For most countries, getting a business visa typically requires you to show the Indian government that you have enough money to conduct your business and that you’ll be staying in India long enough to justify your visa application. However, if you aren’t from one of the countries recognized by India as part of their visa-on-arrival program, getting a business visa isn’t so easy. Here are the five steps that everyone should follow to get the proper Business Visa for India.
Step 1: Research
Doing research before you begin anything new is always a good idea. Take some time and do some online research about business visas. It is important that you know what visa options are available so that you can figure out what one works best for your business plans in India. This step should be fairly straightforward, though it may take some time to make sure everything makes sense. If you have questions, make sure to get them answered! It’s always good to have answers ready so that when an employee asks, What are we doing today? you don’t have to scramble around trying to find information. Just keep your research organized and share it with everyone involved as needed.
Step 2: Gather Documents
Before you can obtain your visa, you need to gather all of your documents. Even if you are just planning on traveling through India as a tourist, it is necessary that you have several different types of paperwork, including hotel reservations and flight confirmation numbers. If you’re planning on staying in India longer than 90 days, then you will also need proof of economic solvency. This means that there needs to be an established record of both income and assets—such as bank statements or rent checks—from at least three months prior. Take a look at our page How To Apply For A Business Visa For India for more details!
Step 3: Fill Out Form DS-160
This step, by far, is one of the most frustrating parts of applying for a visa. DS-160 is an online form that collects all sorts of information about you and your trip. It’s been called the world’s worst visa application because it requires users to register using their fingerprints, keep their webcam active throughout the entire application process, and have an adequate internet connection. Although tedious, these steps are all designed to help with fraud prevention (which is especially important in India). And while we could give you 1 million tips on how not to mess up on DS-160, we’d rather focus on some tips that will actually help you get through it faster India Business Visa
Step 4: Schedule an Interview Online
After you’ve received your notification email and completed your online application, it’s time to schedule an interview. You have up to three months from date of approval (usually) in which you can schedule your interview by logging in and clicking on Schedule Interview. This process usually takes about 10-15 minutes and will take place at one of four specified offices in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, or Kolkata. While some offices may be farther away from where you live than others, there is little harm done in scheduling an interview at any office other than Delhi; there will not be any extra travel costs associated with traveling outside of Delhi during your trip.
Step 5: Go to the Consulate Office
This is usually in your home country. For example, if you live in India and want to open a business in India, then you would go apply at your local Indian consulate office. At that time, they will ask you many questions and once they have verified everything is correct then they will give you your visa which has two parts: an Arrival/Departure Card (this acts as your ticket out of India) and an actual visa card which allows you into any country. At that point, congratulations! You are now an official business owner in another country! Now its time to get started with opening up shop (if you haven’t already).