🇮🇳 India visa requirements

Your passport dictates your entry into India. Most Westerners need a visa beforehand. Some nationalities get visa-on-arrival. Almost no one can just show up and work.

Who Can Actually Get In Easily?

Let's cut to the chase. If you're from the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, or most EU countries, you're looking at needing a visa. India doesn't offer a simple visa-on-arrival for these blocs anymore. You'll apply for an e-Visa online before you fly. For everyone else, it’s generally a standard visa application through an Indian embassy or consulate in your home country or country of residence. There are a handful of countries that do get a visa on arrival, typically neighbouring nations, but these often come with very specific, short stay limits. For digital nomads from the major Western countries, the e-Visa is your primary route.

How Long Can You Stay and What Are the Rules?

The standard tourist e-Visa for US, UK, Canada, and Australia citizens grants 120 days of entry, but it's a double-entry visa. This means you can enter India twice within that 120-day period. If you leave and want to re-enter, that counts as your second entry. You can't just pop over to Nepal for a weekend and expect to get back in on the same visa. For other nationalities or different visa types, the duration can vary significantly.

Overstaying is where things get dicey. Penalties can be steep. You're looking at fines that can add up quickly, potentially starting at around ₹200 per day for minor overstays, but climbing much higher for extended periods. More importantly, overstaying can lead to future visa rejections and bans from entering India. Always check your visa's specific expiry date and exit requirements. Some entry stamps might require you to exit within a certain number of days of your last entry, regardless of your total visa validity.

Working Remotely on a Tourist Stamp? Don't Get Caught.

This is the big grey area for digital nomads. India doesn't have a dedicated digital nomad visa. Officially, working on a tourist visa or e-Visa is prohibited. You're supposed to be there for tourism, visiting friends, or short-term business meetings that don't involve earning income within India.

However, enforcement varies wildly. Many remote workers spend months in India on tourist e-Visas without issue. Immigration officials at airports are generally more concerned with your intended length of stay and your exit plan than with what you do on your laptop in a cafe. The real risk comes if you're caught working for an Indian company or engaging in activities deemed to be employment within India. Most nomads get away with it, but understand you're operating outside the official rules. Don't flaunt it.

What's New with Indian Visas?

India has been steadily expanding its e-Visa programme. In recent years, they've added many more nationalities to the eligible list, simplifying the application process significantly. The fees can fluctuate, but expect to pay somewhere in the range of $25-$100 USD for a tourist e-Visa, depending on your nationality and the visa duration you apply for.

There have been occasional suspensions or restrictions on e-Visas for certain nationalities during specific periods, often tied to global events, but these are usually temporary. The most recent major changes have focused on streamlining the application and making it accessible to more people. Always check the official Indian Bureau of Immigration website for the most up-to-date information before applying.