Citizens of all countries require a valid passport and visa to visit India.There are three types of visas issued according to the purpose of visit.They are Tourist, Entry And Transit.For a three month visa, the entry to India must be within 30 days from the date of issue of the visa.The six month visa is valid from the date of issue of the visa and not the date you enter India.This essentially means that if you enter India two months after the visa has been issued, the visa is only valid for 4 months and not the entire 6 months.Six month multiple entry visas(valid from the date of issue) are issued to most nationals (check visa options with the Indian Embassy in your country) regardless of whether you intend staying that long or re-entering the country.
A special People of Indian Origin (PIO) card is available only to people of Indian descent (excluding those in Pakistan and Bangladesh) who hold a non-Indian passport and live abroad (maximum fourth generation).People of Indian origin can also apply fora five-year multiple entry visas which is about a quarter of cost of the PIO card.Both are valid from the date of issue.
Applications for visa extension can be made at Foreigners Registration Offices.Main offices are as follows:
Mumbai:
Special Branch II Annexe 2,
Office of the Commissoner of Police,
D.N. Road,Mumbai.
Tel:022-22620446
Delhi:
1st Floor,Hans Bhavan,
Tilak Bridge,New Delhi.
Tel:011-23319489
Kolkatta:
237,Acharya J.C.Bose Road,
Kolkatta.
Tel:044-28278210
