India is home to several incredible tourist destinations that fascinate locals and international tourists. Being one of the beautiful countries, India is also home to the most hospitable and kindest people you will ever come across. This country takes pride in its vibrant and expansive cultural heritage. Whether you wish to travel to India for a vacation, business conference, studies, or treatment, you would require a visa to enter the country.
Here, in this blog, we will tell you the complete procedure to apply for an Indian tourist visa.
What is a visa?
A Visa is a kind of authorization document that is placed inside a passport. This document gives liberty to a person to enter, leave, or work in a foreign country for a specified period. Visas are generally classified by the key activity that the person will be performing in a foreign country. In this way, visas can be classified as business visas, tourist visas, student visas, etc.
Who would require an Indian Visa?
Not everyone located outside the country would require an Indian visa to visit India. Tourists from Nepal and Bhutan come under this category. Citizens of Maldives are permitted to enter India without a passport. They are allowed to stay for a maximum period of ninety days without a passport. However, people who are visiting India from Mainland China would require to furnish a proper visa.
People who wish to stay in India for less than seventy-two hours would require a transit visa. Such a type of visa can be applied along with a confirmed air ticket. In the absence of a confirmed ticket, it is required to apply for an Indian tourist visa.
What type of visa does one requires to explore India?
There are several different types of visa forms based on the need of people. Some of them being a student visa, intern visa, tourist visa, journalist visa, employment visa, conference visa, and so on.
A tourist visa can be applied for varying times, beginning from two months to ten years. Irrespective of the validity of your tourist visa, it is not permitted to stay in India for a continuous period of more than ninety days. There has to be a minimum gap of two months gap between any two consequent visits on your tourist visa, even in case of visiting different places of India.
About e-Visa of India
In most nations, the traditional form of visa application is replaced by a more convenient and quick electronic form of visa application called “e-Visa”. This type of visa can be easily applied for ‘Electronic Travel Authorization’ via an online site. You will get an approval mail or a PDF document with the required details. All you need is to carry this document and get a visa stamping done after entering the Indian airport. The duration of the validity of this stamping is around sixty days. It is permitted for a maximum of three entries in the country.
Who are eligible for an e-visa in India?
- E-visa is issued for tourists who are visiting the country for purposes such as tourism, short-duration business visit, medical treatment, and family visits.
- The passport needs to have two blank pages and a minimum of 6 months validity.
- Copies of a return ticket, along with the duration mentioned in the form.
- A separate visa is needed for infants and children
Documents required for e-visa
- Scan copy of the first and last page of the passport
- Passport size photograph
Documents required to be submitted on arrival in India
- A printed copy of your e-visa
- Passport along with passport size photograph
- Health insurance for the entire period of the stay.
Filling an online Indian Visa application form
Once you have all these documents, now you can apply for an Indian visa. The first step is to fill an online visa application form. The online application form of “Visa to India” requires candidates to mention their details that include name, dates of birth, address, and a lot more. Make sure that you fill up all the mandatory fields in the form. A form that is not duly filled can lead to rejection. Also, ensure that the information you enter into the form has to be accurate and in the desired format as mentioned in the form.
Information about the signature and the kind of visa requested must match any of the listings that are made on other associated and relevant documents. It is advised for an applicant to thoroughly check as well as validate the information that is entered on the e-visa application form before submitting it. This is important as no modifications in the data are permitted once the form gets submitted.
Once the document is duly filled and submitted on the website, you will now need to book an interview with the Indian mission or Indian Consulate within your nation at a suitable time. This step is not valid for the e-VISA application.
The printout of this information along with the e-application form, fee, and supporting documents needs to be sent to the Indian Mission on the interview date. In case of an e-Visa, on applying for the visa application online, upon validation of the details, it gets approved by the Indian board of internal affairs. The applicant will receive an eVisa via mail. If any fee is required to be paid, then it can be done through the accepted mode of e-payment.
Receive Visa upon verification
Finally, after receiving the visa application either through the Indian Embassy or online, it is going to take at least three working days to get the request processed. Once approved, you can collect your visa from the respective office of the Indian Mission. E-visa applicants will receive it directly on their email Id.
Get More Information: Difference Between E-visas and The Regular Visa India
On what grounds can an Indian tourist visa get rejected?
If you find that your application for an Indian visa has been rejected by the government, then it can be due to the below reasons.
- Any information found to be illegible/ missing or incorrect
- Missing documents
- The number of blank pages in the passport are lower than needed
- The validity of passport lower than needed
Conclusion
Whether you want to visit India for vacation or business purposes, you would need a visa. The Indian government has made the visa application process simpler by introducing an e-Visa or online application for an Indian visa. The above step-by-step guide will help you apply for an Indian tourist visa easily.
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