Entry/Exit Requirements of Indian Visa On Arrival For US Citizens!

September 20, 2017September 13, 2022

If you are entering India then there are some Entry/Exit Requirement of Indian Visa. Entering in India by air or land is relatively straightforward, with standard immigration and customs procedures. But re-entry into India within two months of the previous date of departure has been done away by applying in FRRO. It allows the travelers to combine their India tour with side trips to neighboring countries.

Entry and Exit Requirement:

If you are a US citizen and want to:

Visit India only for tourist purposes or to
Stay not more than 60 days then

You may apply for an electronic travel authorization at least four days before your arrival instead of applying for a tourist visa at an Indian consulate. For this, you need to visit the website of the Indian government.

Click Here to check.

On this website, you can check all the eligibility criteria and required documentation.

Note: Without the electronic travel authorization visas are not available upon arrival for U.S. citizens.

If you don’t have a valid passport and visa your admission will be denied.
The U.S. Embassy and Consulates General in India cannot do anything to assist you if you arrive without proper documentation.
We advise you to carry the photocopies of the bio-data page of your U.S. passport and the pages containing the Indian visa and Indian immigration stamps. In case your passport gets lost or stolen you will get help. It will also help you to get the replacement passport. Replacing a lost visa, which you will need to exit the country, may take three to four business days.
Being a USA citizen who is wishing to visit India you are responsible for requesting the correct type of visa from the Indian Embassy or Consulate. You should know that there are no provisions for changing your immigration category (e.g., from tourist to work visa) once you have entered the country.
It is very important to note that Indian visa regulations change frequently, often with little advance notice, and changes may be poorly advertised and inconsistently enforced. For this, we urge you to check the website of the Indian Embassy in Washington, D.C. before any travel to India to review the most current information.

Important Points

Once you receive your visa, check it carefully to ensure that the type of visa and number of entries is appropriate for your travel plans.
If you are a U.S. citizen of Pakistani origin or descent are subject to administrative processing and should expect additional delays when applying for Indian visas.Here is the detailed information of Indian visa on arrival for US citizens.

Passport

It describes the specific authorization of foreigner nationals on their valid travel documents and passports for allowing entry into the country. Under The Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920, the foreigners coming to India are required to get a visa from Indian Missions/ Posts.

As you know that to enter or exit from India, a valid passport, a return ticket, and a specific visa type are required. But your passport must be valid for at least six months with at least two blank pages for your intended stay in India.

In case, if your passport is lost or stolen then immediately contact the country’s representative or US Embassy/Consulate in India. They will issue you a replacement passport.
You will get an exit visa on your passport that will allow you to leave India.
Always keep the photocopies of your airline ticket, the ID card and visa pages of your passport. It would be better enough if you scan and email copies to yourself.

Visas

Except for the citizens of Nepal, Bhutan, and Maldives, everyone needs to apply for a visa before arriving in India. Apply online before arrival to obtain a 30-day E-Tourist visa.

The visas are valid from the day you arrive. But for the longer trips, you will need to apply for a six-month tourist visa that is valid from the date of issue, not from the date of arrival in India.

In order to get an exit visa, you need to submit the following the documents:

Your replacement US passport.
The letter issued by the US embassy giving the details of your lost or stolen passport.
Original police report.
A letter from the airline on which you arrived verifying the date and place of arrival.

Visa Extensions

If you want to extend your visa due to any reasons then you should contact the respective Foreigners’ Regional Registration Office. There you can also replace the visa or your passport that is required before leaving the country.

The FRRO is permitted to issue an extension for only 14 days. But you must have:

One or two passport photocopy.
Recent passport size photographs.
Copy of valid and notarized Lease agreement OR Copy of C-Form from the Hotel OR copy of recent electricity or telephone bill along with the letter from the landlord as proof of residence.
Copy of respective visa documents and other supporting documents.
You have your passport. But if your passport is missing then provide the emergency travel document and a letter from the hospital where you are having treatment if it’s a medical emergency.

Note that this system is designed to get you out of the country promptly with the correct official stamps

Entry Requirement

You can apply for the visa through the Indian Government website that is valid for every citizen of the country. But in many countries, applications are processed by a separate private company.

Student and business visas are valid for those who want to enter India for the study and for the business purpose.
A standard tourist visa for the multiple entries is valid for 180-days.
The US citizens can get the tourist visa 5 to 10-year only under a bilateral arrangement.
Your required photographs are digital with your visa application. The format of your photographs must be 300kb and size must be 2 x 2 in.
An onward travel ticket is a requirement for some visas, but this is not always the same. So, check in advance.
If you are staying in India more than 6-months then register at the Foreigners’ Regional Registration Office (FRRO) within 14 days of arriving in India.
The visas are price is in the local currency and added the service fee.
The extended visas are only possible for those who hold a non-Indian passport and live in abroad.
Check with the Indian embassy from your country for any special conditions that may exist.

Re-entry requirement for US citizens

The permit is granted only if the need is urgent due to illness in the family, non-availability of connecting flights to return to your country or any other situation. But it will not issue for business activities, employment, pursuing study or research, etc.

Travelers on a tourist visa are currently required to have a gap of at least 2 months between two separate visits to India. The 180 maximum stays duration begins on the day you arrive in India. It is advisable that submit your application in 60 days before your valid visa expires. If not, then travel to your country of origin and to renew your visa.

Travel Permits

To access the certain parts of India, particularly the disputed border area that controls by a system and requires a permit to enter into those areas.

A permit agreement is known as an Inner-Line Permit (ILP) or a Restricted Area Permit (RAP) that is required to visit in the disputed area like Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and certain parts of Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, and Uttarakhand that lie close to the disputed border with China/Tibet.

Permits are also necessary for travel to the Andaman and Lakshadweep Islands, and some parts of Kutch in Gujarat. Permits are issued by regional magistrates and district commissioners. In some places, you also need to pay an Environmental Tax so always keep the receipt.

Double-check with tourism officials to see if permit requirement have undergone any changes before you head out to these areas.

If your application is approved, you will receive an attachment to an email, which you will need to print out and take with you to the airport. After that, stamp into your passport at the airport and head to your country back.

HIV/AIDS RESTRICTIONS: There is no need of disclosure for HIV/AIDS patients who enter India on a tourist visa. But disclosure regarding HIV/AIDS is required of anyone seeking a resident permit in India. In case foreign residents found to be suffering from HIV/AIDS will be deported. You are advised to verify this information with the Embassy of India before you travel.