Plan to travel to India? Know that the country that you are visiting will require a visa, so if you plan to stay for more, then you need to have more valid documents. Today, there are various types of visas available for nations, and India is no different. However, the point to note is that not everyone is eligible for all types of visas, and as such, you will choose which visa you want to apply for.
What are India visa types?
In India, various visas are issued by immigration officials to the visitors who arrive at India’s border.
Concerned India visa types can be listed as follows -
• Employment Visa - Also known as a work visa, this visa is for individuals who plan to take up employment in India.
The maximum duration of an employment visa is 1 year of the contract, though it can be extended in India.
• Business Visa - Individuals who need to visit India for business purposes, this visa is for them.
A multiple-entry visa this visa allows eligible citizens to spend 180 consecutive days in India. Valid for 1 year from the date of issuance, this visa, when applying, the applicants may also need to supply the details of their business card that features the host company in India.
• Project Visa - Individuals who have to execute projects in the Power and Steel sectors can opt for this visa.
The maximum duration of this visa is 1 year or the actual duration of the project.
• Entry Visa - This visa is a must for families who plan to accompany foreign nationals. 5 years is the maximum duration of the entry visa.
• Research Visa - If any individual wants to pursue research in any field, they can opt for this visa. Also can be extended in India, this visa’s maximum duration is 5 years.
• Transit Visa - Individuals who plan to pass through India, this visa is a must. This visa is valid for 15 days. However, note that it can’t be extended in India.
• Conference Visa - Often, NGOs, PSUs, and Government hold international seminars. Any individual who plans to attend such seminars will need this visa.
There is no maximum duration for the conference visa, rather, this visa is valid for as long as the duration of the conference.
• Tourist Visa - Any individual who wants to visit India for pleasure, this visa is for them. The tourist visa is valid for 1 year, and eligible citizens can stay in India for about 90 consecutive days as a tourist.
• Medical Visa - India is home to numerous recognized and specialized medical treatment centres. Individuals who want to seek treatment in such centres need to opt for this visa. Any individual who wants to accompany a patient for medical treatment to India can also go for this visa.
The Medical Visa is also available for children, but only as a patient visa. The medical visa is valid for 120 days from the date of issuance. Note that the first and the second entries should be within 60 days of the first visit.
The thing with a visa is that to obtain one, you need to head to the consulate’s office or embassy with heaps of paperwork in tow. That means one has to wait for months to get a visa. But thankfully, today, with the advent of technology, the term eVisa has come to exist.
An eVisa, just as the name suggests, is an electronic visa. It means that whatever information you share with your state and its top officials, you can link your information electronically with your passport to the embassy to get an international travel permit. Various nations, including India, have introduced eVisas for travellers to facilitate travel and improve security with data’s digitalization.
So, now comes the main question.
What is the India eVisa? And what can you do with it?
Just like the eVisa of any other nation, the India eVisa is also the same - in other words, it is an electronic permit that grants you the authority to travel to India for business, medical or tourism purposes.
Being an eVisa, it’s not important to submit your passport or documents to the consulate as everything will be done online. The eVisa will be issued in advance before you depart for India, and the actual visa will be placed inside the passport at the immigration checkpoint.
Who can apply for the India eVisa?
Citizens of 161 nations (and which can be found out at indianvisaonline.gov.in), including Austria, can apply for the India eVisa for business, medical or tourism purposes. However, of the travellers, if either they or their spouses, parents, or grandparents are of Pakistani origin or, say, born in Pakistan, they can’t apply for an India eVisa. Instead, they have to opt for a traditional visa.
How to apply for India eVisa?
To apply for India eVisa, you can do so at the authorized portal of indianvisaonline.gov.in. How to get India visa? And what should you do after getting it? To get India eVisa, you need to apply at the authorized portal of indianvisaonline.gov.in. The visa application will be approved after submitting the necessary documents, and after which the India eVisa will be sent to you by mail. Have two printed copies and keep one with your records. Upon your arrival in India, you must have the eVisa with your passport. Your biometric information will be taken at the airport, and the visa sticker will be placed inside the passport.
What is the India e visa cost?
The cost of India eVisa is territory specific; the cost can be found out from indianvisaonline.gov.in. No matter what the India e visa cost is, the bank charges a 2.5% transaction fee and will be added to India e visa cost automatically on top of the cost. What is India e visa processing time? The citizens of the eligible nations and territories should apply 4 days (minimum) in advance of the arrival date with a window of 120 days. Note that the fee must be paid 4 days before the travel’s expected date, or the eVisa application won’t be processed. Worse case, the India e visa processing time will take much longer. Say, if you apply on September 1, then the applicant can select the arrival date from September 5 to January 2. Now that you know what an India eVisa is, it’s time to ponder on the main theme at hand.
India eVisa vs. India tourist visa
At first glance, it may seem like both India eVisa, and India tourist visa are the same, but they are not. Where India eVisa is an electronic permit granting you authority to travel to India from any other country for business, tourism, or medical purposes, India tourist visa, on the other hand, is issued to travellers that plan to visit India only for recreation purposes. And as such, you can’t visit India for business or medical purposes with an Indian tourist visa. To save time on the travellers’ side, one can opt for the online version of the India tourist visa, which is the India Tourist eVisa. Introduced in November 2014 by the Indian Government, the India Tourist eVisa is an India online visa that facilitates the Indian visa application process by eliminating the need to visit a consulate or embassy. Valid for 1 year from the issuing date, the India tourist visa is a multiple-entry visa, and with which eligible citizens can travel to India for touristic purposes such as holidays, vacation, sightseeing; one can even visit their friends, relatives or can even take part in various recreation programs such as yoga programs with the India tourist visa. Note that this visa is valid for 90 consecutive days per visit to India. If there are chances of the visit exceeding 90 days, then it’s best to go for India eVisa, should the visit be for medical treatment or business purposes.
What are the requirements for India Tourist Visa?
The Indian Visa application process is considered to be one of the most difficult ones due to the Indian Government asking for a lot of documents; it’s better to put aside a few minutes from your busy schedule before starting the visa application process.
To apply for an India tourist visa, the following requirements are a must -
- The passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the supposed arrival date in India. The passport must have at least 2 blank pages.
- An image of the biological page of the passport.
- A recent passport-style photograph of the applicant.
- A credit or debit card to pay the fee of an India tourist visa.
- The current eMail address of the applicant to receive the approved India Tourist eVisa document.
Upon arrival on the border points of India, it’s a must to have a printed copy of the approved India eVisa.
How long does it take to apply for an India Tourist Visa?
Unlike India eVisa, which is recommended to apply 3 to 4 weeks before the supposed date of travel, however, for India tourist visa, it can be applied 3-4 days in advance. Within 72 hours of filling the application and paying the fee, the India tourist visa will be processed.
With the availability of various visas, the traveller has many options of which visas they want to opt for, based on their activities, be it business, recreation, or medical purposes.
