India Tourist/Business/Medical Visas

All foreign nationals who wish to visit India will without exception require a visa. India offers short term visas for tourism, business visits and for the increasing practice of travelling abroad to undergo medical treatment. Short stay visas for India may be granted for a duration of up to six months, or in the case of an Indian medical visa, up to 1 year with the possibility of an extension. However, all are intended as temporary Indian visa services and oblige the applicant to return to their country of residence at the end of their visa’s period of validity. Applicants may not live and work in India without obtaining an Indian work permit and short stay visas cannot be used as a means to switch into a long term India immigration service.

You can find out whether you qualify for a short stay Indian visa now by visiting the Global Visas online assessment area.

Indian Tourist Visa

India tourist visas, often referred to as Indian visit visas or travel visas allow a foreign national to relocate to India for a period of up to six months in order to visit family and friends or for the purposes of tourism. An Indian visit visa may be granted to an individual or where a group of four or more people will be travelling together, a collective tourist visa can be issued.

Applying for an Indian Tourist Visa – Eligibility Requirements

All applicants who wish to apply for an Indian tourist visa must be in possession of a current and valid passport from their country of residence. In cases where an applicant is entering India only as part of a longer-term journey to another final destination, an Indian transit visa may be issued. This very short term Indian visa allows a candidate to remain in the country for up to 15 days and applicants must be able to demonstrate evidence, in the form of travel tickets, of their intention to travel to another destination within the 15 day period.

Indian Business Visa

Indian business visas can be issued for either a single entry or multiple entries to India and may have an overall duration of up to five years, though as is the case with all visas, the actual duration granted will depend upon the particular case. Business visas are designed for those travelling to India to engage in a range of business activities, however although the duration of this type of visa may be several years, an Indian business visa applicant is not permitted to live and work in India on this visa status. Business visas allow activities such as entering into negotiations, attending meetings and visiting conferences, however it is not permitted for an applicant to undertake employment.

As with a tourist visa application, business visa applicants must possess a current passport valid for at least six months. A business visa application must also be accompanied by letters from a sponsoring company in India and from the applicant’s employer which must detail the duration and purpose of the visit as well as setting out who will be financially responsible for the candidate during his or her time in India.

Indian Medical Visa

Indian medical visas are issued for the express purpose of travelling to India to undergo treatment at a recognised medical institution. Medical visas or Indian ‘M’ visas as they are commonly known are granted as a temporary immigration service and like travel visas and business visas, applicants are required to return to their country of residence. However, unlike a visit visa, a medical visas may be granted for up to 12 months and this may be extendable by a further 12 months where the medical condition of the individual requires. Within the period granted, an applicant may enter India up to three times, and in some circumstances a fourth visit may be permitted. As a rule, visas will be issued according to the time required to perform the surgery or treatment being undertaken and any extension will need to be granted by the Ministry of Home Affairs based on evidence of the need for the patient to remain in India.

Applying for an Indian Medical Visa – Eligibility Requirements

In India, visa applications of this kind are heavily scrutinised to ensure that the applicant has a genuine need for medical treatment and that they match the requirements for entering India under this route. Applicants must show that they have sought preliminary advice in their own country and that specialist treatment has been advised. The institution which the patient will attend must be recognised as an authority on the condition in question and priority will be afforded to those applicants with heart problems, ophthalmic disorders or a need for neuro-surgery or organ transplants. It is important to note that all foreign nationals entering India for medical treatment must register their arrival in India with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) within 14 days.

Spouse Immigration and Dependent Immigration

Whilst travel visas and business visas make no provision for dependent immigration, and all applicants must apply individually, medical visa applicants may be accompanied by up to two blood relatives. These relatives may remain in India with the principle applicant for the duration of their stay and will be granted an MX visa.

Visit the online assessment area now to begin your application. Simply complete an assessment form and a friendly immigration consultant will contact you.