India visa for Canadian passport holders
Is there an Indian visa for Canadian passport holders?
Yes, there is. Ordinary Canadian passport holders can apply for an Indian visa provided they meet the requirements. As a Canadian, you will need the following to apply for an Indian visa.
A valid Canadian passport with at least 6 months of validity
A completed application form
Visa application processing fee
Other relevant documents.
Read on to know how to apply for an Indian visa for Canadian passport holders.
Traveling To India From Canada
Canada may be about 11,400 kilometers away from India, but many Canadians visit India annually. India has several cultural festivals, archeological sites, and resort towns on its Southern sea coast that attract tourists worldwide.
If you wish to travel to India for any reason, you need a visa for that. The visa grants you access to the country and offers you a legal stay for some time.
Types Of Indian Visa For Canadian Citizens Can Apply For?
Tourist Visa
An E-visa is a travel document solely for tourists who are ordinary passport holders. This visa is ideal for vacation and short stays in India. Before now, Canadians could apply for the electronic India Visa called an E-visa, but it has been discontinued. For now, Canadians cannot apply for e visas. So if you wish to spend your holidays in India, you must apply to the Indian embassy in Canada.
Tourist visas have different validity ranging from one month to one year. There is also a 5-year tourist visa. The one-month visa allows you to stay for 30 days; the one year visa allows a stay of 90 days, while the 5 years visa is for 180 stays at a time.
An E-visa is a travel document solely for tourists. This visa is ideal for vacation and short stays in India. Before now, Canadians could apply for the electronic version called an E-visa, but it has been discontinued. For now, Canadians cannot apply for e visas. If you wish to spend your holidays in India, you must apply to the Indian embassy in Canada.
The application fees for these visas are not the same, with the longer version costing more than the one month and one year visa.
Business Visa
The business visa is essentially for Canadians coming for business meetings, conferences, or any activity that will keep them in India for a few weeks or months. Business visas have the same features as tourist visas but with slight differences.
A business visa application must contain a letter of invitation sent by an Indian entity to the applicant. This document must be attached to the application form for approval. Business visas have a validity of 30 days, 180 days, and 1 year. Furthermore, they grant the holder multiple entries into India for as long as it remains valid.
Medical Visa
Medical visas are issued to Canadians who want to visit India for medical treatment. There are two types of medical visas; one for patients and the other for nurses or health care assistants who support the patient. This visa also has different validity periods ranging from one month to a year or more.
Documents Required For An Indian Visa
If you want to apply for an Indian visa, these are the documents you will need.
Completed Visa Application
The embassy will provide you with a physical application form in place of the electronic Indian visa. All fields on the form must be filled out with accurate information. The information that will be requested of you are
Full name
Age
Date of Birth
Nationality
Passport Number
Gender
Purpose of visit
When providing this information, ensure that it is accurate and corresponds with your documents.
Valid Passport
You need a valid Canadian passport to apply for the visa. The rule states the passport must have at least 6 months of validity from when you arrive in India. Anything below 6 months will be rejected.
Scan and attach the bio page of your passport to the application form.
Business Card/Medical Card
Suppose you are applying for a business electronic Indian visa. In that case, you must include your Business care showing the full company profile information and the invitation letter sent to you by the business entity or Indian.
For medical trips, provide any documents to prove your visit. Evidence could be a letter of acceptance by a medical facility in India or any other document.
Passport Photograph
You need to attach two recent passport photographs to your application form. The photograph must have a white background and must be clear. Do not wear spectacles, hats, or anything that will distort your appearance. Also, note that only photographs taken not more than 6 months ago are accepted.
An Indian e visa for Canadian passport holders may take a few weeks to be approved, depending on the backlog of applications embassy officials have to process. To avoid delays, consider applying for your Indian visa at least a month before your planned trip.