India business
visa

In India, a Business Visa may be granted to a foreign national for the following purposes:

• Attending conferences or trade fairs.
• Technical meetings / discussions, attending board meetings, general meetings for providing business services support.
• Establishing an industrial / business venture or to explore possibilities to set up industrial/business venture in India.
• Purchasing / selling industrial or commercial products or consumer durables.
• Pre-sales activity not amounting to actual execution of consultations regarding exhibitions, for participation in exhibitions, trade fairs, business fairs, etc. any contract or project.

The applicant must also meet the following requirements:

• The foreign national should be a person of assured financial standing (sufficient proof of financial standing and expertise in the field of intended business will be checked thoroughly while granting the visa).
• The foreign national should not be visiting India for the business of money lending or for running a petty business or petty trade or for full time employment in India, etc.
• The foreign national must comply with all other requirements like payment of tax liabilities etc.

An application for an India Business Visa can be filed in the applicant’s country of nationality or country of residency. The basic steps to file an application for an India Business Visa are as follows:

• Step 1: Complete and submit the online visa application form.
• Step 2: Submit your application with required documents at Indian Visa Application Center or at Indian Mission.
• Step 3: Collect your passport and visa from Indian Mission/Visa Application Center or by post.

The Business Visa application fee may vary depending on your nationality and where you are submitting your application. Please speak to the Global Immigration team at Smith Stone Walters for the latest information on India visa fees.

An India Business visa application usually requires a minimum of three working days to process the case and issue a visa depending upon the nationality and excluding special cases. Please note, the actual processing time remains at the discretion of local authorities and may vary. 

An India Business Visa may be valid for 3 months to 1 year or more with single, double or multiple entries granted. A Business Visa with multiple entry facility can be granted for a period up to 5 years or for a shorter duration as per the requirement.

The validity period granted will depend on the business activities you intend to undertake in India, and is at the discretion of the authorities.