🇮🇳map India [Residency]

Overview

India is a big, busy, and endlessly surprising country, and it rewards travelers who arrive with curiosity and a bit of patience. You’ll find a mix of ancient traditions and cutting-edge tech, palm-fringed beaches and high mountain passes, and some of the world’s most flavorful food scenes. English is widely used in business and government alongside Hindi and many regional languages, so getting by is easier than you might expect. For day-to-day life, plan for varied climates, regional cuisines, and different norms around dress and public behavior—urban hubs are relaxed, but modest attire is appreciated in religious and rural spaces.

Most travelers need a visa before arrival, typically the e-Visa for tourism, business, or short medical trips, applied for online. Your passport should have at least six months’ validity from the date of arrival and a couple of blank pages, and you should carry a return or onward ticket and accommodation details. Expect standard security screening at airports and potential checks of your e-Visa approval letter, so keep printouts and digital copies handy. If you’re coming to work, volunteer, or study, you’ll need the corresponding visa category rather than a tourist visa.

Tourist and Short-term Visas

For short visits, the e-Visa is the usual path and is designed to be straightforward: apply online, upload a photo and passport scan, pay the fee, and wait for an electronic approval you’ll present on arrival. The tourist e-Visa is intended for leisure, visiting friends and family, or short courses that aren’t degree-granting. Business e-Visas cover meetings, conferences, and exploring partnerships, but they don’t allow employment in India. While extensions are uncommon for tourist e-Visas, you can plan multiple entries within the validity if your approval specifies that.

Keep your application consistent with your itinerary details, and make sure your photo meets the specifications—most rejections happen due to mismatched data or poor-quality images. Processing can be quick, but it’s smart to apply at least a couple of weeks in advance in case of follow-up questions. Save every confirmation email and your approved ETA/e-Visa letter to both your phone and cloud storage. If your plans change significantly, it’s better to submit a fresh application than to risk issues at the port of entry.

Work Visas and Permits

If you’re coming to India to work, you’ll apply for an Employment visa (often called an E visa, distinct from the e-Visa) tied to a specific employer and role. These are meant for skilled roles and specialized assignments, and your Indian employer typically provides a contract, a detailed job description, and company registration documents. Freelancing while on a tourist or business visa isn’t permitted, and remote workers should be mindful that “working from India” usually requires the proper employment status and visa category. Business visas allow you to attend meetings, explore partnerships, and set up relationships, but they’re not a substitute for a work visa.

Your qualifications should align with the role, and the offered compensation generally needs to meet thresholds reflecting skilled employment. Expect to submit degree certificates, experience letters, and passport-size photos to the embassy or consulate handling your case. Processing times vary by post, so start early and keep lines of communication open with your employer’s HR or mobility team. Once approved, you’ll typically register locally after arrival if your visa stipulates it and plan renewals well ahead of expiry.

Long-term Residence

Longer stays in India are usually anchored to purpose: employment, study, research, or family. Many expatriates live in India on renewable employment visas, and family members can accompany them on dependent visas with access to local schools and life infrastructure. Permanent residency in the classic sense is limited and not the default pathway for most foreign professionals; instead, people maintain long-term status through timely extensions tied to their original purpose. If you’re exploring family connections, spousal and dependent options are available when your partner or parent holds an eligible status.

Investment-led options and entrepreneurial routes exist but can be nuanced, often requiring company registration, documented capital, and compliance with India’s corporate and tax rules. India isn’t a traditional “retirement visa” destination; retirees typically anchor their stay to other categories or keep to repeat short stays. If your goal is to build a multi-year life in India, engage a reputable local advisor to align immigration status with business setup, taxes, and personal planning. The key is to choose the visa that genuinely matches your day-to-day activity in India.

Application Process

Plan your timeline backward from your target arrival date. For e-Visas, the process is entirely online: complete the form, upload your photo and passport page, pay the fee, and wait for the approval notice. For employment and other long-stay categories, you’ll coordinate with your employer or sponsor, gather notarized copies of degrees and experience letters, and visit an Indian embassy or consulate for submission and, if required, biometrics. Consular staff may ask simple, purpose-based questions; answer clearly and keep documents consistent across forms and letters.

A tidy file is your best friend. Keep a checklist with your passport validity, recent photographs, invitation or employment letters, accommodation details, and travel itinerary. Name your digital files clearly—“Surname_Passport.pdf” beats “scan1.pdf”—and store them in a shared folder for quick access. After submission, use the official tracking links provided in your acknowledgment email, and respond promptly to any requests for additional information. If you plan to travel while your passport is with the consulate, discuss options with the mission before you apply.

Costs and Fees

Visa fees vary by nationality, visa type, and validity, and the online portal will calculate the exact amount before you pay. Besides the government fee, you might see convenience or processing charges if you use an external service provider or courier. If your application requires notarization or legalization of documents, build in time and budget for those services in your home country. Some categories may ask for medical tests or health insurance; even when optional, travel medical insurance is a wise choice for peace of mind.

Companies sponsoring employment visas often cover or reimburse many costs, including visa fees and registration charges. Keep receipts and a simple expense log if your employer offers reimbursement. Avoid third-party sites that look official but charge inflated fees—stick to the recognized government portals or the VFS/authorized centers listed by your local Indian mission. If you need to reapply due to changes or errors, you’ll typically pay the fee again, so accuracy saves money.

After Arrival

Give yourself a few days to settle into the rhythm—India’s pace can be both exhilarating and intense. If your visa requires local registration (this often applies to longer-stay categories), visit the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) or complete online registration within the stated timeframe. Keep your lease, landlord’s ID, passport photos, and passport/visa copies on hand for this step. For employment, your company’s HR team will usually guide you through tax number setup and any additional compliance steps.

Opening a bank account is straightforward once you have your passport, visa, local address proof, and passport photos; some banks offer expat desks in major cities. Mobile phone service is essential for everyday life and deliveries—bring your passport and a passport photo to any major carrier, and expect a quick SIM activation with proper ID. For taxes, employees typically have tax withheld at source, but it’s still wise to get basic advice in your first month. If you’re bringing family, register kids at schools early and obtain local immunization and medical records to smooth enrollment.

Common Issues and Tips

Most hiccups come from mismatched details—names spelled differently across documents, fuzzy photos, or a purpose of stay that doesn’t align with the chosen visa. Double-check everything, and keep a master file of documents you can update easily. If an application is refused, read the reason carefully; many rejections can be resolved with a clearer invitation letter, better scans, or choosing the correct category. Appeals are possible for some cases, but a corrected reapplication is often faster.

When in doubt, use official channels or reputable advisors. Your local Indian embassy or consulate website will have the latest instructions and any recent policy updates, and firms handling corporate mobility can help with employment-linked cases. On the ground, expat communities in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi NCR, and Hyderabad are active and generous with practical advice—from neighborhoods and coworking spaces to doctors and accountants. Above all, let India’s variety work for you: if one process lane is slow, another office or time of day often gets things moving.

Raj
Raj is a technology consultant and global mobility specialist originally from Bangalore, India, with over 14 years of experience in the tech industry and international talent relocation. Having worked for major technology companies including Infosys, Wipro, and leading global tech firms, Raj has extensive experience facilitating the relocation of Indian IT professionals to key markets including Australia, Mauritius, and other Commonwealth nations. His expertise spans both the technical aspects of skilled worker visa programs and the cultural nuances of adapting to new markets, particularly for professionals in the technology sector.