| Documents & Formalities to Visit India
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| PASSPORT
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Citizens of all countries, except Nepal & Bhutan, require a valid national passport
or valid travel documents and a valid visa granted by Missions abroad for entering
India. Nepalese or Bhutanese citizens
need no passport or visa but should possess suitable documents for their identification
when proceeding from their respective countries.
It is advisable for all foreign national visiting India to carry the passport
in person for identification as and when required
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| VISA
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The general policy of the Government of India is to encourage tourism.
Foreigners desirous of visiting India should obtain visa from the Indian Mission
in their country. They should possess a valid National Passport-except
in the case of nationals of Bhutan & Nepal, who may carry only suitable means
of identification.
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| TOURIST VISA
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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.
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| BUSINESS
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Visa is valid for one or more years up to 5 years with multiple entries. A
letter from a 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.
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| STUDENT VISA
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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.
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| TRANSIT VISA
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Are issued for a maximum period of 15 days with single / double entry facilities
to bona fide transit passengers only.
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| VISA TO MISSIONARIES
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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.
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| JOURNALIST VISA
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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.
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| CONFERENCE VISA
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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.
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| EMPLOYMENT VISA
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Are issued to skilled and qualified professionals or persons who are engaged or
appointed by companies, organizations, economic undertakings as technicians, technical
exports, senior executives, etc. Applicants are required to submit
proof of contract / employments / engagements of foreign nationals by the company
or organization. Initially granted for a period of one year, it can be extended
in India upto the period of contract.
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| COLLECTIVE VISA
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The facility also exists for the issue of collective visas to group tours consisting
of not less than four members and sponsored by a travel agency recognized by the
Government of India. Such groups may split into smaller groups
for visiting different places in India after obtaining a collective “licence to
travel” from the immigration authorities in India. However, they must reassemble
and depart as the original group.
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| RECREATION
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Foreigners wishing to undertake any international sporting event, trekking, botanical
expeditions, yoga, journalists, media men, documentary and feature film makers may
obtain visas after due formalities from the Indian Embassy.
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| EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION
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Foreigners coming to India on tourist visas for 180 days or shorter period are not
required to register themselves with any authority in India. They can move about
freely in India, except to restricted/protected areas and prohibited places.Nationals
of Bangladesh are exempted from registration up to six months.If their stay exceeds
six months, they have to register themselves. Individuals without nationality (stateless
persons; IRO refugees, persons receiving legal or political protection, holders
of Nansen passport etc.) should have valid passports, identity documents or sworn
affidavits along with the visa for which they should apply tow months in advance.Pakistan
nationals are required to register themselves within 24 hours of their arrival with
the nearest police station. Those holding a long-term multiple entry visa do not
require ‘Intended Departure Clearance’ from the city office when leaving the country.Accredited
journalists are given the ‘Intended Departure Clearance’ at the airport.Family passports
issued by other governments are recognized without discrimination.The address of
the FRRO are as follows:
Foreigners Regional Registration Officer
Homs Bhawan, Ist Floor Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg
New Delhi – 110002, Tel: 2331 9489/1231 extn.
FRRO Timings – Mon to Fri 0930 to 1330 hrs and 1400 to 1600 hrs
Foreigners Regional Registration Officer
Head Police Officer, Annexe 11,
Commissioner of Police, Near Crawford Market,
Mumbai – 400 001 Tel: 2262 1169
Timings: Mon to Fri 0930 to 1330 hrs and 1400 to 1600 hrs.
Foreigners Regional Registration Officer
237, AJC Bose Road,
Calcutta – 700 020,
Timings: Mon to Fri 0930 to 1330 hrs and 1400 to 1600 hrs.
Chief Immigration Officer,
Bureau of Immigration Sastri Bhawan Annexe,
No. 26 Haddows Road
Chennai – 600 006 Tel: 2827 7036
Timings – Mon to Fri 0930 to 1330 hrs and 1400 to 1600 hrs.
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| LANDING PERMIT FACILITY
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Tourists may note the no Landing Permit Facility is available to any foreign tourist
landing without a visa. A limited facility exists only for group tours consisting
of four or more members and sponsored by a travel agency recognized by the Government
of India.Children of foreigners of Indian origin below the age of 12 may be granted
a landing permit by the immigration authorities up to a period of 90 days to see
their relatives, in case they happen to come without a visa.
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| TOURIST GROUPS
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A tourist group arriving by air, ship or by a chartered or scheduled flight may
be granted a collective landing permit for a period of up to 30 days by the immigration
authorities on landing, provided the group is sponsored by a recognized travel agency
and a pre-drawn itinerary is presented along with details of passport etc. of the
members, and the travel agency gives an undertaking to conduct the group together. |
| EXTENSION OF VISA
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As a rule no extension of stay is granted on a Tourist Visa.However, in exceptional
case if extension is allowed an extension fee is levied which varies from country
to country.
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| SPECIAL PERMITS
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Some areas in India, usually border districts, are out of bounds for normal travelers
due to political and security reasons. However, some of these are extremely beautiful
and fascinating places, their remoteness lending them a special quality, and special
permits may be procured if one wishes to visit them.Permits are usually provided
to groups and for a limited number of days. There is no extra charge for acquiring
the permits and they may be obtained from the Indian Mission abroad or governmental
agencies within India.
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| Customs Formalities & Regulations
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Visitors are generally required to make an oral baggage declaration in respect of
baggage and foreign currency in their possession. They are also required to obtain
the Currency Declaration Form from the Customs. They should fill in the Disembarkation
Card handed over to them by the airline during the course of the flight.There are
two channels for clearance:
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GREEN CHANNEL |
For passengers not in possession of any dutiable articles or unaccompanied baggage.
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| RED CHANNEL
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For passengers with dutiable articles or unaccompanied baggage or high value articles
to be entered on the tourist Baggage Re-Export Form.
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| CURRENCY REGULATIONS
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There are no restrictions on the amount of foreign currency or travellers’ cheques
a tourist may bring into India provided he makes a declaration in the Currency Declaration
form given to him on arrival. This will enable him not only to exchange the currency
bought in, but also to take the unspent currency out of India on departure. Cash,
bank notes and travellers cheques up to US$ 1,000 or equivalent, need not be declared
at the time of entry.
Any money in the form of travellers cheques, drafts, bill, cheques, etc. in convertible
currencies, which tourists wish to convert into Indian currency, should be exchanged
only through authorized money changers and banks who will issue an encashment certificate
that is required at the time of reconversion of any unspent money into foreign currency.Exchanging
of foreign currency other than banks or authorized money changers in an offense
under Foreign Exchange Regulations Act 1973.
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| ARRIVAL & DEPATURE FORMALITIES
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Arrival Formalities: If the visa, for stay in India, is for more
than 180 days, a Registration Certificate and Residential Permit should be obtained
from the nearest Foreigners Registration Office within 15 days of arrival.All persons
including Indian nationals are required to fill in a Disembarkation Card, at the
time of arrival.Four photographs are also required for registration. The foreigners
registered at Foreigner's Registration Office are required to report change of their
addresses.
Departure from India: All persons, except nationals of Bhutan & Nepal,
leaving by air, road or rail have to fill in an Embarkation Card at the time of
departure.
Exit Formalities: Every foreigner who is about to depart finally from India
shall surrender his Certificate of Registration either to the Registration Officer
of the place where he is registered or of the place from where he intends to depart
or to the Immigration Officer at the Port/Check post of exit from India.
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| HEALTH REGULATIONS
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Foreign tourists should be in possession of their Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate
conforming to International Health Regulation, if they are originating or transiting
through Yellow Fever endemic countries.
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| FOREIGN TRAVEL TAX
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Passengers embarking on journeys to any place outside India from a Customs airport/seaport
will have to pay a Foreign Travel Tax (FTT) of Rs. 500 and Rs. 150 on journeys to
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Srilanka and Maldives.
No tax is payable on journeys performed by ship from Rameshwaram to Talaimanar and
in case of transit passengers, provided they do not leave the customs barrier. Transit
passengers traveling by air who have to leave the airport on account of mechanical
trouble but continue their journey by the same aircraft and the same flight number
by which they arrive are also exempt from FTT. Transit sea passengers leaving the
ship for sightseeing, shopping etc. during the ships call at any of the Indian
ports will not be required to pay FTT.
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