Visa to India: electronic, how to apply, cost and receipt in 2021 for Russians on their own

India attracts with its exoticism, warmth and low prices compared to Russia. Most Russians come here to bask on the shores of the Indian Ocean, improve their health, and see thousand-year-old architectural monuments. There are also many who go to yoga courses for spiritual enlightenment.

Russians also come to India to work or study. Moreover, this can be either volunteering or well-paid work in the IT sector, pharmaceuticals, and other sectors of the economy.

Update March 12, 2021
India suspends tourist visas
The Indian authorities, due to the threat of the spread of a new coronavirus infection, decided to suspend tourist visas from March 13, the country’s embassy in Russia said in a statement.
“All valid visas, with the exception of diplomatic, official, UN international organizations, work, project visas, will be suspended until April 15, 2021,” the diplomatic mission reported.

Main visa categories

Indians provide several types of visas for different purposes of travel. The maximum period for which you can receive it is 5 years. To obtain an Indian visa for more than a year, applicants aged 18-70 must have an AIDS-free certificate.

For a single trip to India, it is enough to obtain a single-entry visa. If you plan to return to Hindustan more than once or visit neighboring countries along the way, it is better to immediately apply for a multiple-entry visa.

Mumbai, India

Transit

Requested in case of transfer at an Indian airport. Issued for 72 hours. Can be one or two times. Valid for 15 days after issue.

Tourist

Involves obtaining a visa to India for vacation, meeting with relatives or friends, and sightseeing. It is not extended and cannot be changed to another type.

Entrance "X"

Issued for attending yoga courses, studying Vedic culture or mastering Indian music and dance. Athletes and family members of long-term business or work visa holders also apply for it. Extended, if necessary, by Foreigners Regional Registration.

Student

Provided for regular attendance at licensed educational institutions. As a rule, it is multiple and issued for the entire period of study. Valid from the date of issue and not from the date of entry into India.

Medical

Issued for treatment in specialized medical institutions in India. Its duration does not exceed the terms specified in the invitation letter. Applies to neurosurgery, ophthalmology, cardiology, transplantology, gene therapy and other areas from the approved list.

Business (business)

Under a bilateral agreement, the procedure for issuing business visas for Russians has been simplified.

Those traveling for:

exploring the possibility of doing business and registering it;
participation in exhibitions and fairs;
purchase and sale of goods or services;
training in Indian companies;
students undergoing internships within AIESE-sponsored projects.

Working

Allows you to carry out work activities on Indian territory. Involves an interview at the embassy.

Other

Project visa is issued to qualified professionals coming to India to carry out projects in the energy sector and iron and steel sector.

A conference visa allows you to attend seminars/conferences organized by Indian ministries, public sector enterprises, Indian central educational institutions, and state universities.

How much does a visa to India cost in 2021?

The cost of an Indian visa consists of the state fee, ICWF and visa center fees. Their value is periodically revised and depends on the ruble to dollar exchange rate.

From April 2021, the visa fee for Russians is:

2330 rub. for one-time use;
5243 rub. for double;
6991 rub. for a multivisa.

Transferring a valid visa to a new passport will cost 2.33 thousand rubles. Regardless of the type of visa, Indians are required to charge 177 rubles as an ICWF charity fee. Those who contact the Indian CC, and not directly to the embassy/consulate, will have to pay an additional 237 rubles. service fee.

The E-visa (ETA) fee is $75. or equivalent amount in rupees.

The visa calculator on the BLS CC website allows you to calculate the cost of an Indian visa taking into account all payments.

Indians do not refund the fee for processing visa documents in case of refusal or reduction of the requested visa validity period.

Bangalore, India

How much does a visa cost?

The price of an Indian visa may depend on the period of stay and the type of visa itself. The cost of a visa to India in 2021 is approximately (including all fees):

Single-entry visa – 3090 rubles.
Double entry visa – 6540 rubles.
Multiple entry visa – 8610 rubles.

The current cost for a specific visa can always be seen on the official website in the Cost Calculation section.

Payment can be made at the visa center or via the Internet by purchasing a permit online. In general, prices for all types of visas are affordable for Russian citizens, even taking into account consular fees in 2021. As a result, everyone can afford to visit this country, no matter what the tourist’s goals are.

How to get a visa to India yourself

Via Visa Application Center

The Indians outsourced the reception of documents to BLS International. Its Indian visa centers are located in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Pre-registration is required for each applicant to visit them. At the appointed time, the BLS VC will accept the visa application and a package of accompanying documents.

BLS CCs provide additional services:

photo booth;
photocopy;
filling out the form in English;
courier delivery of international passports.

Payment of fees at the CC is accepted in cash.

Via the consulate

If you decide to get a visa through the Indian diplomatic mission, you first need to register. Depending on the place of registration/work, you need to choose the embassy in Moscow or one of the consulates general (St. Petersburg, Vladivostok). After this, the system automatically generates an application form, calculates the cost of the visa, and offers to book a time to visit the diplomatic mission.

The completed form is printed, signed, a photo is attached and, along with supporting documents, submitted to the Indian visa officer at the specified time. The application is reviewed for several days, after which you can pick up your passport with a visa or (less often) with a refusal to provide it.

Online

Electronic entry permit (ETA visa) can be obtained for tourism, visiting friends, short-term treatment. You need to apply for it at least 4 days, maximum 120 days before your trip.

The E-visa for Russians is valid for 30 days after entry through one of 25 airports (Delhi, Goa, Mumbai, etc.) or 5 seaports (Cochin, Mangalore, Goa, Mumbai, Chennai). It can only be used 2 times a year.

To obtain an E-visa, you must go to the official website of the program indianvisaonline.gov.in:

fill out the online form, upload scans of documents (necessarily in English);
pay by bank card;
receive a visa by e-mail;
print and provide upon arrival in India along with a paid return ticket and sufficient funds.

Extension of electronic entry permit is not provided. The E-visa does not allow you to visit special protected areas, areas/villages of India with restricted entry. The e-visa can be replaced with an entry “X” visa after marriage to an Indian citizen or with a medical visa if the tourist falls ill during the trip and cannot be transported.

Taj Mahal, Agra, India

Obtaining an Indian visa in Bali

To obtain an Indian visa on the island of Bali, as in any other place on our globe, you need to go to the website ( https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/indianVisaReg.jsp ) and fill out an online form in English (example fill out the form here).

Next you need to go to the Indian Consulate on the island of Bali, which is located in Denpasar (coordinates here). To apply for an Indian visa, you need to have the following documents:

A valid foreign 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 blank pages)
Photocopy of the page with the photo of the foreign passport
2 color photographs (3.5 x 4.5 cm) - attached to each application form
Money - equivalent to 65 dollars in Indonesian rupees.
statement from your bank account for the last month
air ticket to India
hotel reservation

After submitting the documents and payment, you are given a deadline to receive your passport with a visa, approximately 5 working days. As a result, at the time of writing (04/02/2014) there is a living example of obtaining a visa to India on the island of Bali for 6 months with double entry without problems and unnecessary questions.

UPD from January 14, 2021: At the moment, on the island of Bali you can only get a visa to India for 3 months for Russian citizens.

UPD from October 30, 2014:

Application for a visa to India

The Indian visa application is completed online in English. The instructions for filling out the form offered on the BLS CC website are also in English.

When filling out the online form, it is important to correctly indicate the passport details (last name, first name, date of birth) in Latin letters. If there are minor errors in the form due to imperfect knowledge of English, when submitting an application, the diplomatic mission will offer to make an appointment with the corrected form, and the CC can make corrections for a small amount and accept the documents on the same day.

Documents for Indian visa: list for 2021

Indian visa applicants must provide:

completed online application form (printed on 2 sheets, signed under the photo and on the second sheet);
a foreign passport valid for at least six months from the date of application;
photo (1 pc);
a copy of your general passport (page one, with registration, with notes on issued international passports);
copy of international passport (page with photo).

All Russian documents for obtaining a visa (birth certificate, letters, etc.) must be provided by a notarized copy and a regular translation into English.

You can buy insurance to India online using the Cherehapa service. There are 14 insurance companies represented there. You can choose the best offer in terms of price and quality.

India visa photo

For an Indian visa, you must provide a color photo measuring 35x45 mm. Permitted head height is 25-35 mm. The face should be clear, with natural skin color, creating a good contrast with the light background.

Additional photo requirements for Indian E-visa:

JPEG format;
size up to 300 KB.

Visa documents for children

Children are issued an E-visa only if they have their own passport. If the child is included in the parents’ international passport, then you will have to contact the diplomatic mission or the Indian CC.

The child’s package of documents must include:

a notarized copy of the birth certificate with English translation;
notarized permission to travel if a minor is traveling without parents;
a copy of the passport of the parent who gave permission to leave.

Additional documents for different types of visas

The standard package of documents, depending on the purpose of visiting India, includes:

for tourist booking of round-trip tickets, hotel reservation or invitation from a private person certified by a notary, additional form for foreigners;
for business, a letter of invitation from an Indian company or a letter of petition from a Russian company, constituent documents;
for the worker, additional questionnaires No. 1 (to be filled out by the applicant) and No. 2 (to be filled out by the Indian side), a diploma of education;
for a medical invitation from an Indian medical institution, confirmation of payment.

Amber Residence, Agra, India

India visa validity period 2021 and application features

As you can see, it is easier and cheaper for tourists to apply for a visa online. You don't have to leave home to do this. If you are flying for a couple of weeks or even up to 3 months, e-visas are best suited.

However, you probably know about such a tradition among citizens of the former CIS - to spend the winter in India. That is, spend 5-6 months there. Some manage to live in India for years. They don’t leave Goa even for Munsun. If previously for these purposes it was enough to obtain a six-month visa, now this solution does not work for everyone. The visa center is extremely reluctant to issue long visas. So:

A visa allowing you to stay in the country for up to 6 months can only be obtained at the visa center. However, there is a high probability (almost certainly) of an interview where you will have to clearly explain why you need a long-term visa.
With an e-visa, you can only stay in the country for 90 days, after which you will have to leave somewhere. When entering India you will be asked for a return ticket.
An electronic visa for one year and for five years are multiple-entry visas, which means theoretically you can enter the country again immediately after leaving. But there is no guarantee that the border officer will not suspect you of misusing an Indian tourist visa.

Indian visa refusal - what to do

Please note that when obtaining a six-month visa from an Indian Visa Application Centre, you will most likely have to attend an interview. There is a high chance of getting a visa:

for three months
for the actual duration of vacation
don't get it at all

The last option is the most unfortunate, because a visa refusal stamp in your passport has an extremely negative impact on further visits to the country. The first thing you have to do is exchange your passport. The second step is to obtain an e-visa. From the moment you cancel, you will have to deal with having to fly out of India every 90 days.

Non-flight insurance to India

Due to refusals of visas or entry into India on an e-visa, a little forgotten travel insurance is gaining popularity. I would like to remind you that it is generally not worth living in Asia without insurance, even in Goa, where tourists are treated for free in city clinics. Every year you see hundreds of advertisements in Indian groups asking for help and raising funds for treatment. Don't take risks, especially since the price of security is not that high.

You may be interested: insurance to India in Goa

Travel insurance almost always includes the risk of non-departure, including visa denial. However, always check whether this clause is included in the policy before purchasing. You can find the right insurance for India right now without leaving this article, just use the search.

Having insurance and receiving a refusal, you will be able to return the funds spent on a failed vacation. Other advantages of travel insurance include:

life and health insurance
civil liability insurance (for example, damage to someone else’s property)
luggage insurance

The main thing to remember is that if you plan to ride a motorbike, you must have a valid license (international category A), and the risk itself is included in the insurance.

Embassy, consulates, visa centers of India in Russia

Indian Embassy in Moscow

Address: st. Vorontsovo Pole, 6-8, Moscow, 109028

Consular Section Address: Vorontsovo Pole, 4 Moscow, 109028

Opening hours: 9:30 – 18:00

Tel.: (495) 916 2353

E-mail Website: indianembassy.ru

Consulate General of India in St. Petersburg

Address: st. Ryleeva, 35 St. Petersburg, 191123