IndiaWork residence permit

India work visa

The Employment Visa is India's work visa for qualified specialists hired by a company or organisation registered in India, or by a foreign firm carrying out a project in the country. The visa is requested for a specific sponsoring employer, and you may work only for that employer.

Visa term

Usually up to 1 year or the term of the contract; extension up to 5 years in total

Threshold

Salary above INR 16.25 lakh a year (for persons of Indian origin — from 3.6 lakh); fee

Processing time

Roughly 7-10 working days

Work

Only for the sponsoring employer

Source: mha.gov.in — Ministry of Home Affairs of India, guidance on work visas (Employment Visa)

Who can obtain it

Employment with an Indian entity

A qualified specialist hired by a company, organisation, undertaking or plant registered in India
An employee of a foreign company sent to India to carry out a project or contract
Intra-corporate transfer of an employee: under the Bureau of Immigration's current list of visas this is sub-category E-1
An employee sponsored by an Indian company that has awarded a project to a foreign contractor without a presence in India

Contract work and self-employment

A consultant on contract with a fixed remuneration from an Indian company
An independent specialist providing engineering, medical, accounting, legal and other highly qualified services
An artiste with a contract for regular performances at a hotel, club or other organisation
A coach of a national or regional team or of a sports club; a sportsperson under a contract for a fixed term
A foreign language teacher, a translator, a chef of a narrow speciality
An engineer or technician arriving to install and commission equipment under a contract for its supply

Special income conditions

General rule: gross annual salary above INR 16.25 lakh
Persons of Indian origin, spouses and children of Indian citizens, PIO holders or OCI card holders: not below INR 3.60 lakh a year
No income threshold: national chefs of foreign diplomatic missions, teachers of foreign languages (other than English) and translators, artistes under contract, sports coaches
Volunteers of non-profit organisations: work without a salary, honorarium not exceeding INR 10,000 a month

What it costs

Work visa valid for up to 6 months	120 USD
Work visa valid for 6 months to 1 year	200 USD
Work visa valid for 1 to 5 years	300 USD
Additional fee on each visa application form	+3 USD
For Russian nationals: single entry, any type of visa	40 USD
For Russian nationals: multiple entry, any type of visa	120 USD
Total government feesThe sum of the mandatory rows in the table. “Additional fee on each visa application form” adds 3 USD; the “For Russian nationals: single entry, any type of visa” branch replaces the “Work visa valid for up to 6 months” line — 540 USD; the “For Russian nationals: multiple entry, any type of visa” branch replaces the “Work visa valid for 1 to 5 years” line — 440 USD.	620–623 USD

Documents to gather

The package is put together for the particular employer: the consulate checks both the applicant and the Indian company inviting them.

Valid passport and a re-entry permit, if required by the laws of the country of citizenship
Online application form completed on the indianvisaonline.gov.in portal, with a printout and a photograph meeting consular requirements
Employment contract with the Indian employer: term of the contract, salary, accommodation, medical cover, tax obligations
Letter of invitation from the employer
Copy of the Indian company's certificate of incorporation
Copy of the employer's PAN card or proof of the tax return it has filed
Degree certificates and qualification documents with a translation into English
CV describing professional experience
Documents on the registration of the company or firm with the relevant government authority, industry council or recognised industry body
For applicants filing outside their country of citizenship — a residence permit of the country of filing obtained more than two years earlier
Biometrics: taken from every applicant before the visa is issued

How the process runs

The application is filed abroad: the work visa is issued in the country of citizenship or in the country of permanent residence if the applicant has lived there for more than two years. Inside India a tourist or business visa cannot be converted into a work visa.

1
Agreement with the employer
before filing the application
The Indian company or the foreign firm running a project in India signs the contract and issues the invitation. The contract records the salary, term and conditions: the consulate checks them against the minimum annual income requirement.
2
Completing the online application form
1 day
The form is completed on the indianvisaonline.gov.in portal, selecting the particular Indian mission. Once submitted, the system assigns an application number; the data can no longer be edited, so it is checked before submission.
3
Booking an appointment and submitting the documents
as scheduled by the mission
The applicant books an appointment at the consulate or visa centre, brings the printed application form with the set of documents, pays the fee and provides biometrics.
4
Examination at the consulate
from 3 working days
That is how long processing takes after the mission receives the documents; the period depends on citizenship and does not apply to special cases. The name of the sponsoring employer is entered in the visa itself.
5
Entry and FRRO registration
14 days from the date of arrival
If the visa is issued for more than 180 days, after entry you must register with the territorial foreigners registration authority — through the Indian Visa Su-Swagatam mobile app or on the indianfrro.gov.in portal. Children under twelve are exempt from registration. A change of address is notified to the registration authority separately.

Who you can bring with you

The family is not entered in the specialist's visa: separate dependant visas are requested for the spouse and children.

Spouse and children

They receive a dependant visa; in the Bureau of Immigration's current list of visas this is category F, intended for dependants of holders of various visa categories

Validity of the family members' visas

It matches the validity of the main applicant's visa, or is shorter if the Indian mission considers that necessary

Registration of family members

On the same terms as the main applicant: with a visa longer than 180 days — within 14 days of arrival; children under twelve are not registered

A child born in India

The birth must be notified to the registration authority within thirty days — without this the child will not be issued a visa or an exit permit

Trips, renewal and the grace period

FRRO registration for stays over 180 days

The work visa is extended inside India: the application is filed through the indianfrro.gov.in portal before the current visa expires, allowing time for examination. If the extension is not approved before the visa expires, you must leave the country — otherwise the stay counts as deliberately unlawful. Extensions are granted by state and union territory governments and by FRRO/FRO offices year by year, but for no more than five years in total from the date the first work visa was issued. The conditions are: law-abiding conduct, proof of continuing employment, tax returns filed and no objection from the security services. Changing employer during the validity of the visa is not permitted, nor is working for two companies at once. If a person ceases work, the FRRO/FRO must be notified. Converting a work visa into another category inside the country is possible only with the sanction of India's Ministry of Home Affairs and only in three cases: marriage to an Indian citizen, the status of a person of Indian origin who was eligible for an entry visa, and serious illness requiring treatment in India; in such a conversion the documents are endorsed with a prohibition on work and business.

How it differs from the routes next to it

The comparison is built from the official terms of the routes themselves — the source links sit on their own pages.

	India work visa	Overseas Citizen of India card	Visa for relatives in India
Visa term	Usually up to 1 year or the term of the contract; extension up to 5 years in total	Lifelong multiple-entry visa; the card is for life	The term matches the main person's visa
Grounds	Employment / business	Indian origin	Family members of Indian citizens
Money	Salary above INR 16.25 lakh a year (for persons of Indian origin — from 3.6 lakh); fee	No specific income requirements; state fees for OCI registration	No fixed income; proof of funds / sponsorship
Work	Only for the sponsoring employer	Parity with NRIs, work without a visa except in prohibited sectors	No right to work by default; a separate Employment visa is required
Residence	FRRO registration for stays over 180 days	No minimum residence	FRRO registration for stays over 180 days

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to permanent residence

There is no general permanent residence; long stays are achieved through extensions

Route to citizenship

Naturalisation after roughly 11-12 years of residence

Frequently asked questions about India work visa

What income is required for a work visa?

The gross annual salary must exceed INR 16.25 lakh. The threshold does not apply to national chefs hired by foreign diplomatic missions (other than chefs in commercial establishments), to teachers of foreign languages — other than English — and translators, or to staff of embassies and consulates themselves. For persons of Indian origin and for spouses and children of Indian citizens or OCI card holders, where the applicant is not registered for OCI themselves, a lower threshold applies — from INR 3.60 lakh a year.

For how long is the visa issued?

The basic option is one year or the term of the contract, multiple entry, extendable inside India. For IT-sector specialists the mission may issue a visa for up to three years or for the term of the assignment straight away. Technical specialists and experts arriving under an intergovernmental agreement or a government-approved cooperation agreement receive a visa for the term of the agreement, but no more than five years. In total, a stay on a work visa including all extensions does not exceed five years from the date the first visa was issued.

Is registration required after arrival?

Yes, if the work visa is issued for more than 180 days: you must register with the territorial FRRO/FRO within 14 days of arrival. The application is filed through the Indian Visa Su-Swagatam mobile app or on the indianfrro.gov.in portal. Children under twelve and OCI card holders are exempt from registration. Breaches of the registration rules are punishable by a fine, legal consequences, or both.

Can you change employer without leaving India?

No. Changing employer during the validity of a work visa is not permitted: to move to another company you must leave the country and request a new visa. Working for two companies at once on one visa is also prohibited, and the FRRO/FRO must be notified when employment ends. A separate rule applies to business owners: a foreign national who owns a company or a controlling stake in one needs a business visa rather than a work visa.

How long does examination of the application take?

Once the documents have been received through the visa centre or directly by the Indian mission, at least three working days are required to process the case and issue the visa. The actual time depends on the applicant's citizenship, and special cases take longer. The fee is not refunded even if the application is withdrawn, the visa is not issued, or it is issued for a shorter period than requested.

Does the work visa give a right to permanent residence?

No. The work visa is extended year by year and does not automatically turn into permanent status. In the Bureau of Immigration's list of visas, Permanent Residency Status is listed separately and is provided for foreign investors, not for employees. Dependants receive a category F visa whose validity is tied to the main applicant's visa.

Does a volunteer with a non-profit organisation need a work visa?

Yes. Those coming to work for a non-profit or non-governmental organisation on a voluntary basis, with or without an honorarium, are also issued a work visa. The honorarium must not exceed INR 10,000 a month. The applicant confirms the engagement with documents from an organisation registered in India.

Are there sectors closed to foreign workers?

There are few outright bans, but there is a permission regime. A work visa holder may not, without the permission of the civil authorities, take a job with a private company engaged in the supply of electricity or water or operating in the oil sector. Private companies in defence, space technology, atomic energy and human rights work may hire foreign nationals only with the prior permission of the central government. Government posts are not open to foreign nationals except by specific order of the government.

Other ways to move to India

Every route in one list — migration programmes: India.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 18 August 2026.