Living or working in India: long-stay, digital nomad and working holiday visas

The sources supplied for this page do not list India's long-stay or work visa categories, so this page does not name them. The parent India facts cover only the short-visit e-visa, applied for on the official portal and nowhere else.

Before you plan a stay of weeks or months, or any paid or unpaid work, ask an Indian consulate covering your place of residence, or the immigration authorities, which category fits your purpose. Rules differ by purpose of visit, nationality and length of stay, and they change.

Do not rely on blogs, agents or forum posts for the category, the fee or the permitted stay. If a page quotes a number without a date and an official link, treat it as unverified.

For a short visit, the parent India facts say to apply on the official e-visa portal only. For anything longer, or for work, the sources supplied do not describe an application route: confirm it with an Indian consulate or the immigration authorities first.

Keep a printed copy of any approval and a digital copy on your phone, and carry the same passport you applied with. Ask the authority which documents and photo format it requires at the time you apply; do not assume last year's checklist still applies.

No fee, processing time or permitted stay is confirmed in the sources supplied, so none is quoted here. Ask the consulate or immigration authorities for the current figure for your nationality and category, and treat that answer as the one that counts.

Work backwards from your flight date: get the current processing time from the authority, then add a buffer for document requests. Do not book a long-stay apartment or a job start date until the visa is in hand.

Long stays and work often carry duties after arrival, such as registration with local authorities or a permit tied to an employer. The sources supplied here do not set out those rules, so ask the immigration authorities or your employer before you travel, and again on arrival.

Keep your passport, visa approval and any employer letters together, and carry copies. If an official asks for a document you do not have, ask which office issues it rather than paying a fixer.

Money and timing shape a long stay as much as the visa does. The rupee (INR, ₹) is the currency, notes run ₹10–500, and small notes are useful day to day. The whole country runs on UTC+5:30, and 112 reaches all emergency services.

Plugs are types C, D and M at 230 V 50 Hz, so bring an adapter. Driving is on the left and visitors usually hire a car with a driver. Tipping is expected for drivers, guides and hotel staff, and 5–10% in restaurants without a service charge.

Pick your base by season: the parent guide puts Delhi, Agra and Jaipur at their best Oct–Mar, Kerala Nov–Feb and Ladakh Jun–Sep. For a long stay, that decides whether you need heating, air conditioning or a monsoon plan.