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Visa
:- Six month multiple-entry visas are now issued
to most nationals regardless of whether you intend staying
that long or re-entering the country. Only six-month tourist
visas are extendable. Most Indian embassies and consulates
won't issue a visa to enter India unless you hold an onward
ticket. Be careful to check whether your visa is valid from
the date of entry or the date of issue. |
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Types of Visa:- |
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Tourist Visa
: Tourist visa is issued
for 6 months, 1 year and 10 years. The period of stay in
India (for each visit) is 6 months only.
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Entry Visa
: Entry visas are issued only to people of
Indian origin. Such visas are valid for 6 months, 1 year or
5 years. |
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Business Visa
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Valid
for 6 months/one year with multiple entries. A letter (on
company letterhead) from Sponsoring Organization
indicating the nature of applicant's business, probable
duration of stay, places and organizations to be visited
incorporating therein a guarantee to meet maintenance
expenses, etc. should accompany the application.
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Long
term Business visas for ten years (multiple entries) in
case of US Citizens and five years (multiple entries) for
other nationals are available only to those who have set
up industrial/business joint ventures in India. This fact,
along with the details of joint venture in India must be
mentioned in the sponsorship letter.
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Student Visa
: Valid for six months to one year with multiple
entries for bona fide students to pursue regular studies at
recognized institutions in India. |
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Transit Visa
(IN PERSON ONLY)
: Valid for
single/double entry for maximum stay of 15 days for bona
fide transit purposes only. |
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Missionaries: |
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Valid
for single entry and duration as permitted by Government of
India. A letter, in triplicate, from sponsoring organization
indicating intended destination in India, probable length of
stay, and nature of duties to be discharged should be
submitted along with guarantee for applicant’s maintenance
while in India. NOTE: Processing of applications for
research and missionaries may take up to three months. |
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Journalist visa
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Journalist visas are issued to professional journalists and
photographers for a maximum of three months only.
“Journalists, who are not accredited to India, irrespective
of their origin, are given only 3 months single entry visa,
irrespective of their origin. Accordingly, journalists who
wish to visit India for tourism/ sightseeing or any other
purpose are advised to apply for 3 months visa only. Please
note that it will not be possible to refund the excess fees
in case a journalist applies for a long-term visa . |
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Conference
visa : |
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Conference visas are issued for a period of 1 month, or for
the duration of the conference only. A letter of invitation
from the organizer of the conference is to be submitted
along with the visa application.
Transfer of Valid visa -Valid visa can either be transferred
from the expired passport to the new passport by submitting
the visa application form, both the passports and required
fee (see below) OR the passport holder could travel with
both the expired passport containing the valid visa and the
new passport keeping them together |
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Curency :- |
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You are
not allowed to bring Indian currency into the country, or
take it with you when you leave. The Rupee
is fully convertible so there's not much of a black market,
even though you'll constantly be haunted by offers to
'change money'. In cities you can change most major foreign
currencies and brands of travellers' cheques - but you'll
widen your options and save yourself hassles if you stick to
US dollars or pounds Sterling or Euros and either Thomas
Cook or American Express travellers cheques. In fact, it's
wise to bring a couple of different brands of cheques in
different currencies since some branches of some banks have
particular idiosyncrasies, such as refusing to handle
X-brand of travellers' cheques in pounds Sterling
denomination or Y-brand in US dollars. |
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When
changing money at a bank you'll need the patience of a
saint and the paperwork skills of a ledger clerk,
especially in smaller towns. The secret is to change
money in large amounts as infrequently as possible and
preferably in big banks in big cities. You are supposed
to be given an encashment certificate when you change
money at a bank or an official moneychanger. Some hotels
insist you show an encashment certificate before
accepting payment in Indian rupees. If you stay in India
more than four months, you'll need to keep a handful of
these certificates to get income tax clearance. Most of
the reputed hotels in big cities have good exchange rate
unlike many other countries where you don’t get good
exchange rate at the hotels. |
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Credit cards are widely accepted in Indian cities and
larger towns, particularly American Express, Diners
Club, MasterCard and Visa. Credit cards can also be used
to get cash advances in rupees. The Bank of Baroda seems
to be the most efficient bank at handling such
transactions. A growing number of large cities and towns
have ATMs that accept Cirrus, Maestro, Mastercard and
Visa.
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Indian currency notes circulate far longer than in the
West and the small notes in particular become very tatty
- some should carry a government health warning. You may
occasionally find that when you try to pay for something
with a ripped or grubby note that your money is refused.
You can change old notes for new ones at most banks or
save them and use them creatively as tips. Don't let
shopowners palm grubby notes off on you as change -
simply hand them back and you'll usually be given a note
slightly higher up the acceptability scale. Keep a
supply of smaller denomination notes - there is a
perpetual shortage of small change. |
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