Issue · October 2026 · everything a nomad needs, city by city

Nomadzine

The visa · India

India

India has no visa for remote workers; the routes that exist are the e-Tourist Visa (30 days, one year or five years, with a 180-day-per-calendar-year cap), the e-Business Visa for meetings and trade, and the Employment Visa for people hired by an Indian entity. Goa has announced a state digital-nomad scheme, but as of September 2026 it is a plan, not a visa. The point to know before applying: the e-Visa terms say it is not allowed for employment and do not mention remote work for a foreign employer, so nomads on tourist entries are operating in a reported grey zone under an Act that now carries up to three years' imprisonment for visa-condition breaches.

    Nomad visa · September 2026None as suchRoutes5Bases3

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The routes

Researched 9 September 2026 · rules as of September 2026 · as published, not legal advice

  1. Temporary stay

    e-Tourist Visa (30-day, 1-year, 5-year)

    e-Tourist Visa (e-TV), issued as an Electronic Travel Authorisation under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025

    Nationals of the 174 listed countries who want to spend up to six months a year in India as visitors; the route most remote workers actually use, though its published conditions do not authorise work of any kind.

    Income floor
    none published; the portal asks for passport, photo and return-travel details only
    Duration
    30-day variant: 30 days, multiple entry, non-extendable and non-convertible. 1-year variant: 365 days from the date of grant of the ETA, multiple entry. 5-year variant: five years from grant, multiple entry. For the 1- and 5-year variants the maximum stay in India in one calendar year must not exceed 180 days.
    Cost
    Consulate General in San Francisco publishes for US citizens: 30-day US$25 (July to March) or US$10 (April to June); 1-year US$40; 5-year US$80, plus a 2.5% bank charge. Fees are nationality-specific; reporting in December 2025 put the 5-year standard rate at US$200 and the UK rate at US$484, a figure that conflicts with the US$80 still shown for US citizens, so check the portal for the passport concerned.
    Processing
    Portal requires filing at least 4 days before arrival and allows filing up to 120 days ahead; consulate guidance cites 72 hours, while aviation and visa-agent reporting in 2026 describes 8 to 10 working days in peak season and 24 to 72 hours for straightforward cases.
    Eligibility
    Passport from an eligible country with six months' validity and two blank pages; individual passport only; not open to Pakistani nationals; biometrics taken on arrival; entry via 36 designated airports or 38 seaports; not valid for restricted or protected areas; cannot be extended or converted in India.
    Work rights
    Published condition: 'e-Visa is not allowed for employment', NGO work or journalism; only unpaid voluntary work of up to one month is permitted under the tourism category. Remote work for an employer or clients outside India is not addressed in the published terms and is described in Indian press reporting as a legal grey zone.
    Dependants
    No dependant provision; each family member applies for their own e-Visa on their own passport.
    Leads to
    no
    Apply
    Online only at indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa; no consulate visit.

    Documents Passport bio page scan with at least six months' validity · Recent front-facing photograph on a white background · Return or onward ticket details · Fee paid online by card (non-refundable whether or not approved) · ETA printout presented at the immigration counter

    Official page →

  2. Temporary stay

    e-Business Visa (e-B1V)

    e-Business Visa

    Founders, consultants and company employees visiting for meetings, trade, recruitment or setting up a venture; used by some nomads whose work involves Indian counterparties, though it does not permit taking employment.

    Income floor
    none published; the application asks for the applicant's business and the Indian firm to be visited
    Duration
    365 days from the date of grant of the ETA, multiple entry; continuous stay during each visit must not exceed 180 days. A 30-day e-B5V variant also exists.
    Cost
    Standard rate reported as US$120 from late 2025 (previously US$80), with nationality-specific rates including US$140 for the United States, US$215 for Australia, US$242 for the United Kingdom and US$415 for the United Arab Emirates, plus bank charges.
    Processing
    Same portal window as the e-Tourist Visa: file at least 4 days and at most 120 days before arrival; the same 72-hour-to-10-day reality applies.
    Eligibility
    Same passport list and passport-validity rules as the e-Tourist Visa; business card or letter and details of the Indian company to be visited; not for employment, journalism or NGO activity.
    Work rights
    Business activity for the applicant's own foreign company; employment in India is not permitted. Remote work for a foreign employer is not addressed in the published terms.
    Dependants
    No dependant provision on the e-Visa; family members apply separately in their own category.
    Leads to
    no
    Apply
    Online at indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa.

    Documents Passport bio page scan · Photograph on white background · Business card or invitation letter from the Indian firm · Details of the applicant's own company · Fee paid online

    Official page →

  3. Temporary stay

    Visa on Arrival (Japan, South Korea, UAE)

    Visa on Arrival

    Japanese, South Korean and Emirati passport holders making short trips who do not want to pre-apply.

    Income floor
    none
    Duration
    Up to 60 days per visit for business, tourism, medical or conference purposes; usable at most twice in a calendar year.
    Cost
    INR 2,000, payable on arrival.
    Processing
    Granted at the counter on arrival at six airports: Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderabad.
    Eligibility
    Ordinary passports of the three countries; applicants of Pakistani origin are excluded; the six airports only.
    Work rights
    Visitor purposes only; employment is not permitted and remote work is not addressed.
    Dependants
    Each traveller obtains their own visa on arrival.
    Leads to
    no
    Apply
    At the immigration counter on arrival at the six listed airports.

    Documents Passport with adequate validity · Return ticket · Fee in cash or card at the counter

  4. Long stay

    Employment Visa

    Employment Visa (E visa)

    Skilled professionals hired by a company registered in India; the only mainstream route to stay and work legally for more than 180 days at a stretch, but it requires an Indian employer, so it does not fit a remote worker paid from abroad.

    Income floor
    Minimum salary of US$25,000 a year from the Indian employer, as cited by consular and law-firm guidance summarising the Ministry of Home Affairs rules; exceptions for ethnic cooks, non-English language teachers and embassy staff.
    Duration
    Granted for the contract period up to the limits set by the Ministry of Home Affairs and extendable in India; holders staying beyond 180 days must register with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office.
    Cost
    Fees are set per nationality by the consulate; not verified here.
    Processing
    Consulate processing; times vary by post and were not verified here.
    Eligibility
    Skilled or qualified role with an Indian entity; the job must not be one for which qualified Indians are available in routine categories; the salary floor above.
    Work rights
    Local employment with the sponsoring employer only.
    Dependants
    Spouse and dependent children may apply for an Entry (X) Visa; they cannot work on it and must obtain their own Employment Visa to take a job.
    Leads to
    Registered long-term residence is possible through renewals; there is no published path from an Employment Visa to permanent residence or citizenship for someone without Indian origin, beyond naturalisation after long residence under the Citizenship Act.
    Apply
    Indian mission in the applicant's country of residence, via the regular visa portal.

    Documents Employment contract with the Indian entity · Employer's registration documents · Proof of qualifications · Passport and photographs

    Official page →

  5. Other route

    Entry (X) Visa for dependants

    Entry Visa (X visa)

    Spouses and dependent children of Employment Visa holders, and persons of Indian origin; relevant to a nomad only where the partner holds an Indian employment or long-term visa.

    Income floor
    none published beyond the principal's employment
    Duration
    Co-terminous with the principal's visa, extendable in India; registration required for stays beyond 180 days.
    Cost
    Consular fee by nationality; not verified here.
    Processing
    Consulate processing; not verified here.
    Eligibility
    Proof of the relationship to the principal visa holder.
    Work rights
    No employment; a dependant who wants to work must obtain their own Employment Visa.
    Dependants
    This is the dependant route itself.
    Leads to
    no
    Apply
    Indian mission abroad.

    Documents Marriage or birth certificate · Copy of the principal's visa and passport · Passport and photographs

Without a visa, by passport

The stay you get on arrival, and whether working remotely on it is tolerated

  • EU / EEA / Switzerlande-Visa required; all EU member states are on the eligible list. 30-day, 1-year or 5-year e-Tourist with a 180-day-per-calendar-year cap on the longer variantsEmployment is expressly not allowed on an e-Visa; remote work for a foreign employer is unaddressed and reported as a grey zone.
  • United Kingdome-Visa required; same variants. December 2025 reporting puts the UK 5-year e-Tourist fee at US$484 and the 1-year e-Business at US$242Same rule: no employment on an e-Visa; remote work not addressed in the published terms.
  • United Statese-Visa required; consulate lists 30-day US$25 or US$10 seasonal, 1-year US$40, 5-year US$80Same rule; the US consulate page also notes fees are non-refundable and the e-Visa cannot be extended or converted.
  • Canadae-Visa required; Canadians are back on the eligible list after the 2023 suspensionSame rule; no employment, remote work unaddressed.
  • Australiae-Visa required; reported 1-year e-Business fee US$215Same rule.
  • IndiaHome country; not applicableIndian citizens working remotely from India for foreign clients face the tax residency and deemed-residency rules below rather than any immigration rule.
  • Brazile-Visa route; confirm the passport on the portal's 174-country list before bookingSame e-Visa rule on employment; remote work unaddressed.
  • South Africae-Visa route; confirm the passport on the portal's country listSame e-Visa rule.
  • Japan, South Korea, United Arab EmiratesVisa on arrival, 60 days, INR 2,000, at most twice a calendar year, six airports onlyVisitor purposes only; employment not permitted.
  • Nepal and BhutanNo visa or passport required; may live and work in India without limit of stayWork is permitted under the bilateral arrangements.
  • Maldives90 days visa-freeVisitor stay; employment not permitted.
  • PakistanNot eligible for e-Visa; regular visa onlyApplicants of Pakistani origin are also excluded from visa on arrival.

Tax

When the country starts counting you as its taxpayer

Residency trigger
Under the Income Tax Act, 2025, which governs tax years beginning on or after 1 April 2026, an individual is resident if present in India for 182 days or more in the tax year, or for 60 days or more in the year together with 365 days or more in the preceding four years. Indian citizens leaving for employment abroad or as ship crew are tested on 182 days only. For Indian citizens and persons of Indian origin visiting India with Indian-source income above INR 15 lakh, the 60-day limb becomes 120 days. An Indian citizen with such income who is not liable to tax anywhere else is a deemed resident under section 6(7). Years before April 2026 remain governed by section 6 of the 1961 Act.
Special regime
No nomad or newcomer regime. The Act preserves the 'not ordinarily resident' status for someone who was non-resident in nine of the preceding ten years or spent 729 days or less in India in the preceding seven, which is the status a newly arrived foreigner typically holds for the first years; under the Act's scope rules a not-ordinarily-resident person is taxed on Indian-source income and on foreign income only where it derives from a business controlled or profession set up in India, so foreign salary from a foreign employer for work done abroad is not brought in on that basis. Goa's proposed digital-nomad scheme carries no tax terms.
Social security
India's provident-fund scheme for 'international workers' attaches to employees of covered Indian establishments, so a remote worker with no Indian employer is not enrolled; there is no contribution scheme for self-employed foreigners. India has social security agreements with 18 countries, listed by the government as Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Japan, South Korea, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden and Switzerland; a detachment certificate from the home scheme exempts a posted worker from Indian contributions for the agreed period, and Indians posted abroad obtain a certificate of coverage from EPFO online.
Treaties
India has an extensive double-taxation-agreement network; where a remote worker becomes Indian resident, treaty tie-breakers and the foreign-tax-credit rules decide which state taxes employment income, and Indian withholding on payments from Indian clients is set against the treaty rate. The treaty count and the certificate procedure were not verified for this edition.

Practicalities

Bank account
Reserve Bank rules allow a foreign national of non-Indian origin visiting India to open a Non-Resident Ordinary account funded from abroad or from converted foreign exchange; for tourists the balance may be reconverted on departure provided the account has run for no more than six months, and continuing beyond six months needs RBI approval. Foreigners on employment visas open ordinary resident accounts with the employer's letter and FRRO registration.
SIM registration
Passport plus a valid visa is the accepted know-your-customer set for foreigners; Aadhaar is not required. Tourist connections are typically capped at 90 days or the visa period, whichever is shorter, need re-verification in store if the stay is extended, and go through a manual verification queue that reports taking two to twenty-four hours.
Health insurance
No insurance is listed among the e-Visa requirements on the official portal or the consulate page; cover is a private choice.
Address registration
Hotels and hosts file Form C for every foreign guest. Registration with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office is required for foreigners staying beyond 180 days on qualifying long-term visas; e-Tourist holders cannot exceed 180 days in a calendar year and so do not register. From June 2026 the registration must be completed before the 180th day rather than within 14 days after it, with late filing allowed only in emergent circumstances.
Tax number
The Permanent Account Number is the tax identifier; a foreigner who earns Indian-source income or files a return needs one. The application route for foreign nationals was not verified for this edition.
Overstay penalties
The Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 provides up to three years' imprisonment and/or a fine of up to INR 3 lakh for overstaying or breaching visa conditions; entry without a valid passport or visa carries up to five years and/or INR 5 lakh; forged documents carry two to seven years and a fine of INR 1 to 10 lakh; police of head-constable rank and above may arrest without warrant.

India: no nomad visa, a one-year or five-year e-Tourist stay capped at 180 days a year, and a new immigration Act with sharper teeth

Where nomads base, and on what

Goa is the centre of India's remote-work scene, with Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi and the Himalayan towns behind it. Almost everyone foreign is there on an e-Tourist Visa, using the one-year or five-year variant and rotating out before the 180-day calendar-year cap bites. The state government has announced beach co-working sites, free public Wi-Fi at 150 locations and a nomad hub on Mandovi river ferries, and has said it wants a digital-nomad visa and portal, but immigration is a Union matter and nothing has been notified.

The published e-Visa conditions say the visa is not allowed for employment and permit only a month of unpaid volunteering; they say nothing about working online for a foreign employer. Indian press coverage describes the resulting position as a grey zone that leaves long-stayers unable to plan. What has changed is the downside: since September 2025 a breach of visa conditions is an offence under the Immigration and Foreigners Act carrying up to three years and a fine of up to INR 3 lakh.

What applicants report about the process

The portal itself is straightforward: passport scan, photo, card payment, an emailed ETA. The official minimum is four days before travel, but flight-operations and visa-agent reporting through 2026 describes eight to ten working days in the October-to-March season and three to five days outside it, with simple cases still clearing in one to three days. Dual nationals and people with complex travel histories are diverted for manual security review. Common refusal causes are photo faults, a passport number typed wrong and mismatched personal details; fees are not refunded.

Fees are the other trap. The same visa costs different amounts by passport, and the December 2025 revision raised the five-year e-Tourist and the one-year e-Business sharply for some nationalities while leaving the US consulate's US$80 five-year rate in place. The 30-day visa is cheapest between April and June. The e-Visa cannot be extended or converted in India, so a nomad who wants to stay longer must leave and re-enter within the annual cap.

Money and the day-to-day

Banking is the weakest link. A visitor can open a Non-Resident Ordinary account, but the Reserve Bank's tourist framework runs for six months and anything longer needs its approval; most nomads live off foreign cards and UPI wallets linked to them. SIMs are easy with passport and visa but expire with the visa period or after 90 days and need in-store re-verification. No health insurance is demanded for the e-Visa. Hotels and landlords file Form C for foreign guests; FRRO registration only arises on long-term visa categories above 180 days, and the June 2026 rule change means that filing now has to land before the 180th day.

Tax position for a remote worker

The 182-day count is the hard trigger, with the 60-plus-365 test catching frequent returners; a foreigner rotating around the e-Visa's 180-day cap sits just under it. Someone who does become resident is usually not ordinarily resident for the first years, which keeps foreign-employer salary for work done abroad outside Indian tax under the Act's scope rules. Indian citizens working remotely from abroad have their own rules: the 120-day limb where Indian income exceeds INR 15 lakh, and deemed residency where they are taxed nowhere. There is no provident-fund charge on a foreigner without an Indian employer, and the 18 social security agreements only matter for posted employees.

Researched from indianvisaonline.gov.in · cgisf.gov.in · cgisf.gov.in · indianembassyusa.gov.in · incometax.gov.in · incometax.gov.in · rbi.org.in · pib.gov.in · visasnews.com · visasnews.com · the authority