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| Passport |
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You must have a passport with you all the time. It's the most basic travel document. Also ensure that your passport will be valid for the entire period you intend to
remain overseas, if your passport is lost or stolen, immediately contact your country's embassy or consulate in Delhi and also to nearest police station.
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| Apply for Passport |
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| Visa |
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You need a visa to visit India. But if you are coming from Nepal you only need Identification, and visa is issued at the airport only. Note that with a three month visa,
your entry to India must be within 30 day's from the date of issue of the visa. Also, the six month visa is valid from the date of issue of the visa, not the date you enter India five
month after the visa was issued, it will be valid only for one month not the full six month. If you enter India the day after it was issued, you can stay for the full six month.
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| General Regulations for applying for Visa |
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Passport valid for a minimum of six months beyond the date of intended departure from India should accompany visa applications.
Paste one photo and staple the other one on the form at specified place.
Foreigners holding other nationalities (other than the country where applying for visa), should submit proof of long-term (at least three years)/ permanent residence in the country
(where applying). For citizen of other countries, reference has to be made to their country of residence for which an additional fee is applicable and will involve extra processing
time. Please refrain from making inquiries about the status of application during this time.
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| Type of Visas |
| Tourist Visa |
| Is given for 6 months normally, rest specifically depends on the country of residence. The applicant is required to produce/submit documents in proof of his financial standing.
Tourist travelling in groups of not less than four members under the auspices of a recognised travel agency may be considered for grant of collective tourist visa. |
| Business Visa |
| Valid for one or more year with multiple entries. A letter from sponsoring organization indicating nature of business, probable duration of stay, places and organizations
to be visited incorporating there in a guarantee to meet maintenance expenses, etc. should accompany the application. |
| Student Visa |
| Are issued for the duration of the academic course of study or for a period of five years whichever is less, on the basis of firm letters of admission from Universities/recognized
colleges or educational institutions in India. Change of purpose and institutions are not permissible. |
| Transit Visa |
| Are issued for a maximum period of 15-days with single/double entry facilities to bonafide transit passengers only. |
| Visa to Missionaries |
| Are valid for single entry and duration as permitted by Government of India. A letter in triplicate from sponsoring organization indicating intended destination in India,
probable length of stay, and nature of duties to be discharged should be submitted along with guarantee for applicant’s maintenance while in India. |
| Journalist Visa |
| Are issued to professional journalists and photographers for visiting India. The applicants are required to contact on arrival in New Delhi, the External Publicity Division
of the Ministry of External Affairs and in other places, the Office of the Government of India's Press Information Bureaus. |
| Conference Visa |
| Are issued for attending conferences/seminars/meetings in India. A letter of invitation from the organizer of the conference is to be submitted along
with the visa application. Delegates coming to attend conferences may combine tourism with attending conferences |
| Employment Visa |
| Are issued to skilled and qualified professionals or persons who are engaged or appointed by companies, organizations, economic undertakings as technicians, technical experts,
senior executives etc. Applicants are required to submit proof of contract/employment/engagement of of foreign nationals by the company or organization. |
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| General Visa Information |
| Duration |
| Depends on the type of visa applied. |
| Fees |
| The fee structure depends on the nationality of the passport holder and type/duration of visa applied. The existing fee structure is: |
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| Transit Visa |
5 $ |
| Visas with validity upto six months |
30 $ |
| Visas with validity upto one year |
50 $ |
| Student Visa |
50 $ |
| Visas with validity between one to five years |
100 $ |
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| Visa fees indicated in US$ are payable in local currencies as well. Visa fees are not refundable except in cases where a visa already issued is cancelled thereafter. |
| These are indicative price, please confirm with the Local Indian Embassy |
| Visa Extension |
| Delhi- MHA- Director (F), Lok Nayak Bhawan, Ist floor, Khan market, New Delhi-110003. |
| Tax Clearance Certificates |
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If you stay in India for more than 120 days you need a 'tax clearance certificate' to leave the country. This supposedly proves that your time in India was financed
with your own money , not by working in India or by selling thing or playing black market.
Basically all you have to do is find the Foreign Section of the Income Tax Department Jaipur and turn up with your passport, visa extension form, any other similar paperwork
and a handful of bank exchange receipts (to show you really have been changing foreign currency into rupees officially). You fill in a form and wait for anything from 10 minutes to a
couple of hours, you are then given your tax clearance certificate. We have not heard from anyone who has actually been asked for this document on departure, but I recommend you to obtain
one to be on safer side.
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| Photocopies |
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Keep photocopies of your important travel documents, which obviously should be kept separate from the originals in the event that these are lost or stolen.
Take a photocopy of the first page of your passport (with personal detail and photograph), as well as a copy of the page with your Indian Visa, a photocopy of your travel
insurance policy, and keep a record of the traveller's cheques you have exchanged, where they were encashed, the amount and serial number. Encashment receipts should also be kept separate
from your airlines tickets and your credit card, It's not a bad idea to leave photocopies of your important travel documents with a friend or relative at home.
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| General Visa Information |
The duration of stay in India, for each visit on a tourist visa or business visa is only for a period of 6 months even though a valid visa may be for more than 6 months.
Visa is given for a period for which passport is valid. For example, if a passport is valid until April 30,2003 and an applicant is applying for 5 years visa on December 31,1999, the applicant
will not be issued a 5 years visa as the passport expires before the 5 year visa.
Validity of all visas is counted from the date of their issue.
Tourist visa up to 5 years may be granted if the foreigner is connected with the tourism trade.
If visa is for more than 180 days, registration is compulsory within 14 days of first arrival in India. |
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