Before purchasing air, land, or sea tickets to India, travelers must check the visa requirements for their specific country. Visa requirements vary; many neighboring countries, for example, do not require visas for residents to travel to India, but citizens of the United States do. Americans can obtain a visa for India through Travisa, an independent contractor hired by the Indian government. When out of country, Americans will not necessarily use Travisa; they should, instead, apply to the nearest Indian consulate or embassy.
Visas for India come in many forms; travelers should choose the option that best fits their purpose in the country. Common types are tourist visas, business visas, conference visas, transit visas, student visas and employment visas. Travelers may also need research, missionary or journalist visas. Requirements differ between each visa type; check the Travisa page for more information.
Travelers apply for an Indian visa will be required to provide certain information about themselves, their nationality and contacts. In order to apply for a visa, you must present a passport that is valid for at least six months from the date of application and which has at least two blank visa pages. In addition, you must submit two recent, identical passport photos and a photocopy that has proof of your address, such as a driver's license or utility bill.
Depending on where and when you apply for an Indian visa, the processing time will differ. If applying through Travisa, standard visa forms will be processed by the next day. If you submit your forms by mail, it should take approximately five business days to process from the date the forms are received. Same-day processing is available for a fee; you must submit your application in person to the Outsourcing Office of Travisa to qualify for this service.
If you are applying for an Indian visa from another country, fees and time frames may differ, sometimes drastically. In Thailand, for example, travelers often tell stories of waiting for days while officials at the India embassy processed their forms. Others speak of waiting in line for hours, only to be turned away when the office closed. To be safe, apply for your Indian visa as far in advance as possible to avoid delays.
