India Visas

India's immigration system splits between three institutions. Indian missions abroad — the embassies, high commissions, and BLS/VFS application centres in countries with bilateral arrangements — issue visas, overwhelmingly through the e-Visa platform run by the Ministry of Home Affairs. Inside India, the Bureau of Immigration (BOI) handles entry and exit at the airport. The Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) handles registration, visa extensions, and conversions for stays beyond 180 days. Long-stay applicants will deal with all three.

The e-Visa is now the headline route. India offers e-Visa categories for tourist, business, medical, conference, and employment purposes — issued in 30-day, 1-year, and 5-year variants for many nationalities. For longer or specialised stays, traditional visa stickers and paper applications still apply: Employment visa for salaried workers earning above the prescribed threshold (currently US$25,000/year minimum); Project visa for project-specific contracts in defined sectors; Student visa for universities and research institutions; Entry (X) visa for Persons of Indian Origin and certain spouses; and the OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) card for people of Indian origin with multi-generation ties.

What stands out about India is the way registration thresholds shape the experience. Any foreign national staying more than 180 days on a single visa must register with the FRRO within 14 days of arrival. Some categories — Employment, Student, Research, Medical Attendant, Project — must register regardless of length. Tourist visa holders are exempt only for short stays. The guides in this hub focus on the documentation flows between the consulate, BOI, and FRRO that make or break long-stay outcomes.

After arrival, the post-arrival sequence varies by visa category. Tourist-visa holders simply pass through immigration and receive their stamp; long-stay categories must register at the FRRO within 14 days, often using the e-FRRO portal that has replaced most in-person filings. Employment-visa holders typically register their local Indian address at the FRRO and the employer simultaneously files a labour-department notification. e-Visa users receive their permitted stay duration as a stamp at the airport — confirm the period granted matches your e-Visa class before leaving the immigration counter, because errors at this stage are difficult to correct later.