Visa for India

"Rules for India Tourist Visa"

All non-Indian citizens must have a visa for India (except citizens of Nepal and Bhutan). Since there`s no provision of "Visa on Arrival" in India, you have to obtain your visa BEFORE you travel to India.

This means that you have to apply for a tourist visa at the Indian embassy in your home country.

All prices mentioned below are subject to change
Last updated on Feb 25, 2010

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In the process of application, you will need this to apply:

Passport valid for at least 6 months after the date you leave India
Two passport-sized photographs
Filled out visa application

Note: Allow some time for the visa application to be processed. The embassy will close during Indian public holidays.

Headley fallout: Foreign visitors will be tracked from entry to exit (posted on July 25, 2010)

How much is it
for a Indian tourist visa?

The price depends on the period of validity and which country you come from.

The cost varies between countries according to the arrangement between the governments. For a 6-months visa, US citizens must expect to pay 70 USD dollars. And British citizens have to pay £ 30.

For Australians: AUD 75 + AUD 18 service charge

Indian visa tourist fees for Australians

The validity of
Indian tourist visa:

Tourist visas can be issued for 6 months (180 days), 1 year, 5 years and 10 years, with single, double or multiple entries into India. But this depends on your nationality. Like, American citizens can apply for a 10 years tourist visa according to a bilateral agreement.

Period of stay:

You can`t stay more than 6 months (180 days) at a time... It doesn`t matter how long the duration of your Tourist visa is.

New visa rules came into force for 6 months multiple-entry visa: Let's say you want to travel to Nepal after you've been in India for 2 months. You stay in Nepal for 3 weeks, and then you want to return to India. According to the new legislation, you have to wait for 2 months before you can re-enter the country.

The same applies if you've stayed in India for 6 whole months -- you can't re-enter the country the next day like many travelers do. After 6 months, you have to be out of the country for 2 months, before you can apply for another tourist visa. If you want to or have to re-enter India within 2 months, seek an Indian embassy and ask for permission.

Is it that harsh?

Well, the Indian government has stated that they can be flexible for tourists traveling on a 6-months visa. You may re-enter India if you keep all the documents, a detailed itinerary of your routes and you've visited another country like Sri Lanka.

Visa run

You can get a visa for India in:

Bangkok, Thailand
46 Prasarnmitr Sukhumvit Soi 23

Phone: (662) 2580300-5

Visa section open: Mon - Fri 09.00 am - noon, closed on Saturdays, Sundays and official holidays

Click onto the link to find out more about the Indian embassy in Bangkok.

Vientiane, Laos
002 Ban Wat-Nak
Thadeua Road, KM 3
Sisattanak District
Vientiane, Lao PDR

Phone: + (856 21) 352 301-4

Consular Timings: 0900-1100 am, Saturday & Sunday closed

Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Villa No. 777
Boulevard Monivong
Phnom Penh

Phone: 855-23-212652

To find out more about the Indian embassy in Phnom Penh, click here.

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Extension of your visa for India
-- Can you extend your period of stay?

It`s no longer possible to extend a Tourist Visa in India. Exceptions can be made if you have a good reason. Otherwise, you might try to leave the country and get a new tourist visa in the neighbouring countries.

To find out more about border crossings in India, go here.

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Overstay

Remember that it`s a criminal offence to overstay your visa for India. If you overstay, you need a really good reason to get away from the fine. I`ve heard that an example of a good reason is: medical emergency. But you have to be registered in a government hospital.

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Where do you want to go next?

Thailand tourist visa?