India

India · Asia · updated 22.08.2026

India is the world's second-most-populous labour market, with high demand for skilled IT and engineering professionals and a globally low cost of living: rent and utility payments are several times lower than in Europe, even in the largest cities. The work visa is rigidly tied to the employer — it cannot be changed without leaving the country — and is issued only for an annual salary above 1,625,000 rupees, except for a few exempt categories. There is no general mechanism for permanent residence by length of stay: status is renewed through annual work visas via the FRRO, and Permanent Residency Status (PRS) is granted only to foreign investors who invest at least 10 crore rupees. Naturalisation requires about 12 years of residence in the country, and dual citizenship is not allowed. The northern plain suffers from smog in winter, while the coastal and mountain regions suffer from monsoon flooding and earthquakes. The country's five largest cities differ sharply in character: from the financial capital Mumbai and the technology cluster Bangalore to the UNESCO World Heritage sites in Jaipur and Agra.

Some descriptions for this country are still Russian only: 89% translated. Numbers, prices and timelines are complete.

Entry

Entry rules depend on citizenship. Choose a passport to see the requirement for that one.

Work and visas

Changing employer: No. Changing employer while a work visa is valid is not allowed: the holder must leave India and apply for a new work visa. Working for more than one company at the same time on a work visa is prohibited; the FRRO/FRO must be notified when employment ends (Bureau of Immigration, Work in India section).

Visa types: E-1 — Employment Visa: all cases of hiring, including intra-company transfers · E-2 — Employment Visa for work in non-profit organisations · E-3 — Employment Visa for religious workers of approved organisations · B-4 — Production Investment Business Visa (issued only on the e-Visa platform) · PRS — Permanent Residency Status for foreign investors

A work visa is issued only to highly qualified specialists hired by an Indian company or organisation or by a foreign company carrying out a project in India. Pay threshold: gross annual income above INR 1,625,000 (16.25 lakh); individual sectors are exempted from this threshold by government decision. An owner or majority shareholder of a company enters on a business visa rather than a work visa. Processing times and diploma requirements are not stated in the published rules (boi.gov.in).

Long-term visas and residence permits

Employment Visa (E-1)

Work

term 24 morenewabledoes not count toward permanent residencefamily allowedprocessing time not published

Fee: The authority publishes no single table of consular fees: indianvisaonline.gov.in states outright that the fee depends on the visa category and duration, is made up of the basic fee, a special fee and the visa centre fee, that the amount shown at the end of online registration is only indicative and the final one is set at the counter when the application is lodged, and it refers the applicant to the specific embassy or visa centre for the rates.

Citizens of certain countries are excluded.

official source · read 2026-08-22

Employment Visa for NGO work (E-2)

Work

term 12 morenewabledoes not count toward permanent residencefamily allowedprocessing time not published

Fee: on the same terms as the ground above.

official source · read 2026-08-22

Missionary Visa (E-3)

Work

term 12 morenewabledoes not count toward permanent residencefamily allowedprocessing time not published

Fee: on the same terms as the ground above.

official source · read 2026-08-22

Business Visa (B-1)

Work

term 60 morenewabledoes not count toward permanent residencefamily allowedprocessing time not published

Fee: on the same terms as the ground above.

official source · read 2026-08-22

Production Investment Business Visa (B-4)

Investment

term 6 mofamily allowedprocessing time not published

Fee: The e-visa fee is set separately for each country and territory of nationality; there is no single rate. On top of it a bank charge of 3 % is withheld for card payments and 4 % through PayPal. The portal offers not a table of rates but a look-up by the applicant's country.

official source · read 2026-08-22

Permanent Residency Status for investors

Investment

term 120 morenewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedprocessing time not published

Fee: Annex III does not name the fee for granting PRS, and the authority publishes no separate table of rates: the application is filed online with the FRRO/FRO, where the system determines the amount.

Citizens of certain countries are excluded.

official source · read 2026-08-22

Film Visa (B-6)

Work

term 12 morenewabledoes not count toward permanent residenceprocessing time not published

official source · read 2026-08-22

Student Visa (S-1, S-2, S-3)

Study

term 60 morenewabledoes not count toward permanent residenceprocessing time not published

Fee: on the same terms as the ground above.

official source · read 2026-08-22

Research Visa (S-4)

Study

term 36 morenewabledoes not count toward permanent residenceprocessing time not published

Fee: on the same terms as the ground above.

official source · read 2026-08-22

Intern Visa (S-5)

Study

term 12 monot renewabledoes not count toward permanent residenceprocessing time not published

Fee: on the same terms as the ground above.

Citizens of certain countries are excluded.

official source · read 2026-08-22

Family (dependent) Visa (F)

Family

renewabledoes not count toward permanent residencefamily allowedprocessing time not published

Fee: on the same terms as the ground above.

official source · read 2026-08-22

Entry Visa (X-1)

Family

term 60 morenewabledoes not count toward permanent residencefamily allowedprocessing time not published

Fee: on the same terms as the ground above.

official source · read 2026-08-22

Entry Visa for approved organizations (X-2)

Other

term 60 morenewabledoes not count toward permanent residenceprocessing time not published

Fee: on the same terms as the ground above.

official source · read 2026-08-22

Long Term Visa (LTV)

Other

term 60 morenewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedfee $ 1,05processing time not published

Fee: INR 100 per application is paid only by citizens of Pakistan and only online; for citizens of Bangladesh and Afghanistan the source states outright that no fee is charged (“no fee will be payable”). No fee for subsequent extensions is separately named.

For citizens of certain countries only.

official source · read 2026-08-22

Stay Visa / Residential Permit for Afghan nationals (X-4)

Other

term 12 morenewabledoes not count toward permanent residenceprocessing time not published

Fee: Annex III does not name the fee for this permit; all that is separately stated is that on final departure no exit fee and no overstay fee are charged. The application is filed in the C-FRO module, where the system determines the amount.

For citizens of certain countries only.

official source · read 2026-08-22

Medical Visa (M-1)

Other

term 12 morenewabledoes not count toward permanent residencefamily allowedprocessing time not published

official source · read 2026-08-22

Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Cardholder

Repatriation

renewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedfee $ 275processing 30 days

Fee: USD 275 for each applicant: abroad, by bank draft at an Indian mission or in the local-currency equivalent; in India, online in the rupee equivalent. On refusal USD 250 is returned, while USD 25 (INR 1,400 in India) remains a non-refundable processing fee. Converting an old PIO card into an OCI costs USD 100 abroad and INR 5,500 in India.

Citizens of certain countries are excluded.

official source · read 2026-08-22

Programme terms change, and the final decision rests with the consulate or the country migration service. The data is collected from official sources on the date shown and is not legal advice.

Residence and citizenship

Permanent residence after: no residence period required
Citizenship after: 12 years
Language: adequate command of one of the languages of the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India
Dual citizenship: not allowed

Naturalisation — s. 6 and the Third Schedule to the Citizenship Act 1955: residence in India (or service under an Indian government) for 12 months immediately preceding the application, plus at least 11 years of residence in aggregate during the 14 years preceding that period — 12 years in total. For persons of the Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan the period is reduced to 5 years (the 2019 amendment). A separate route is registration under s. 5(1)(c) for those married to an Indian citizen: 7 years of ordinary residence in the country. Under s. 9, the voluntary acquisition of the citizenship of another country terminates Indian citizenship. There is no general permanent residence mechanism: Permanent Residency Status (PRS) is provided only for foreign investors, while everyone else extends their visa through the FRRO. Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) status is not citizenship. Source: the text of the Act on the Ministry of Home Affairs portal indiancitizenshiponline.nic.in and the list of visas on boi.gov.in.

Permanent Residency Status (PRS) is not tied to length of residence — “0 years” means the status is granted not for years lived but purely on the volume of investment. Eligibility for PRS requires an investment of at least 10 crore rupees (100 million rupees, ≈USD 12 million) made within 18 months, or at least 25 crore rupees (250 million rupees, ≈USD 30 million) within 36 months through the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) channel, on condition of creating at least 20 jobs for Indian residents every year. The investor first receives a B-4 (Investor) business visa for 18 or 36 months, with no limit on the length of stay per visit and no registration with the FRRO/FRO; the spouse and dependants receive a B-4X visa on the same terms. After the investment conditions are met, an application for PRS is filed; it is issued for 10 years with multiple entry and can be renewed for a further 10 years if there are no adverse findings. PRS allows the purchase of one residential property to live in; the spouse/dependants may work in the private sector without meeting the income threshold required for an ordinary work visa, and may study without a separate student visa. PRS does not extend to senior executives of the investing company — they obtain an ordinary Employment visa. The scheme does not apply to citizens of Pakistan or people of Pakistani origin from third countries. Source: mha.gov.in, Annex III “Details of Visas Granted by India”, cl. 49 “Grant of Permanent Residency Status (PRS) to foreign investors” (published 1 February 2018); confirmed by the list of visas at boi.gov.in.

Documents

Document certification: apostille

The country is party to the 1961 Hague Convention: a degree or certificate is authenticated with a single apostille in the country that issued it.

Family

Partner

Timeline: The X-2 visa (for the spouse/children of an Indian citizen, a Person of Indian Origin, or an OCI holder not registered as OCI) is issued for 5 years with multiple entry; the official processing time is not stated in the published rules (mha.gov.in, Annex III, cl. 71). A separate route for the spouse of an Indian citizen or an OCI holder is OCI registration: an application can be filed only after the marriage has been officially registered and has lasted continuously for at least 2 years before the filing date; once filed, processing takes about 30 days from confirmation of receipt of the application in the online system (ociservices.gov.in). OCI status is not equivalent to permanent residence.

Family members of visa holders in almost every category are covered by a separate F visa (Family Visa). A foreign spouse of an Indian citizen, a Person of Indian Origin, or an OCI cardholder (other than those already registered as OCI) receives an X-2 visa, not X-1: X-1 is issued only to the Person of Indian Origin themself, without an OCI card (mha.gov.in, Annex III, cl. 71). The right to work on an F visa is not addressed in the published rules; a work visa is issued separately and requires income above 1,625,000 rupees a year (boi.gov.in, the list of visas and the Work in India section).

Children

Can be brought: yes

Children enter on an F visa as dependants of the primary visa holder; children of an Indian citizen, a Person of Indian Origin, or an OCI holder enter on an X-2 visa (not X-1: that is issued only to the Person of Indian Origin themself, without an OCI card). An age limit for dependants is not stated in the published list of visas (boi.gov.in; mha.gov.in, Annex III, cl. 71).

Parents

The F visa is described as a visa “for dependants of holders of visas of various categories”, but the published list of visas does not define who counts as a dependant — whether the applicant's parents are included could not be confirmed from official sources. The published rules set no income thresholds for the sponsor (boi.gov.in).

Partner's parents

Pets

Limit: 2
Quarantine: no
Antibody titre test: not needed
Preparation: ~1 months

About the limit: Up to two dogs or cats per owner when relocating under the “baggage” rule (Custom Circular No. 15/2013). Larger numbers and any other purpose require a DGFT licence; importing dogs for breeding and commercial purposes is prohibited.

Import under the personal baggage rule requires proof of continuous stay outside India for at least two years and of the transfer of residence to India. Required are: an official veterinary certificate from the country of export confirming the absence of clinical signs of infectious diseases (for dogs it separately lists rabies, canine distemper, parvovirus and leptospirosis; for cats — rabies, panleukopenia and leptospirosis), a rabies vaccination for an animal aged 3 months or older, administered more than one month but not earlier than 12 months before departure, a match between the owner's name on the certificate and on the ticket, a declaration of the absence of commercial interest, and an air waybill. An NOC from AQCS can be obtained in advance — 7 days before arrival, on the basis of self-attested copies. There is no routine quarantine: in case of doubt the animal may be placed under quarantine observation, with final clearance issued after 30 days. A rabies antibody titre test does not appear in the published AQCS list of requirements. Source: Animal Quarantine and Certification Services, Import of Pets under Baggage section.

Safety

Climate

22J

25F

28M

32A

34M

29J

26J

25A

25S

25O

24N

22D

Quality of life

Life expectancy: 72.2 years

Cities

Mumbai

12 442 373 residents

$ 585

1 bedroom, per month

The country's largest city and India's financial capital (12,442,373 people within municipal corporation boundaries, 2011 census), a port on the Arabian Sea and the centre of the BSE/NSE stock exchanges and the Bollywood film industry.

2 bedrooms $ 782 · estimate3 bedrooms $ 1 045utilities $ 56,9ticket $ 0,21monthly pass $ 4,98

To buy, per m²: centre $ 6 403 · suburbs $ 2 693

A coastal city on the Arabian Sea: monsoon downpours from June to September regularly cause local flooding and disrupt suburban trains; the Arabian Sea cyclone season falls in May and October–November.

+The country's largest financial and business job market

+An international airport with direct flights to Europe, the Persian Gulf and Asia

+A developed network of suburban trains and metro

−The highest housing rent among the country's cities

−Monsoon flooding from June to September regularly halts transport

−One of the highest population densities in the world

Delhi

11 034 555 residents

$ 222

1 bedroom, per month

India's capital (11,034,555 people within municipal corporation boundaries, 2011 census), the country's political and administrative centre, part of the National Capital Region (NCR).

2 bedrooms $ 297 · estimate3 bedrooms $ 397utilities $ 46,7ticket $ 0,42monthly pass $ 10,4

To buy, per m²: centre $ 2 347 · suburbs $ 969

In winter (November–January) — persistent smog, one of the factors behind the national PM2.5 air-pollution figure (see indicators.airPm25); the city sits on the Indo-Gangetic Plain, with moderate-to-high seismic activity.

+Capital status: embassies, federal agencies, Indira Gandhi International Airport

+A developed metro network (Delhi Metro)

+A large job market in the public sector and corporate headquarters

−Heavy winter smog from November to January

−Summer heat above +45 °C

−Located in a zone of moderate-to-high seismic activity

Bengaluru

tech hub

8 443 675 residents

$ 286

1 bedroom, per month

India's technology capital (8,443,675 people within municipal corporation boundaries, 2011 census), the country's largest IT cluster, on the Deccan Plateau at an elevation of about 900 m.

2 bedrooms $ 381 · estimate3 bedrooms $ 509utilities $ 27,3ticket $ 0,52monthly pass $ 15,4

To buy, per m²: centre $ 1 811 · suburbs $ 1 018

A city on a plateau outside the zone of the coast's main monsoon flooding, but subject to episodic drinking-water shortages in the dry months (March–May) as population growth outpaces infrastructure development.

+India's largest IT job market, home to the headquarters and R&D centres of international tech companies

+A more moderate climate due to elevation compared with lowland cities

+International airport

−Regular water shortages in the dry season

−Some of the worst traffic congestion in the country

−Housing rent has risen noticeably over the past decade

Jaipur

3 046 163 residents

$ 156

1 bedroom, per month

The capital of Rajasthan state (3,046,163 people within municipal corporation boundaries, 2011 census), the historic “Pink City,” part of the “Golden Triangle” tourist route together with Delhi and Agra.

2 bedrooms $ 206 · estimate3 bedrooms $ 273utilities $ 43,2ticket $ 0,28monthly pass $ 9,97

To buy, per m²: centre $ 826 · suburbs $ 427

Rajasthan's semi-arid climate: a long, hot summer (March–June) with temperatures above +40 °C and a risk of water shortages in the summer months.

+The historic city centre is a UNESCO World Heritage site

+Part of the “Golden Triangle” tourist route, with developed tourism infrastructure

+Rent is noticeably cheaper than in Mumbai and Delhi

−Hot semi-arid climate: summer regularly exceeds +40 °C

−A narrower job market outside tourism and crafts

−Water shortages in the summer months

Agra

1 584 704 residents

$ 107

1 bedroom, per month

A city in Uttar Pradesh state on the Yamuna River (1,584,704 people within municipal corporation boundaries, 2011 census), home to the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort — UNESCO World Heritage sites — and part of the “Golden Triangle” route.

2 bedrooms $ 139 · estimate3 bedrooms $ 180utilities $ 48,9ticket $ 0,31monthly pass $ 15,6

To buy, per m²: centre $ 1 037 · suburbs $ 168

The Indo-Gangetic Plain: hot, dry summers with temperatures above +40 °C and elevated air pollution typical of the region (see indicators.airPm25).

+The Taj Mahal and Agra Fort — UNESCO World Heritage sites and one of the world's most recognisable tourist destinations

+Part of the “Golden Triangle” route, with direct rail and road links to Delhi and Jaipur

+The lowest housing rent among the cities in the selection

−The economy is heavily tied to tourism and related crafts (leather, marble)

−Hot summer with temperatures above +40 °C

−A narrower job market outside the tourism industry

Grocery basket

Bread, 500 g: $ 0,48
Milk, 1 l: $ 0,66
Eggs, 12: $ 0,95
Chicken breast, 1 kg: $ 3,09
Cheese, 1 kg: $ 5,01
Rice, 1 kg: $ 0,68
Potatoes, 1 kg: $ 0,35
Apples, 1 kg: $ 1,97
Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 l: $ 0,96
Total: $ 14,2

The same set for every country, so the comparison is fair.

Cost of living across the country

Rent, 1 bedroom: $ 184 a month
Rent, 3 bedrooms: $ 529 a month
Utility bills: $ 38,8 a month
Home internet: $ 7,48 a month
Monthly transport pass: $ 9,40 a month
Single transport ticket: $ 0,33
Petrol, litre: $ 1,07
Cold medicine: $ 1,62 for a week

Country averages. City prices, where collected, are shown above and are more precise.

Indicators

Life expectancy: 72,2 years2024
Homicides: 2,7 per 100k2023
Road deaths: 14,6 per 100k2021
Unemployment: 4,2 %2025
Unemployment, ages 15–24: 16 %2025
Inequality (Gini): 25,52022
Health spending per person: $ 84,7 a year
Air pollution, PM2.5: 54,1 µg/m³2023
Access to clean water: 95,7 %2024
Internet, fixed line: 63,3 Mbit/s2026
Internet, mobile: 129,8 Mbit/s2026

Governance

Political stability: below average · -0,8
Control of corruption: below average · -0,3
Rule of law: below average · -0
Government effectiveness: above average · 0,4

World Bank estimates on a −2.5 to +2.5 scale, higher is better.

Natural hazards

Earthquakes: 8,3 out of 10
River floods: 9,2 out of 10
Coastal floods: 7,8 out of 10
Tropical cyclones: 7,7 out of 10
Droughts: 6,3 out of 10
Tsunamis: 7,8 out of 10

Policy towards newcomers

Migrant integration, overall score: 26 out of 100 · 2019
Family reunification: 75 out of 100 · 2019
Permanent residence: 46 out of 100 · 2019
Access to citizenship: 16 out of 100 · 2019
Access to the labour market: 17 out of 100 · 2019

Measures how favourable the law is towards newcomers, not one person's chances of getting a visa.

Each value carries the year it refers to. “Data lags behind” means this country's figure was collected noticeably earlier than the rest. Natural hazards use one 0–10 scale and are meant to be compared against each other.

Pros and cons

+One of the world's largest job markets for IT and engineering professions

+A globally low cost of living: rent and utility payments are several times lower than in Europe

+An extensive domestic transport network: railways and dozens of international airports

+Flexible conditions for bringing in pets under the personal-baggage rule — no scheduled quarantine

+Widespread use of English in business alongside 22 regional languages of the Eighth Schedule

−There is no general mechanism for permanent residence by length of service: status is renewed through annual work visas, and PRS is available only to investors

−The work visa is rigidly tied to the employer: it cannot be changed without leaving the country

−High air pollution in northern cities, especially in winter: the national PM2.5 level is significantly above the WHO guideline

−The monsoon season (June–September) regularly causes flooding in coastal and lowland regions

−Dual citizenship is not allowed: naturalisation requires renouncing one's prior citizenship

Compare with other countries in the region

Afghanistan · Azerbaijan · Bangladesh · Bhutan · Brunei · Cambodia · Hong Kong · Indonesia · Iran · Iraq · Japan · Jordan · Kazakhstan · Kuwait · Kyrgyzstan · Laos · Lebanon · Malaysia · Mongolia · Myanmar · Nepal · Oman · Pakistan · People's Republic of China · Philippines · Singapore · South Korea · Sri Lanka · State of Palestine · Taiwan · Tajikistan · Thailand · Timor-Leste · Türkiye · Turkmenistan · Uzbekistan · Vietnam · Yemen

Other countries in the region: Asia

Afghanistan · Azerbaijan · Bangladesh · Bhutan · Brunei · Cambodia · Hong Kong · Indonesia · Iran · Iraq · Japan · Jordan · Kazakhstan · Kuwait · Kyrgyzstan · Laos · Lebanon · Malaysia · Mongolia · Myanmar · Nepal · North Korea · Oman · Pakistan · People's Republic of China · Philippines · Singapore · South Korea · Sri Lanka · State of Palestine · Syria · Taiwan · Tajikistan · Thailand · Timor-Leste · Türkiye · Turkmenistan · Uzbekistan · Vietnam · Yemen

All countries by region

Official sources

Bureau of Immigration, Ministry of Home Affairs of India

List of visa categories, conditions of stay, extension and conversion of a visa; registration of foreign nationals — through indianfrro.gov.in

↗

Bureau of Immigration — Work in India

Work visa conditions: an income threshold of INR 1,625,000 per year, a ban on changing employer without leaving the country

↗

Indian Citizenship Online, Ministry of Home Affairs of India

Application portal and the texts of the Citizenship Act 1955 and the rules made under it

↗

Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS)

Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying: NOC for bringing in pets, rules on import under personal baggage, guidelines on dogs and cats

↗