Residency guide for India: visas and residence

What you need to know

1. Can a foreigner with Indian roots live in India for life?

   India, OCI card (Overseas Citizen of India): stay: For life (spouse-based cards from 3 Sep 2025: 5 years first); work: Yes, no work visa needed; fee: USD 275. Who qualifies: A foreign citizen who was an Indian citizen on or after 26 January 1950, or whose parent, grandparent or great-grandparent was. To keep it: Always travel with a valid passport: the OCI card is a lifelong visa, not a passport. Where it leads: Indian citizenship by registration after 5 years as an OCI and 12 months living in India (up to 30 days away allowed). This means giving up your other passport.

   Where this comes from

   • BOI, About PIO/OCI Card (updated 22 Oct 2026), read 24 October 2026

2. Can I keep my old passport if I become Indian?

   Permanent residence and citizenship in India: India does not allow two citizenships. To become Indian you give up your current passport; an Indian who takes another passport stops being Indian that day. A child born in India to two foreign parents, even two OCI cardholders, is not Indian.

   Where this comes from

   • The Citizenship Act, 1955 (consolidated to 16 Apr 2019; CAA text from IN-V43), read 24 October 2026

3. How does the foreign spouse of an Indian become a citizen?

   India, Married to an Indian citizen: the path to citizenship: first: Entry (X-1) visa; after 2 years: OCI card (5 years first, then for life); after 7 years in india: Citizenship by registration; fee: ₹500 + ₹10,000 in India. Who qualifies: The foreign husband or wife of an Indian citizen. Where it leads: Citizenship by registration after 7 years living in India: the full 12 months before applying, and at least 6 of the 8 years before that. You must give up your other passport.

   Where this comes from

   • BOI, Terms and Conditions: Miscellaneous (X) Visas, read 24 October 2026

4. Which visa does a foreign business founder use in India?

   India, Business visa: who: Business visitors and founders of an Indian venture; stay: e-Business 1 year (180 days a visit); paper visa up to 5 years; work: Business only; no salary in India. Who qualifies: People coming for business, and the owners or main shareholders of a company in India. Cost: e-Business: USD 120 for most passports (UK USD 242, US USD 140, UAE USD 415), plus up to 3% bank charge. To keep it: Register once you pass 180 days in a year. Where it leads: Extensions in India up to 10 years if the business reaches ₹1 crore of sales a year within 4 years. Large investors may apply for Permanent Residency Status.

   Where this comes from

   • e-Visa portal, main page, eligibility list, FAQ and documents, read 24 October 2026

5. Which visa lets a foreigner work for a company in India?

   India, Employment visa: who: Skilled staff of a company in India; salary: Over ₹16.25 lakh a year (about USD 18,650); stay: 1 year or the contract, extendable in India. Who qualifies: Highly skilled or qualified professionals employed by a company or body in India, including transfers within your own company. Cost: US passports: USD 140 (up to 6 months), USD 220 (up to 1 year), USD 320 (1 to 5 years). To keep it: Register online with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) on indianfrro.gov.in, within 14 days of arriving, if your visa is for more than 180 days. On a shorter visa, register before day 180 if you mean to stay longer (rule of 1 June 2026). Where it leads: No route of its own. Years lived in India count towards the 12 years needed for citizenship by naturalisation.

   Where this comes from

   • BOI, Terms and Conditions: Work (E) Visa, read 24 October 2026

6. Is there a five-year visa for people of Indian origin?

   India, Entry (X-1) visa: Indian origin, or married to an Indian: stay: Up to 5 years, many entries, extendable in India; work: Only with the immigration office’s permission; fee: US passports: USD 100 to 220. Who qualifies: Anyone who has held an Indian passport, or whose parent, grandparent or great-grandparent was born in and lived in India. To keep it: Register online with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) on indianfrro.gov.in, within 14 days of arriving, if your visa is for more than 180 days. On a shorter visa, register before day 180 if you mean to stay longer (rule of 1 June 2026). Where it leads: The usual bridge to an OCI card (after 2 years of registered marriage for a spouse) and to citizenship.

   Where this comes from

   • e-Visa portal, main page, eligibility list, FAQ and documents, read 24 October 2026