Renewal or Extension of the e-Visa for India
Electronic visa and their renewal and extension depends upon the e-Visa type you have chosen.
If you are a foreign national who has applied for an Indian e-Visa and your plans have changed because of unforeseen circumstances, what should you do? Extend the e-Visa? Or, Renew? Okay, let’s talk about it.
Indian e-Visa Extensions
Dear travelers, Indian e-Visa extensions are not available, except for the Indian Medical e-Visa in emergency instances. Indian medical e-visas are likewise difficult to extend.
If you want to stay longer in India for tourism, you can opt for a 5-year Tourist Indian e-Visa. In this case, leave the country before the continuous duration of your stay expires. Whatever the purpose, you should leave the country before your e-Visa expires. Apply for a new e-Visa and enter again. Otherwise, you may have to face penalties and fines.
Indian Visas that can be Extended
Please note that you cannot extend an Indian e-Visa except for a medical e-Visa in emergencies, as mentioned earlier. However, we would like to list a few regular visas that can be extended and renewed. We hope this will be helpful for you.
Indian Work Visa
Indian work visa can be extended. If you are in India for work, and your visa expires within a few days, then you can go for an extension without thinking twice about it. All you have to submit is an extension application form and a letter from your employer.
Indian Residence Permit
If you hold an Indian Residence Permit, you can apply for an extension before the permit expires. You should apply for an extension at the Foreign Regional Registration Office (FRRO), or the Foreigner’s Registration Office (FRO).
Indian Student Visa
If you are a Student Visa holder, you can apply for an extension for your academic purposes. You should submit certain documents like proof of academic progress, enrollment, financial proof, etc.
How to Apply for a Regular Visa Extension?
- Visit FRRO or FRO- Visit the nearby Foreign Regional Registration Office or Foreigner’s Registration Office.
- Submit Necessary Documents- Submit all the essential documents such as your passport, existing visa, documents to support the extension, extension application form, etc. along with your biometric information and application fee.
You can try to apply as early as possible for faster processing. You should remain authentic throughout the process.
How and When to Renew the Indian e-Visa?
Travelers can only renew their Indian e-Visas once the existing one expires. For instance, if you hold a 1- year tourist e-Visa, you should wait for 1 year to renew your e-Visa. You can enter multiple times during this validity period. But you are not allowed to stay over 90 days, which is more than the continuous duration of your stay. This applies to all e-Visa types. Once your existing e-Visa get expires you can apply for a new one. All the procedures are the same as the initial Indian e-Visa application process.
If you want to renew your Regular Visa like residence permit, work, or student visa, you should apply for renewal 60 days before your visa expiry.
Changing your e-Visa Type
It is not possible to change the e-Visa type, after entering the country. If you want to change the e-Visa type, then you should leave the country and reapply. For instance, You hold an Indian Business e-Visa. But if you want to change the Business e-Visa to a Tourist e-Visa, you should leave the country and reapply for an Indian Tourist e-Visa.
Therefore, an Indian e-Visa cannot be extended except for a medical e-Visa in emergencies and cannot be renewed before the expiration of the existing e-Visa. If you want to renew your e-Visa, you should leave the country and wait for the existing e-Visa to expire. Then you can reapply for a new Indian e-Visa.
On the other hand, you can extend and renew your Regular Indian Visa. All you have to do is visit the Foreign Regional Residence Office (FRRO) or Foreigner’s Residence Office (FRO) and submit the necessary documents along with your application and application fee. You should apply at least 60 days before the expiration of your visa.
READ MORE: Get answers to the most common questions about the requirements, important information and documents required to travel to India. Read more at Frequently Asked Questions.
If your intention for travelling to India relates to a commercial or business purpose, then you are eligible to apply for Indian Business Visa Online (Indian Visa Online or eVisa India for Business). If you are planning to go to India as a medical visitor for medical reason, consulting doctor or for surgery or for your health, Government of India has made Indian Medical Visa Online available for your needs (Indian Visa Online or eVisa India for Medical purposes). Indian Tourist Visa Online (Indian Visa Online or eVisa India for Tourist) can be utilised for meeting friends, meeting relatives in India, attending courses like Yoga, or for sight-seeing and tourism.