Residence permit in India for Russians 2021: how to get it, what documents are needed, how much it costs

To India for a long time

The main reason why immigrating to India is so difficult is government policy, which takes into account the fact that India's population today is over 1.2 billion, the second largest in the world. The
main reason why immigrating to India is so difficult is government policy, which takes into account the fact that India's population today is more than 1.2 billion, the second largest in the world. Therefore, there are no special programs for immigration to India, and even obtaining a temporary residence permit in India poses a significant problem.

At the same time, many foreigners, having visited this country, admire its traditions and culture, or become so interested in Buddhism that they decide to spend all or some part of their lives in India. If this is your case, and the question “how to move to India for permanent residence” haunts you, you can try the following options.

Firstly, opening your own business in India. This is difficult, involves large financial expenses, and not everyone, even an experienced businessman, can decide to do this - but if you succeed, you will receive a residence permit in India and, accordingly, will be able to stay in this country for a long time. Your own business, taxes that you will pay to the country’s treasury, jobs for Indian citizens - this is the most compelling reason for a residence permit, and even the overpopulation of India will not be a hindrance to you in this case. BusinessTimes will talk about the peculiarities of doing business in India in one of our next materials.

Another option for moving to India is to find a job there. For the period of the signed employment agreement with the Indian employer, you will also receive a residence permit, but there are two main problems: firstly, it is almost impossible for a foreigner to get a job in India, unless in a company that works with his country and needs translators and experts partner country, etc.

In all other cases, you will encounter such competition that hardly any Indian employer will choose you over an Indian citizen. In addition, even if you already have the necessary employment agreement, as a rule, it is issued for a very short period and requires constant renewal.

Difficulties may also arise if you are traveling to India with a student residence permit. It is quite easy to obtain such a long-term visa - you just need to submit documents to one of the accredited universities in India, pay a nominal tuition fee and come to study. But then this visa will also need to be constantly extended - while confirming that you are really studying. Those. bring confirmation from the university that you are enrolled, paid for your studies, are attending classes, and passing exams.

Of course, another option for moving to India would be marriage to a citizen of this country - but BusinessTimes, as a tradition, does not approve of marriages for the sake of obtaining a residence permit.

As a rule, both in the case of a student visa and in the case of your own business, a temporary residence permit in India is issued for a year. In practice, the extension of a temporary residence permit in India is limited to 5 years, but if you manage to live in India legally for 12 years, you will be able to apply for Indian citizenship.

It is important that during this time you will need to find a permanent job in India, which cannot be done without knowing the language - not only English and Hindi, but moreover, the local dialect Hindi, since languages vary quite a lot in different states of India. In addition, knowledge of the language will be useful to you for passing citizenship exams - there you will have to show that you know the history of India, its culture, and language.

Residence permits in India

In order to be able to live in the territory of this state for a long time, you must obtain one of two residence permits:

temporary (residence permit) – issued to a foreign citizen for one year and subsequently requires renewal;
Permanent residence (permanent residence) – no deadline, but in fact it is confirmed every 5 or 10 years.

The holder of a residence permit is not equal to a citizen of a given state. After all, you can acquire Indian citizenship if you live here legally for 10 years as a foreigner, while the last 5 years must be lived with the status of a permanent resident. At the same time, it can take 2-3 years to consider an application for citizenship.

How to live in India for a long time

Obtaining Indian citizenship is almost impossible; even going to India for permanent residence is very difficult. One of the possible solutions for lovers of this exotic country is to apply for a residence permit, which will need to be renewed regularly.

What is the reason for such a strict Indian government policy in the field of immigration? Of course, with the population of this country, because it is the second largest in the world - 1.2 billion people. Therefore, the possibilities for official residence in this country for foreign citizens are very limited.

But this country attracts many citizens from other countries with its original culture, rich traditions, and religion. Some of them want to spend part of their lives in India to study Eastern practices or practice Buddhism. In this case, we can recommend several options for solving the problem.

The first of them is creating your own business in India. This is an extremely difficult, risky matter associated with significant financial expenses, but if successful, you can easily obtain a residence permit in India. If you set up your own business in this country, selling almond butter, you will pay taxes to the state, provide new jobs to its residents, and in this case, even the overpopulation of India will not prevent you from obtaining a residence permit.

Marriage to an Indian citizen is also an option for obtaining a residence permit, but marrying for such overtly mercantile purposes usually leads to a lot of different problems, so we do not recommend it.

A good solution would be to get a permanent job in India, allowing you to have a residence permit during the term of the employment contract. But here you need to keep in mind that it is almost impossible for a foreigner to get a job in India, competition is very high, and employers always prefer to hire Indian citizens.

An exception may be made in companies that work with the country of the candidate for employment, and they require translations or knowledge of the business partner country. But even in this case, the employment contract is concluded for a short period and must be constantly extended.

Another option is to obtain a student residence permit, this is quite easy to do - you just need to submit documents to an accredited institution of higher education, pay the tuition and go to study. But at the same time, it will be necessary to constantly renew the residence permit, that is, bring confirmation from the university about paying for tuition, attending classes, passing exams and tests.

When studying in India and when organizing your own business, a temporary residence permit is issued for 1 year, and its extension is limited to 5 years. If a foreigner is lucky enough to have lived in India for 12 years, then he can apply for Indian citizenship, but the conditions are to have a permanent job in India and knowledge of languages - English and Hindi. You will have to demonstrate your level of Hindi proficiency when taking the citizenship exams, as well as your knowledge of Indian history and culture.

How to obtain temporary resident status in India (residence permit)

There are a number of ways to obtain a temporary residence permit.

Creation and registration of business.

When opening an individual business by a foreign citizen, the main evaluation criterion by Indian officials is the future number of job vacancies created for Indians. To register a company, the planned business strategy must be agreed upon with the Ministry of Economy. In addition, a foreign businessman must regularly pay tax contributions to the treasury. If after a year, when renewing a temporary residence permit, it turns out that any condition is not met, then the status will not be renewed and will be expelled from the country.

Move to your legal spouse in India.

An official marriage with a citizen of this country makes it possible to obtain a one-year residence permit, followed by a permanent one for a period of 2 years, after which it is possible to become a full-fledged citizen of the Indian state.

Work employment.

If an official work agreement or a signed contract is concluded with the employer of this country, then the foreigner can receive a residence permit for a year.

Indian training.

It is the fastest way to obtain a temporary residence permit if the visitor is a student. This requires concluding a contract for the period of study with an Indian university that is accredited in this country, and the fact of paying for one year of study.

Moving to immediate family.

Immigration to the Hindustan Peninsula is possible under a program that reunites related families. At the same time, only close relatives in the form of parents, children, grandparents, blood sisters or brothers who have Indian citizenship with a minimum period of 5 years before they invited a foreign soul mate are required to live in the country. The basis for immigration will be an invitation issued by the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

How can I get Indian citizenship?

The issue of obtaining an Indian passport is considered in various legal acts of India, the main one being the Citizenship Law, which has been in force since 1955. In accordance with it, citizenship can be obtained in various ways in this country. Among the most famous, which in principle coincide with those found in world practice, the following can be noted: citizenship by birth; citizenship by descent; citizenship through naturalization.

These are the main ways to obtain civil rights, but each of them has its own characteristics. For example, the right of birth, on the one hand, makes it possible for a newborn to obtain citizenship, regardless of which country his parents have a passport from.

On the other hand, this process does not occur automatically, that is, there must be an expression of the will of the parents and an appeal to the appropriate services.

If this does not happen, then the child is not considered a subject of India. Although, according to existing laws, he has the right, up to the age of 18, to apply to the Indian authorities at any time to obtain citizenship of the country, even after leaving its borders and returning.

Indian citizenship by descent

The issue of a child obtaining the rights of an Indian citizen through descent also has its own nuances.

The issue of a child obtaining the rights of an Indian citizen through descent also has its own nuances. A special point is that the father must have an Indian passport; in this case, it does not matter where in the world the child was born, he is recognized by the Indian authorities as a citizen of the country.

If the situation is different, that is, the mother is an Indian citizen and the father is a foreigner, then in order for the child to obtain civil rights in India, his parents must remain living and working in the country. In this case, the father should not give his citizenship to the heir. When a baby is born abroad, he must be registered at the consular mission.

Naturalization is the most difficult process to obtain citizenship in India

For immigrants, the only option left to become an Indian citizen is to go through the naturalization process. To do this, it is necessary to comply with a number of conditions that are provided for by Indian law. Among the most important requirements for foreigners applying for an Indian passport are the following: the period of residence on Indian territory must be at least five years; An applicant for an Indian passport must renounce his previous citizenship, since dual citizenship does not exist in India.

However, one should be prepared for the fact that before applying for citizenship, a person must go through other bureaucratic systems, since the naturalization process begins with obtaining a residence permit in India. The next stage is obtaining permanent residence, and only completing this procedure will allow you to think about Indian citizenship.

In addition to a period of continuous residence in the country and renunciation of the citizenship of the previous country of residence, an applicant for Indian citizenship must show his deep integration into the local society. Among the main requirements for him are law-abiding, real sources of income, opportunities to provide for himself and his family, knowledge of the basics of the state language, history and traditions of the country.

Documentary papers required for residence permit

To move to a residence permit in India, you will need documents in the form of:

a current foreign passport with a photocopy of it;
4 color photos, like for a passport;
certificates of no criminal record at home;
a valid Indian visa;
confirmation of the existence of housing (in the form of ownership or a lease agreement);
statements from a bank account in India, which must contain at least 2.5 thousand dollars;
explanations about future plans, submitted in writing (whether permanent residence will be obtained or official citizenship).

Issues related to migration are resolved by the Department for Migration Affairs under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Issues related to the issuance of a residence permit are considered within 1 month. If the process of extending a residence permit is carried out, then a decision on it is made within 10 days. Prices for services vary from 200 to 480 US dollar units.

How much money do you need for wintering in Goa?

If you are traveling as a couple, aim for a budget of $1000–1500 per month, not counting air tickets. At first, when you shop around and get used to it, get ready to spend one and a half times more.

The average budget for wintering in Goa is not easy to determine: a lot depends on personal preferences. You can rent a small villa with a kitchen and a swimming pool for 35 thousand rupees ($538) per month, or you can live in a simple bungalow for three times less. Some people buy food at the market and cook it themselves, while others have lunch and dinner only in restaurants: in a tourist cafe, a plate of boiled rice costs 60 rupees - for this price you can buy a kilogram of dry rice.

You can take a taxi or drive a rented scooter - all this affects spending so that the expenses for the season in Goa for two different couples can differ significantly.

To feel comfortable, budget at least $600–800 per month for one person. It’s easier and cheaper for two people: you’ll save on both housing and renting a scooter. Unpretentious couples with experience of traveling around Asia can easily spend $3,000 for all three months of wintering: bargain with sellers and landlords, eat in cafes for locals, buy cheap ripe fruits at markets and cook at home, and go to yoga with friends, not in popular yoga centers.

For seasoned downshifters who rent housing for a long time, do not ride taxis or rickshaws, do not eat meat and do not drink alcohol, $1,500 is enough for two people per season. There are plenty of such examples, but those who are in India for the first time should not follow them. If you are going on an active holiday and partying, expect to spend about $4,500 per winter on housing, transportation, bars and entertainment for two.

Approximate budget for the first month in Goa for two – $962–1027:

A room with a kitchen and a balcony in a guesthouse - 18,000 rupees ($246)
Taxi or scooter rental - 5,000 rupees ($68)
Meals, including cooking at home, street snacks, lunches in cafes and dinners in restaurants once a week - 16,000 rupees ($219)
Hygiene, cosmetics, household chemicals - 800 rupees ($11)
Clothing, dishes and utensils - 7,000 rupees ($96)
Mobile communications and Internet - 400 rupees ($6)
Sightseeing tour of Goa - 2,000 rupees ($27)
Spice farm tour with lunch at the restaurant and elephant bathing - from 1400 rupees ($22)
Yacht trip on the Chapora River - 1,350 rupees ($19)
Excursion to Hampi for 2 days and 1 night by car with Russian guides - from $210
Ayurvedic massage - 800 rupees per hour ($11) from an Indian massage therapist, 1500 rupees per hour ($21) from a professional from Russia
5 yoga lessons on the beach - 2000-6000 rupees ($27-82).

How to acquire permanent residence status

To acquire the status of a permanent resident of India, sufficient grounds are required.

These may be:

residence in this country for 5 years on the basis of a residence permit;
a justified desire to be a resident of the country on a permanent basis;
positive scores in English or Hindi tests, and successful certification of knowledge of Indian laws, traditions, history, etc.

To move permanently to India, a foreign citizen must apply to the Department of Migration Affairs. The decisive answer is given in two to three months. There is no need to renew your permanent resident status; you just need to confirm it every 5 or 10 years.

To move to India and become an Indian citizen, a foreigner needs to live legally in the country for 10 years.

Who should go to Goa for the winter?

Working in India on a tourist visa is officially prohibited, although in practice it is rarely enforced

Wintering in Goa is good if you are a freelancer or renting an apartment in one of the major cities of Russia. Working in India on a tourist visa is officially prohibited, although in practice it is rarely enforced.

It is generally accepted that only bohemian downshifters go to Goa. In fact, a manager from a mobile phone store, a factory worker, or an accountant can all wait out the winter on the beautiful coast of the Arabian Sea. Enough savings or passive income. If you get bored with nothing to do, give a couple of yoga lessons, give a tour for beginners, do a beautiful photo shoot for the newlyweds, or teach your neighbors how to weave dream catchers.

What kind of people live in Goa

The audience in Goa is diverse: here you will find colorful Indians, families with children, yoga practitioners, golden youth, and hippies in baubles, among whom there are many Russians. Many people are passionate about healthy eating: sourdough bread, sprouted grains, sweets without refined sugar, herbal teas. Some people come for a spiritual reboot, while others just come to warm up while there are snowstorms and slush at home.

There are fears on the Internet that Goa is full of drug addicts. This is a strong exaggeration: for some, the process of self-discovery really does not happen without a couple of puffs, but, as a rule, such people behave harmlessly. In this regard, in a Moscow residential area it is more dangerous than in some Arambol.

Ericksonian hypnosis, transcendental meditation, fortune telling with tarot cards, strange dances to Goa trance until the morning, Castaneda conversations around the fire - you are guaranteed to be in the neighborhood of mystics and eccentrics in Goa, but you should not be afraid of unpleasant acquaintances: in order not to fall into bad company, it is enough have a head on your shoulders. You can always find friends you like or stay to yourself and enjoy the sea and sun without intrusive attention. It is better to think about this question at home and decide in advance why you are going to Goa and whether you are ready for dubious experiments.

Winter is the ideal time to travel to Goa: sunny during the day and +33–35 °C, at night +21–25 °C, water +29 °C and most importantly, not as humid and stuffy as in summer.

How to go to India for six months: personal experience

Nine months ago I left my once-loved job in human resources management, and three months later I left Moscow for India with only one backpack. From the big city, which took all my strength and drained my “batteries”, from earning money in order to spend it, from the daily race for the feeling of “getting everything done”. A new business started in the capital - organizing yoga seminars and group travel - could easily exist remotely. I decided to spend the winter in the warmth and try a new format for myself: six months in Asia, six months in Russia, working as a freelancer. I share my experience and travel notes.

About the budget

A year before leaving, I reduced my expenses several times to create a “safety cushion”. Goodbye beauty salons, pointless shopping, cafes and restaurants. Now I only bought what was essential.

That’s exactly what I asked myself: “Can you survive without this?” In almost all cases the answer was “yes.”

And, having dismantled all the mezzanines and cabinets at home, I found a bunch of unused things and sold almost everything on Avito.

About household matters

Housing: upon arrival in a new place, as soon as you rented a room from local residents, questions immediately arose: how to use a gas cylinder? What to do with garbage? How to wash all things by hand and wash in cold water? How to live next to mosquitoes, spiders and rats? I learned to be independent, ask experienced people, and, if necessary, ask for help.
Food: go to the market, get acquainted with seasonal products, learn to cook, in the end! At the same time, fruit for breakfast, oatmeal and buckwheat brewed in a thermos, drinking coconuts and local sweets always helped out.
Health: I took out medical insurance for the entire period of my stay, I used it only once, in other cases I collected receipts for doctor’s visits and medications for compensation from the insurance company upon arrival.
Safety: well-known rules - wear closed clothes, do not leave the house alone after sunset, avoid the company of young people. And even this did not save me from one unpleasant incident on the street, when I essentially escaped by running away.
Live like the locals : drink water from the spring, collect flowers to decorate the temple, take cows out to graze, sit on the floor and eat with your hands. Travel by public transport - buses, trains, tuk-tuks. Get a haircut from a special “female” hairdresser. Wearing a sari and dancing at an Indian wedding. Take part in the temple service, which is held once a year and is not for white people. With each such experience, I felt that I was becoming a little closer to this country.

About awareness and internal changes:

Aren't you bored there? Perhaps I am just the kind of person who is “out of sight, out of mind,” but, having found myself in a completely new reality for me, I do not remember the previous one. Russia was replaced by India, the city was replaced by a village, the cold was replaced by warmth, daily morning yoga, wherever I was, sunset walks along the sea. New people entered my life and close circle of friends. And sometimes meeting even one person can replace all those who left. And I don’t even miss buckwheat, since friends bring it from time to time.
Grunting in paradise. I suddenly realized how quickly I was getting used to something that just yesterday caused unconditional happiness. It’s too hot and humid, or the food is not to your taste, or the waves are too strong and you can’t swim, and the fatty foam in masala tea ruins your appetite. I just stop and remember that I live in paradise. Among coconut palms and creeks, where the skin literally drinks moisture from the air, where purple bougainvillea blooms outside the window and invisible birds whistle. And who would think of grumbling in paradise?
What day is today? I began to feel my rhythms, where energy flows (or does not flow) today. Act in accordance with this, in no case through force or the word “must”. Today, for example, I write easily and with pleasure, but yesterday I was happily doing household chores. And sometimes, regardless of the day of the week, there are weekends when only rest will bring benefits.
Learn to give. Taking care of your surroundings - petting and feeding a street cat day after day, removing plastic from the beach, preparing food for other people. Taking the first steps in teaching yoga or simply selflessly helping someone. Because he always returns many times more, and I want to continue.
Privacy. I entered the New Year 2021 alone, on the roof of an Indian house, surrounded by fireworks. It was calm and joyful, no special delights, no bitterness of loneliness. Previously, I would have run away to people just to be with someone, but now being alone with myself is a very comfortable state for me.
Honesty. Perhaps I have changed, or maybe I just admitted to myself that all this city fuss is no longer for me. That I want to work less and relax more often, live in nature, do what I want right now, and not act out of habit. The next stage in the capital is over for me, just like the previous one in my hometown. The best is ahead!

At the time of submitting the material for publication, the author decided to extend her visa and stay in India for another two months.

Photo by Naadi Ascha

Editorial opinion may not reflect the views of the author. In case of health problems, do not self-medicate, consult your doctor.

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It's true that India is very dirty

India is famous for its specific attitude towards garbage and sewage, but it is in Goa, especially on the beaches of Majorda and Betalbatim in the southern part, that it is quite clean. The cleanest beaches of North Goa are Mandrem, Ashvem and Morjim. Imagine: roosters crow at dawn, bits of meat are strewn along the way to the beach, something is being fried and steamed at every step, and cows are wandering along the edge of the sea. If this picture warms your soul, most likely, washing in a stream and the usual Goan smells will not be a shock to you either. Many winterers compare life in Goa with a vacation in the countryside - with all the pros and cons, but also with the warm sea a stone's throw from home.

Like in Goa with crime and dangerous animals

Goa is a fairly calm state: the crime index is below the Indian average. In crowded places, beggars can pester you, and there are minor thefts, but serious crimes against tourists are very rare. And you can easily protect yourself from mosquitoes and snakes with simple safety measures.

There are more than 20 species of snakes in Goa. There are not many of them that are poisonous: to meet the king cobra, Indian krait, coral adders, Russell's viper, ephas or bamboo keffiyeh, you need to climb into the tropical forests away from the resort villages.

Sometimes snakes can be seen in tourist areas, but poisonous ones are rare. If you spot a snake, call the locals: they know what to do. Otherwise, it is enough to follow the safety rules: do not wander around at night without a flashlight, go to the beach along well-trodden paths, avoid dense thickets and try not to provoke snakes - they are not the first to attack people.

Sources:

https://btimes.ru/tourism/articles/v-indiyu-na-dlitelnyi-srok
https://www.votpusk.ru/story/article.asp?ID=16687
https://portalinfo.org/turizm/129-kak-prozhit-v-indii-dolgoe-vremya.html
https://www.skyscanner.ru/news/zimovka-v-goa-tseny-i-sovety