Eligibility quiz
Are you coming to India to study yoga, Vedic culture, or an Indian system of dance or music?
Benefits
Benefits for youBenefits for you
Live in India
You can stay in India for the time and purpose allowed by your visa.
An X-1 entry visa for a person of Indian origin without an Overseas Citizen of India card may last up to five years.
Business visas may last up to five years; student visas last no longer than the course or five years, whichever is shorter.
Study in India
A student visa lets you study full-time on campus in the recognised course and institution named in your visa.
Do business in India
A business visa can allow you to explore or set up a business, buy and sell commercially, recruit, or direct or partner in a company.
It can also allow technical or board meetings, trade fairs and supervision of Indian suppliers.
Travel to India
Your visa lets you travel to India through an authorised immigration checkpoint, but an officer can still refuse entry.
Your visa says whether and how often you can leave and return.
How to apply
From outside IndiaFrom outside India
Find your consulate
Find the Indian consulate or visa application centre that serves the place where you live. You must submit your application to the office responsible for your area.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “Which Indian consulate or visa application centre handles Student Visa applications for people living in your city?”
Gather your documents
Prepare the required documents for your visa application.
See required documentsFill in the application online
Fill in the regular Indian visa application online and upload the requested documents. Uploaded documents must be in English and in PDF format, generally between 10 and 500 KB.
Fill in the applicationSubmit your application
Submit your application online, then print and sign it. You will also need to hand in the printed application and hard copies of the uploaded documents.
Submit your applicationBook an appointment
Follow the scheduling instructions for your consulate or visa application centre. Book an appointment if the office requires one.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I book an India Student Visa submission appointment at the consulate or visa application centre serving your city?”
Hand in your application
Bring your signed printed application, passport, photographs and supporting documents to your consulate or visa application centre, or use another submission method it offers. Pay the fee as the office instructs; the final amount is charged at submission.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I submit an India Student Visa application and pay the fee at the consulate or visa application centre serving your city?”
Wait for the decision
Track your application online while the consulate considers it. Answer any questions or requests for more documents from the office.
Track your applicationCollect your passport
Collect your passport and visa from the consulate or visa application centre, or receive them by post if the office offers that service. You can then travel to India.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I collect my passport after an India Student Visa decision at the consulate or visa application centre serving your city?”
Travel to India
Travel to India with your passport and visa. After you arrive, you can complete the steps needed for your stay and begin your studies.
Plan your travelSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I travel to India with a Student Visa?”
Once in IndiaOnce in India
Open a bank account
Open a Non-Resident Ordinary bank account in India. You must give its details to the foreigner registration office when you register or apply to extend your visa.
Find account informationSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I open a Non-Resident Ordinary bank account in India with a Student Visa?”
Find your registration office
Find the foreigner registration office responsible for the place where you live in India. This is the office that handles your registration or visa extension.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “Which foreigner registration office handles India Student Visa registration and extensions for your city?”
Register your stay
If your visa is for more than 180 days, register with your foreigner registration office within 14 days of arriving in India. Give the office your bank account details when you register or apply for an extension.
Register your stayApply for an extension
If you need more time for your course, apply to your foreigner registration office with continued sponsorship from your institution. A one-year or three-year visa can be extended year by year, up to five years from its original issue; if approved, you can continue your studies for the extended period.
Apply for an extensionDocuments needed
Required to applyRequired to apply
Proof of admission
Get proof of your admission from the approved institution where you will study. The course must be in yoga, Vedic culture, or an Indian system of dance or music; a cultural connection to India alone is not enough for this visa.
Proof of sponsorship
Get proof of sponsorship from the approved institution you plan to attend. If you later apply to extend your visa, provide proof of its continued sponsorship.
Copy of your passport
Upload a copy of the page showing your photo and personal details. Submit your passport and a hard copy of the uploaded page with your application.
Application form
Submit your regular visa application form online, then print and sign it. Hand in the signed form with hard copies of the documents you uploaded.
Bank account details *
Provide the details of your Non-Resident Ordinary (NRO) bank account in India as proof that you can support yourself. Get the account details from your bank.
* Only if you register or extend your visa in India.
Passport photographs *
Provide photographs of yourself. Check with your consulate or visa application centre for the number and format it asks for.
* Only if your consulate or visa application centre asks for them.
Considerations
Things to think aboutThings to think about
Immigration records and checks
Keep your passport and visa valid, report required arrival and departure details, and register when required.
Follow immigration directions and rules for restricted or protected areas, and give fingerprints or other identity details when required.
Purpose and work limits
You must follow your visa's purpose.
A business visa does not allow full-time employment, petty trade or money-lending.
Other work needs a separate employment visa or an approved change of visa.
Permission can end
Your visa ends when it expires and can be shortened or cancelled, or become unusable if you break its conditions.
Apply for an extension before expiry; an extension is not automatic.
Overstaying or breaking visa conditions can lead to a fine, up to five years in prison, removal and problems with future immigration.
Discuss
Online communitiesOnline communities
India Visa Hub: OCI � E-Visa � Fast-Track & e-Arrival Card
English Facebook group for people interested in Indian visas
Join on FacebookOCI, Indian Passport Renewal, POA, INDIA EVisa, Renunciation help
English Facebook group for people living in India interested in Indian visas
Join on FacebookIndian Visa Application Experience Sharing Group
English Facebook group for people interested in Indian visas
Join on FacebookConsultation
Talk to a professionalTalk to a professional
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