Tourist:

Only those on bona fide tourist visits should apply for tourist visas. A tourist Visa can only be granted to a foreigner who does not have a residence or occupation in India and whose sole objective of visiting India is recreation, sight seeing, casual visit to meet friends and relatives etc. No other activity is permissible on a Tourist Visa. The Tourist Visa is non-extendable and non-convertible. Tourist visas can be issued for a maximum period of six months, with single / double / triple / multiple entries keeping in view the requirement as per submission of the detailed itinerary and supporting documentation (confirmed air ticket for the whole journey, copy of the passport and a copy of the bank statement for the last three months) at the time of applying for visa.

Entry:

An entry visa is issued to a person visiting for internship, social or community work in NGOs sponsored by AIESEC, study tours, dependent family members of employment visa holders or student visa holders, foreigners of Indian origin, spouses of Indian citizens holding foreign passports or artists performing for charitable organisations on free of charge basis. Entry visas are normally issued for three to six months, but can be for longer periods, depending on the specific circumstances. Individuals going to India to volunteer for various charity organizations should apply for Entry (X) visa. The application has to be supported by documents.

Business:

Multi-entry business visas are normally issued upto one year period but the period of stay in India for any visit cannot exceed six months. Persons other than Czech nationals can also apply for business visa provided the period of permanent residence in Czech Republic is more than 2 years and this needs to be proved by documents such as long term visa on the passport, green card, permanent residence card etc. for more than last two years. Business visa can be granted subject to production of i) a letter from an authorized representative of the employing organization in Czech Republic and ii) an invitation letter in the name of the applicant or the Company in Czech Republic, from the concerned business organization in India. It should indicate the nature of the applicant's business in India, periods during which meetings to be held in India, place of visit, tentative dates of onward/return journey and an undertaking that all expenses relating to his stay and expenses in India including medical will be borne by the sending company.. Additional Details Form is also to be filled along with regular Visa Application Form. Following are the persons eligible and can be considered for grant of a Business Visa:

1. Persons who want to visit India to establish industrial/business venture or to explore possibilities to set up industrial/business venture in India.
2. Persons coming to India to purchase/sell industrial products or commercial products or consumer durables.
3. Persons coming to India for technical meetings/discussions, attending Board meetings, general meetings for providing business services support.
4. Persons coming to India for recruitment of manpower.
5. Persons who are partners in the Business and/or functioning as Directors in the company.
6. Persons coming to India for consultations regarding exhibitions, for participation in exhibitions, trade fairs, business fairs, etc.
7. Foreign buyers who come to transact business with suppliers/ potential suppliers at locations in India, to evaluate or monitor quality, give   specifications, place orders, negotiate further supplies etc., relating to goods or services procured from India.
8. Foreign experts/specialists on a visit of short duration in connection with an ongoing project with the objective of monitoring the progress of the work, conducting meetings with Indian customers and/or to provide some high level technical guidance.
9. Persons coming to India for pre-sales or post-sales activity not amounting to actual execution of any contract or project.
10. Foreign Trainees of multinational companies/corporate houses coming for in- house training in the regional hubs of the concerned company located in India.
11. Foreign students sponsored by AIESEC for internship on project based work in companies/industries.

Employment:

Employment Visa can be granted to foreigners desiring to come to India for purpose of employment, subject to following conditions:

1. The applicant is a skilled and qualified professional or person who is being engaged or appointed by a company, organization, industry, or undertaking, etc. in India on contract or employment basis at a senior level, skilled position such as technical expert, senior executive, or in a managerial position, etc.
2. Employment Visa is not granted for jobs for which large numbers of qualified Indians are available.
3. Employment Visa is not granted for routine, ordinary or secretarial/clerical jobs. Persons other than Czech nationals can also apply for Employment Visa provided the period of permanent residence of the applicant in Czech Republic is for more than 2 years. This needs to be proved by documents such as long term visa on the passport, green card, permanent residence card etc. for more than last two years.
4. The Indian company/organization engaging foreign nationals for executing projects/contracts would be responsible for the conduct of the foreign national during their stay in India and also for the departure of such foreign national upon expiry of Visa.
5. A foreign national will have to comply with all other requirements like payment of tax liabilities, etc.

The following persons can be considered for grant of Employment Visa:-

1. Persons coming to India for execution of a project / contract [irrespective of the duration of the visit].
2. Persons who are coming to India on short visits to customer location to repair any plant or machinery as part of warranty or annual maintenance contracts.
3. Foreign engineers/technicians coming to India for installation and commissioning of equipments/machines/tools in terms of the contract for supply of such equipment/ machine/ tools.
4. Foreign experts coming to India for imparting training for the personnel of the Indian company.
5. Foreign personnel deputed for providing technical support/services, transfer of know-how, services supplies for which the Indian company pays fees / royalty to the foreign company.
6. Persons coming to India as consultant on contract for whom the Indian company pays a fixed remuneration, (may not be in the form of monthly salary).
7. Foreign artists engaged to conduct regular performances for the duration of the employment contract given by Hotels, Clubs, other organizations.
8. Persons who are coming to India to take up employment as coaches.
9. Foreign sportsmen who are given contract for a specified period by the Indian Clubs / organizations.
   Self-employed persons coming to India for providing engineering, medical, accounting, legal or such other highly skilled services in their capacity as independent consultants.
10. A person coming to India for employment may initially be granted an Employment Visa abroad upto a maximum of one year. The first extension, if necessary, would be granted by Ministry of Home Affairs. Further extensions, if required, can be granted by concerned State Government/FRO upto maximum period of five years from the date of issue of the Visa. Foreigners coming on Employment Visa are required to register with concerned FRRO/FRO within two weeks from the date of arrival.

Documents required for Employment Visa:

1. The foreign national must have a valid travel document and a re-entry permit, if required under the law of the country concerned.
2. The foreign national must submit proof of his/her employment or contract or engagement by the company/organization, etc. in India. An appointment letter/employment contract duly signed by the employer in India and employee indicating the nature of work, period of employment and other terms and conditions must be submitted.
3. The foreign national must submit documentary proof of his educational qualifications and professional expertise.

Family members of a foreign national, who is granted 'E' Visa, can be granted an 'X' Visa [i.e. Dependent Visa]. The validity of the 'X' Visa could be co-terminus with the validity of the Visa of the principal Visa holder or for such shorter duration as may be considered necessary by the Indian Mission, subject to usual security checks provided the family members are otherwise eligible for grant of such a Visa.

Foreign company/organization that does not have any Project Office / subsidiary / joint venture / branch office in India cannot sponsor a foreign national/employee of a foreign company for Employment Visa.

An Indian company / organization which has awarded a contract for execution of a project to a foreign company that does not have any base in India can sponsor employee of foreign company for Employment Visa.

Student:

Issued for the duration of the course or for a period of one year, whichever is less, to bona fide students to pursue regular studies at recognized institutions in India. A confirmed admission letter from the concerned recognised institution and details of the financial arrangements for stay in India should accompany the application. In case of admission to medical or paramedical courses in India, a Letter of Approval or a "No Objection" Certificate from the Indian Ministry of Health is also required. For admission to undergraduate or post-graduate courses in Engineering or other technical disciplines, a Letter of Approval or a "No Objection" Certificate from the Ministry of Human Resources Development (Department of Education) is required. For pursuing a course of research, a detailed synopsis of the research project, countersigned by the sponsoring institution in India, should be submitted along with the visa application.

Transit:

Single/Double entry visas, valid for a maximum of 15 days, are issued to applicants who would be transiting through India.

Journalist:

Journalist visas are issued to professional journalists, media support crew and photographers for a maximum period of three months, to cover current events. Journalists seeking to make documentary films require separate approvals; please contact the First Secretary (Consular) [hoc[at]india.cz] for details. Journalists visiting India for tourism would need to apply for Journalist –Tourism Visa – Letter from the media organization and Press ID card to be submitted.

Conference:

Conference visas are issued for the duration of the conference to be attended. A letter of invitation from the conference organizer should be submitted along with the visa application. Where relevant, the consular officer may also require proof of approval of the Indian authorities for holding the conference.

Missionary:

Issued for single entry and duration as permitted by Government of India. A letter from sponsoring organization indicating intended destination in India, probable length of stay, and nature of duties to be discharged should be submitted along with guarantee for applicant's maintenance while in India.

Note:

Processing of applications of visas for research or for missionary activity may take up to three months.