Visa Type Required for Reconnaissance
A Tourist Visa is required for any trip to India. There are 11 countries that have the right to a Tourist Visa on Arrival. These are Japan, Singapore, Philippines, Finland, Luxembourg , NewZealand , Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam,Myanmar and Indonesia. For all other nationalities, you must obtain the Tourist Visa in your home country at the Indian consulate.
Validity
Six months, one year, or five years.
Number of Entries
Multiple, so long as there is a two month gap between entries, for a maximum of 180 days at a time
Nationalities that DO NOT need to apply for this visa
Nepalese and Bhutanese
Required documents
- A completed tourist visa application form
- Current passport valid at least 190 days from the date of the visa application, with at least two pages free for the visa sticker
- Two 2 inches x 2 inches passport photos
- Proof of address
- Children under 16: Photocopy of birth certificate (if not in English, then translated into English and notarized), copies of both parents’ passports, and a letter of consent signed by both parents.
- Payment for visa fees
Specific conditions
Tourist visas are issued to people visiting India for sightseeing, traveling, and visiting family. They are not for business related purposes. To conduct business, you will need a business visa.
As of 2010, you can no longer enter India on a tourist visa, leave the country when your visa expires, apply for a new tourist visa, and then immediately reenter the country. There must be a minimum two month gap between your visits to India on a tourist visa. This new rule has been implemented to prevent people from misusing tourist visas. Exceptions may be made if you can provide detailed travel itineraries and travel tickets as evidence that you are truly in India as a tourist.
Rights for Dependents
None, but dependents can apply for their own tourists visas to coincide with your trip.
How long does it take?
About one week, but allow a few weeks to be safe. Your local consulate can give you a good estimate, as the speed of processing depends on volume of applicants at the time.
How difficult is it to obtain?
Tourist visas are relatively easy to obtain.
Is it possible to change visa status within the country?
No. Tourist Visas cannot be changed nor extended.
Application Form
You can obtain an application form from your local consulate. Interestingly, there is no consistent form and each consulate has their own – even consulates in the same country. For example, in the United States, the application form in Texas is different than the one in New York. Many consulates provide application forms online for download; otherwise, you can request a hard copy. To see an example, this is a link to an application form from the High Commission of India in London: http://www.indiavisaheadoffice.co.uk/indian-visa-forms/visa-form-23-11-2010.pdf
