How to Get a 5-Year Indian Visa

This is a visa which is restricted to certain individuals, with only those who are of Indian origin eligible to get it. An individual of Indian origin is one who satisfies any of the conditions listed below:

1. He/she had an Indian passport at any given time, which was surrendered for the passport of another country.
2. An individual whose parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents were born in India/were permanent residents of the country. This is subject to the condition that they were not citizens of either Pakistan, China, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka or Afghanistan.
3. An individual who is married to an Indian citizen.

In essence, any individual who is currently a citizen of a different country but who has roots in India can be considered eligible to get this visa.

Fees for a Long-Term 5-Year Indian Visa

Each visa type has a different fee, depending on the purpose and applicant. The fee for a long-term 5 year Indian Visa is highlighted in the table below:

Note: The fee mentioned above varies, depending on the current exchange rate. Individuals should check the fee prevailing at the time of application in order to avoid confusion. The fees mentioned above is for individuals of Indian origin who hold UK passports. The fees for individuals who hold other passports could vary.

Documents Required for a Long-Term 5-Year Indian Visa

Individuals looking to avail a long-term Indian Visa will need to submit the following documents:

1. A valid passport. The passport should be valid for a minimum of 6 months at the time. Passports with validity below this need to be renewed accordingly.
2. The passport should have a minimum of 2 blank pages for the visa. A new passport will be needed if there aren't sufficient pages.
3. Recent passport size photographs (2).
4. Duly filled and signed visa application form.
5. In case of an individual having travelled to India in the past, a copy of this visa should be provided.
6. If an individual held an Indian passport and surrendered it, a copy of the cancelled passport should be provided.
7. Surrender/renunciation certificate of the passport (in case an individual held an Indian passport).
8. Proof to indicate that individual is of Indian origin. This could either be a birth certificate or any document which links his/her parents to be Indians.
9. Passport of parent/spouse (if the individual's spouse/parent has an Indian passport).
10. Marriage certificate (in case an individual is applying on the back of the nationality of his/her spouse).
11. A declaration form and letter of authorization which is signed by the applicant.
12. If the applicant is a minor, the birth certificate with the name of both parents should be submitted. In addition to this, a consent letter which is signed by the parents should be provided.

Additional documents could be required on a case-to-case basis, depending on the current nationality of the applicant.

Photo Specifications for a 5-Year Indian Visa

Each visa requires a specific photo type, which is why it is important to realize that a regular passport size photograph is not sufficient for this visa. Listed below are certain points which should be remembered while taking a picture.

1. The photograph should not be very old. It should be a recent one (less than 6 months old).
2. Two passport size photographs are needed to process the application. It is important to keep additional copies for emergencies.
3. The image should be in color. No black and white images are permitted.
4. The background in the photograph should be white. No other background is permitted.
5. The photograph should be clear, with the full face visible. The image should be from the front angle only.
6. Individuals should ensure that the eyes are open in the image.
7. The photograph should have the same height and width.
8. The complete head should be visible in the image, right from the hair to the chin.
9. The photograph shouldn't have any shadows, both on the face and in the background.
10. There should be no borders in the photograph.
11. In case of an online image, the format should be in JPEG, with the size restricted to a maximum of 300 Kb.
12. In case of uploading the image online, the minimum dimensions (in pixels) are 350 by 350. The maximum dimensions are 1,000 by 1,000 (width by height).
13. The image should be 50mm by 50mm in size.
14. The photograph should be taken by professionals, home images will not be accepted.
15. Head coverings (scarves) are allowed only for religious reasons, subject to the face being visible from forehead to chin.
16. There should be a natural expression in the image.
17. The image should be of good quality, with a continuous tone.
18. The head should be straight (not tilted), with it being in the Centre.
19. The image should not be subject to any modifications.
20. In case of an individual wearing glasses, the image should not have any glare on them. Tinted and dark glasses are not allowed.
21. Children under the age of 1 years can have a picture with their eyes closed.

Processing Time for a Long-Term 5-Year Indian Visa

The time taken to process an application for a long-term visa depends on a number of factors, including the nationality of an applicant and his/her personal standing. Individuals with are citizens of either China, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka or Bangladesh can expect their application to be processed in around 2 weeks, whereas Pakistani nationals could see their application take anywhere between 7 to 8 weeks to be processed.

Similarly, individuals who have been residing in UK can expect their application to be processed in around 10 days. All other cases could take around a week to process.

Note: The time to process an application varies according to the case. Certain applications can be processed before others, with the processing time solely dependent on Indian authorities. Individuals should plan their travel keeping this time gap in mind.