Visa to India

To visit India, Russian citizens require a visa. Since October 2014, the Government of India has introduced an electronic visa (Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) for citizens from 161 countries, including Russia, which has significantly simplified the procedure for obtaining Indian visas. The Indian e-Visa is an official document and a mandatory requirement for entry into India. Based on the ETA visa authorization, the visa is stamped in the passport on arrival. It is essential to have a printout of the ETA with you during your stay. In addition, every foreigner applying for a visa on arrival must provide fingerprints at the border control. 

E-Visa

E-Visa can be obtained for the following purposes of entry into India:

     ·  tourist;

     ·  business visit/conference;

     ·  medical purposes;

     ·  medical worker visa.

At the moment an electronic visa can be issued for: 30 days, 1 year, 5 years (for tourist purposes only). A 30-day visa is double entry, a 1-year and 5-years visa is multiple entry.

Duration of stay on Indian e-Visa depending on the purpose of entry:

An electronic visa has its pros and cons. The main advantage of this visa is the speed and ease of its processing.

For 1 year or 5 years e-tourist visa, e-business visa, e-medical visa, e-medical worker visa and e-conference visa, applicants from eligible countries can submit an online application at least 4 days prior to arrival date.

The maximum period when you can apply for a visa is 120 days prior to the intended date of travel.

For e-tourist visa (30 days), applicants from eligible countries can apply online at least 4 days prior to arrival date. Such an application can be submitted 30 days prior to the intended date of travel. The processing time for e-visas is 2-5 days, but there may be delays.

In case of a positive response to the request for an electronic visa, a visa permit will be sent to the applicant's email address indicating its validity period and the range of dates on which entry into India must be made.

The visa permit must be printed out and presented upon check-in for the flight, and then, when passing a passport control with your passport, where the visa stamp will be placed (the sticker is not pasted in). The printout of the visa permit must be kept until departure from the country.

Further, we would like to explain the disadvantages of an electronic visa to India. One of the disadvantages is the restriction on the right on arrival and departure from the country. The list of checkpoints through which you can arrive with an electronic visa includes 31 airports and 5 seaports. If you are travelling through other checkpoints across the state border, you must obtain a visa in the standard procedure, not an electronic visa.

The main disadvantage of the above-mentioned electronic visas is the possibility of paying the consular fee for processing an electronic visa only with international bankcards of the international payment systems Visa, MasterCard. It is not possible to pay the consular fee using bankcards from Russian banks or the “MIR” card payment system.

Thus, if an applicant does not have an international bankcard, he will not be able to pay the consular fee for an Indian visa.

Confidence Group provides support to applicants in such cases. To apply for an electronic visa you only need to fill out our questionnaire, and we will apply for the electronic visa for you, pay for it, and send the completed visa to your email.

The cost of our services is stated below

* online payment by a credit card (not from a Russian bank);

** the cost of a medical insurance policy for applicants over 60 years of age is negotiated individually. 

Below you can find a list of documents required for obtaining electronic visas to India for Russian citizens depending on the purpose of entry. 

Purpose of entry – business:

1.  Completed online an application form.

2.  A copy of the first page of the applicant’s passport (strictly in PDF format, size – not less than 10 KB and not more than 300 KB).

3.  A color photo of the applicant on a light background (strictly in JPEG format, size – 5x5 cm, size – not less than 10 KB and not more than 1 MB. Without frames, shadows, glare, on a light or white background. The height and width of the photo must match).

4.  Copy of Business card (strictly in PDF format, size - not less than 10 KB and not more than 300 KB).

5.  A scanned copy of a certificate from work, completed in English.

6.  A scanned copy of the invitation from the host in India. Strictly in PDF format, size - not less than 10 KB and not more than 300 KB. 

Purpose of entry – conference:

1.  Completed online an application form.

2.  A copy of the first page of the applicant’s passport (strictly in PDF format, size – not less than 10 KB and not more than 300 KB).

3.  A color photo of the applicant on a light background (strictly in JPEG format, size – 5x5 cm, size – not less than 10 KB and not more than 1 MB. Without frames, shadows, glare, on a light or white background. The height and width of the photo must match).

4.  A scanned copy of a certificate from work, completed in English.

5.  A scanned copy of the invitation from the conference organization in India. Strictly in PDF format, size - not less than 10 KB and not more than 300 KB.

6.  Political permission from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

7.  Permission for the event from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. 

Purpose of entry – tourist:

1.  Completed online an application form.

2.  A copy of the first page of the applicant’s passport (strictly in PDF format, size – not less than 10 KB and not more than 300 KB).

3.  A color photo of the applicant on a light background (strictly in JPEG format, size – 5x5 cm, size – not less than 10 KB and not more than 1 MB. Without frames, shadows, glare, on a light or white background. The height and width of the photo must match).

4.  A scanned copy of a certificate from work, completed in English.

All documents must be completed in English. 

The Consular Section of the Embassy has the right to:

     ·  require the personal presence of the applicant;

     ·  require the provision of additional documents/information;

     ·   refuse to issue a visa or delay the process of viewing the documents without explanation.

If an applicant plans to cross Indian state border not through checkpoints where entry is permitted with e-visas, then it is necessary to apply for a regular visa (non-e-visa). 

Regular (non-electronic) visa

A regular (non-electronic) visa can only be applied by the applicant personally or the applicant's representative with a notarized power of attorney. The Indian Visa Application Centre in Moscow is located at the following address: Moscow, Kosmodamianskaya Embankment, 52, building 7. 

For Russian citizens the processing time for visa applications is 5 working days from the date of submission of documents.

Below you can find information about the terms, price and the list of required documents

** ** the cost of a medical insurance policy for applicants over 60 years of age is negotiated individually. 

Below you can find a list of documents required for obtaining regular (non-electronic) visas to India for Russian citizens depending on the purpose of entry. 

Business purpose of entry:

1.  A valid passport (the passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the date of filing the visa application, the passport must have at least two or three blank pages in a row) + a copy of the main page. In case of a second passport, the originals of both passports + copies of all pages of the second passport must be provided when submitting documents.

2.  One copy of application form, filled out in English on the website, printed out and signed in two places: under the photo and at the end of the form.

3.  1 color photo (3.5 x 4.5 cm) of good quality, on a white background.

4.  A copy of the national passport (first page, page with registration, page about previously issued foreign passports).

5.  Round trip air ticket (if available).

6.  Hotel reservation confirmation (if available).

7.  A scanned copy of the invitation letter from the inviting company in India. Additionally needs to be provided:

     ·  a copy of the company's registration certificate;

     ·  if it’s a pharmaceutical company in India a license to sell medical products - Membership Certificate of the Export Promotion Council (Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council).

8.  A letter of request for a visa for an employee from the company in Russia in English. Additionally needs to be provided:

     ·  a copy of the company's registration certificate and its translation into English (translation without stamp and signature);

     ·  If an applicant is a founder or director of a company registered in India under the “Companies Act”, the original or a notarized copy of the Memorandum and Charter issued by the Company Registration Office where the company is registered and the applicant is registered as a director or founder must be submitted. 

The Consular Section of the Embassy has the right to:

     ·  require a personal presence of the applicant;

     ·  require the provision of additional documents/information;

     ·  refuse to issue a visa without explanation.

Tourist purpose of entry:

1.  A valid passport (the passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the date of application for a visa, the passport must have at least two or three blank pages in a row) + a copy of the main page.

2.  One copy of application form, filled out in English on the website, printed out and signed in two places: under the photo and at the end of the form.

3.  1 color photo (3.5 x 4.5 cm) of good quality, on a white background (glued to the application form).

4.  Round trip air ticket

5.  Hotel reservation confirmation

6.  A copy of the national passport (first page, page with registration, page about previously issued foreign passports).

7.  Medical insurance policy covering the entire period of stay in the country.

8.  Bank statement. The bank statement must be valid for no longer than 1 month at the time of submission of documents.

9.  Previous (old) foreign passports: you must have cancelled or expired foreign passports (originals + copies of all pages). 

The Consular Section of the Embassy has the right to:

• require a personal presence of the applicant;
• require the provision of additional documents/information;
• refuse to issue a visa without explanation.

Confidence Group provides assistance in obtaining both electronic and regular visas to India. For more information, please contact Confidence Group consultants.