News report | | 16-05-2024 | ±3 minutes reading time

Travellers wishing to make multiple trips to India or stay in the country for a long period of time can apply for either 1-year or 5-year visas. These long-term visas are available for different travel purposes. The standard tourist visa for India is valid for 30 days.

India tourist visa for 30 days

The standard tourist visa for India is valid for 30 days. Travellers are allowed to travel to India twice with this visa and stay in the country for up to 30 days in total. For most tourists, 30 days are sufficient for their travel plans, making this the most popular tourist visa. Because travellers are allowed to travel to India twice with this visa, it is also suitable for cruise travellers. Travellers who first arrive in India, then travel on to Nepal or another country and eventually return to India can also use this visa. You can apply for the 30-day tourist visa quickly and easily online.

A building on a hill in JaipurThe Gaitore Ki Chhatriyan used to be a royal crematorium

The India visa for 1 year

India's 1-year visa is also highly popular among tourists. The validity period of the visa begins at the time of issuing. Travellers may travel to India as many times as they like within 1 year of the issuance of this visa, but the maximum length of each stay in India is limited to 90 days. Travellers with this visa are allowed to spend a maximum of 180 days in India each calendar year. Two different types of the 1-year visa for India are available: one for tourists and one for business travellers. Business travel is subject to a surcharge and requires additional documents. Business travellers are allowed to stay in India for a maximum of 180 consecutive days with this visa.

Similar to the 30-day visa, you can apply for the 1-year visa online. The application process differs little from the application process for the 30-day visa. However, the 1-year visa is more expensive and random checks are more frequent, requiring additional information or documents to be provided.
Apply for a 1-year visa India here

The India visa for five years

India also offers a visa that is valid for 5 years. The validity period starts from the moment the visa is granted. The 5-year visa is only available for tourist travel purposes, meaning it is not suitable for business travellers. Similar rules apply to the use of the 5-year visa for India as for the 1-year visa. This means that travellers with this visa can spend a maximum of 90 days per stay and a maximum of 180 days per calendar year in India.

You can apply for the visa India that is valid for 5 years online using the website of the Indian Immigration Department. Since the cost of this visa is higher than the cost of visas with a shorter validity period, this visa is recommended only if you know you will be travelling to India regularly in the next 5 years. Applicants will likely have to provide more information on the reasons why they need a 5-year visa.

Apply for the visa online or at the embassy

Most travellers can easily apply for the visa to India online. This does not require a visit to the embassy or sending documents by mail. All the required information can be submitted digitally and once the application is approved, the visa is issued digitally. Only in exceptional cases is it recommended to apply for the visa at the Indian embassy, for example if the duration of the planned stay in India exceeds 180 days or if you wish to work for an Indian company.

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