India is a large country in the continent of Asia that has breathtaking natural beauty and scenery. If you are a foreign national lured by the prospect of getting a chance to see the historic monuments and the vibrant culture of India, you need to obtain a tourist visa to be eligible to enter India and stay here for the duration of your trip. You can get an Indian tourist visa If you are not a resident or an employee in India and your sole objective is recreation and sightseeing or a casual visit to friends and relatives. All foreign national except those from Nepal and Bhutan are required to have relevant travel documents in the form of a valid passport and visas issued by an Indian Mission of Post in a foreign country.
Visa on Arrival
You need to obtain a visa before coming to India. However, there is a Visa On Arrival facility extended to tourists coming from some countries of the world. People from these countries are provided tourist visa for a period of 30 days to travel across India as a tourist or to pay visits to their friends and relatives. These countries include Japan, Burma, Laos, Singapore, Republic of Korea, Philippines, New Zealand, Luxemburg, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia and Finland. To avail this facility, tourists from these countries have to apply for a visa upon arrival at the international airports of Chennai, Bengaluru, Kochi, Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai or Thiruvananthapuram. This visa on arrival can be issued maximum two times in a single year, and there has to be a gap of at least 60 days between two visits.
Valid passport and supporting documents are required
People of Indian origin, spouses and children of such people and spouse and children of foreign nationals coming to India for a long term stay for education, business or research are not eligible for a tourist visa. You need to present a passport valid for at least another six months with two blank pages for Indian visa stamps. A tourist visa is issued for a period of six moths with multiple entries possible. However, under a bilateral agreement, US citizens can get five-year or even ten-year visa to India though they cannot stay for more than 180 days on any of their visits to India. In addition to your passport, you need to give your proof of address and date of birth proof if you are a minor.
Cost of visa application differs in different countries
You can apply for an Indian tourist visa in person or send the application by post to the Indian consulate in your country. The cost of applying for a visa differs in different countries. You can also send your visa application through a visa handling service. In most countries, visa applications are handled by private processing agencies.
Apply to get an Indian tourist visa online
You can also apply for Indian tourist visa online. However, you have to submit a physical copy of the application form complete in all respects to the Indian Visa Application Center. You have to appear in a personal interview on the given date and you must carry all supporting documents along with you. You can get all instructions regarding the scheduling of this interview at the official website called http://indianvisaonline.gov.in/
Visa processing time
Upon receipt of a duly submitted passport and all other necessary documents, it takes at least three days for the Indian Mission or Post to process your visa application and then issue the tourist visa.
Photo requirements
You have to paste 2X2 inch colour photograph in colour with a plain background on the application form. You must not be wearing glasses in this photo. For online application, you have to upload such a photo.
How to get Indian tourist visa becomes easy armed with all this information.
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