India is one of the best destinations in the world for travelers who want to experience history, culture, tradition, wildlife, and a variety of cuisines. If you are planning a trip here, there are a few essential travel documents to carry to India as foreigners. Read on to find out more.
Passport
The most important document needed for your trip to India is a valid passport. Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond the date of your arrival in India. It should also have at least two blank pages for stamps.
Indian Visa
Unless you are from a country belonging to the visa-free list to India, you must have a visa to visit India. India has many types of visa for various purposes, such as a tourist visa, business visa, student visa, transit visa, medical visa, and more. You can check out the different types of visas for India in detail here.
If you are visiting India for tourism, you will need to apply for a tourist visa. Tourist visas for India have a validity of 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 5 years, or 10 years and allow for single entry, doubly entry, or multiple entries. However, you can only stay in India for up to 180 days at one time.
e-Visa
Another option is an e-Visa, or Electronic Visa, available for citizens of more than 160 countries to enter India for various purposes. However, you need to check if your arrival airport is e-Visa compatible. Issued as an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA), you have to print it and carry it along with your passport.
The e-tourist visa for India has a validity of 30 days, 1 year, or 5 years and allows double entry for 30 days and multiple entries for 1 and 5 years.
OCI card
If you hold a valid Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card, you do not need a visa. You can use the OCI card along with your British passport. If you have a Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) card, you will need to convert it to an OCI card.
Documents for visa
The documents you require for your visa application process will depend on the type of visa. However, there are a few general requirements that are necessary for any type of visa, such as a valid passport, a properly filled visa application form, recent passport-size photographs, visa fee payment receipt, airline tickets, and proof of accommodation.
Vaccine certificate
You will need a valid certificate of yellow fever vaccination if you are from a country listed as a transmission risk. If you come from a polio-affected country, you will also need a polio vaccine certificate.
Airline tickets and proof of accommodation
You may be asked for proof of onward travel and accommodation during your visa application process or during the immigration check. Keep the originals and photocopies of all tickets and hotel bookings handy.
Access permits
You need a permit to travel to some parts of India like Sikkim, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, and a few regions in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Travel insurance
Travel insurance is not mandatory in India, but it is highly recommended. It can also affect your visa application, so make sure to buy one. There are many websites that offer you travel insurance packages that suit your requirements. Choose one that covers loss of passport, baggage, and medical emergencies.
Proof of sufficient funds
You may be asked to show proof of adequate funds, such as bank statements or credit cards, in order to ensure that your stay in India can be covered.
Copies of all documents
Keep physical copies of all the travel documents for your trip to India, preferably in a different place from the originals. Also keep digital copies of documents on your phone for easy access.
Make sure to check the official government websites in India like https://www.mha.gov.in/ and https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/ for any updates or regulations in the documents.
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Frequently Asked Questions
In general, foreigners visiting India need a valid passport, a visa or e-Visa, travel insurance, vaccination certificate, proof of accommodation and sufficient funds, and copies of all documents.
Generally, on a tourist visa, a foreigner can stay in India for a maximum of 180 days. However, depending on the type of visa, some foreigners can exceed their stay.
Most foreigners live in metropolitan cities like Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, New Delhi, and even Goa for a range of reasons like the availability of required amenities, different cultures co-existing, and good job opportunities.
About Aishwarya Shete
Aishwarya Shete is a content writer at India Someday. Her passions are writing, photography, and more importantly, food. She hopes to travel the world someday and document it through her pictures and words.
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