exams passed in the last academic year.
  6. Copies of Passport (photo page) and (page indicating validity), page bearing arrival stamp of Indian immigration.
  7. Copy of Indian visa.
  8. Attendance proof or certificate for regularly attending classes in case of application for extension. Course fees receipt.
  9. Admission/eligibility certificate from the University/college/educational institution.
  10. In case of change of University/college/educational institution, NOC from the previous University/ college/ educational institution.
  11. Proof of Residence of the applicant i.e. copies of Electricity bill/ Telephone Bill/Leave & license agreement/company accommodation proof.