India Tourist Visas
India has become one of the leading destinations offering medical travel, which is travelling to exotic location for medical, dental or even plastic surgery. All foreign nationals who wish to visit India will without exception require a visa. The Indian immigration and visa authorities offers short term visas for tourism, business visits and for the increasing practice of travelling abroad to undergo medical treatment. The Indian short stay visas may be granted for duration of up to six months, or in the case of an Indian medical visa, up to 1 year with the possibility of an extension. These visas are intended as temporary Indian visa and they require with no exception for the holder to go back to their country of residence at the end of their visa’s period. All applicants are not allowed to live and work in India without obtaining an Indian work visa and short stay visas cannot be used as a means to switch into a long term India immigration service.
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Tourist Visa India
The Indian tourist visa is often referred to as Indian visit visas or travel visas and they allow a foreign national to relocate to India for a period of up to six months if they wish to visit family and friends or for the purposes of tourism. Indian visit visas may be awarded to an individual or to groups of four or more who require travel together.
Requirements for an Indian Tourist Visa
Candidates who wish to apply for an Indian tourist visa must be have a current and valid passport from their country of residence. The Indian immigration and visa authority also authorise Indian transit visas for those who are traveling to another destination but need to stop in Indian for a short time. This short term Indian visa allows an applicant to remain in the country for up to 15 days and applicants must be able to demonstrate evidence, in the form of travel tickets, of their intention to travel to another destination within the 15 day period.
Business Visa India
Indian business permits can be issued for either a single entry or multiple entries to India and may have an overall duration of up to five years, this however is dependent upon individual cases to how the visa will granted for. Business visas are tailored for those travelling to India to take part in a range of business activities, however, applicants who hold this visa must remember that the duration of this type of visa may be granted for several years but an Indian business visa applicant is not permitted to live and work in India on this visa status. Applicants who require a Business visas are allowed to engage in activities such as entering into negotiations, attending meetings but holders of this visa may not undertake employment outside of their company.
As with a tourist visa application, business visa applicants must possess a current passport valid for at least six months. A business visa application must also be accompanied by letters from a sponsoring company in India and from the applicant’s employer which must detail the duration and purpose of the visit as well as setting out who will be financially responsible for the candidate during his or her time in India.
Medical Visa India
India offers a popular visa called the Indian medical visa which is issued for the express purpose of traveling to India to undergo treatment at an authorised medical institution. Medical visas or Indian ‘M’ visas as they are commonly known are awarded as a temporary immigration service and like travel visas and business visas, candidates are required to return to their country of residence. A medical visa may be awarded for up to 12 months and this may be extendable by a further 12 months, this of course depends on the medical condition of the patient. A holder of the M visa is allowed to enter India up to three times and in some circumstances a fourth visit may be permitted. As a general rule, the M visa is often issued according to the time required to perform the surgery or treatment being undertaken by the applicant and any extension will need to be granted by the Ministry of Home Affairs based on evidence of the need for the patient to remain in India.
Requirements for an Indian Medical Visa
The M visa is a heavily examined visa by the authorities to ensure that the applicant has a genuine need for medical treatment and that they match the requirements for entering India under this route. Candidates must a show that they have spoken firstly to their own doctor and have obtained advice in their own country and that specialist treatment has been advised. The medical institution which the patient will attend must be recognised as an authority on the condition in question and priority will be afforded to those applicants with heart problems, ophthalmic disorders or a need for neuro-surgery or organ transplants. It is also important to note that all foreign nationals entering India for medical treatment must register their arrival in India with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) within 14 days.
Spouse Immigration and Dependent Immigration
Travel visas make no provision for dependents who wish to travel with the main applicant. All dependents who wish to travel with the main applicant must apply individually for their visa; however, medical visa applicants may be accompanied by up to two relatives. These relatives are allowed to remain in India with the main applicant for the period of their stay and will be granted an MX visa.
Global Visas can help and advice you with any of the abovementioned application. Visit our online assessment area now and complete an assessment form and one of our friendly immigration consultants will contact you.
