If you’re looking to study abroad, but worry about the costs, India will be an excellent option for you. Not only is education affordable here, but it has also recently shown significant advancement, too. Unless you’re from Nepal, Maldives, or Bhutan, you need to apply for a student visa first before studying in India. Upon approval, your visa is valid for five years.
Among the requirements for a student visa is a letter of acceptance from an accredited Indian university. If you haven’t received your admission and need to go to India to take an admission test, you can apply for a provisional visa with only six months’ validity.
Keep in mind, though, that your student visa’s validity starts to count from the date you received it, and not from your arrival in India. Here’s everything you need to know about applying for a student visa in India to start your application.
What documents do you need to apply for a student visa in India?
When applying for a student visa in India, make sure to prepare the following:
- Passport with at least six months validity
- Passport size photos
- Photocopy of your passport
- Proof of your residential address
- Copy of accomplished online student visa form
- Admission letter from your host university
- Information about the university
How much money do you need for an Indian Student Visa?
The fee for student visa application depends on which country you are applying from. However, it typically ranges from $13 to $118. When you go through the online application, you might see the basic fee at the end of the process. But, this amount might still vary to the final fee you’ll need to pay when you submit your requirements at the embassy.
Applying for a Indian student visa also requires you to show evidence of financial support, which should cover your tuition and living costs. For tuition, fees typically range between $400 to $3000, depending on your program study and chosen institution.
As for other expenses, you can consider the following:
- Food: $100 to $280 per month
- Utilities: $16 to $40 per month
- Public transport: $16 to $40 per month
- Leisure and sports: $28 to $60 per month
Check Also: Available Programs for International Students
Steps on Applying for a Student Visa in India
1. Apply to an Indian University
Before applying for a student visa in India, you should first apply and get admitted to an accredited Indian educational institution. Once you receive your letter of acceptance, make sure you also meet the additional eligibility requirements below:
- You’re a foreigner coming to India to start your regular and full-time studies or looking to undergo industrial training, internship, or summer project.
- You should have a “No Objection Certificate” from the Ministry of Health if you are pursuing medical or para-medical studies.
- Besides the proof of admission, such as the admission letter, you should also provide evidence of financial support.
- If you’re traveling with family, make sure they apply for an Entry Visa, not just a tourist visa.
2. Prepare your Online Application Form
After confirming that you’re eligible to apply for a India student visa, make sure to complete your requirements as soon as possible. You can start by completing the online application form. Visit this link and click on “Regular/ Paper Visa Application.” Ensure that all information you provide is accurate and verify everything before submitting the online form.
If you can’t send the application online, take note of your Temporary Application ID, and save your application. You can edit and submit it again through this link. After completing your application form, make sure to keep your Application ID. You’ll need this to communicate with the embassy regarding your visa application.
3. Online Booking for Appointment and Completing ePayment
After submitting your application, you’ll also get a prompt to choose whether to book an appointment and pay for the application fee online or not. If you choose the former, the website will direct you to a web page to select the time and date for your appointment and the basic fee for a student visa.
To pay the basic fee online, you can choose the option “ePayment.” In some countries, though, these services may not be available. For that, you’ll need to print your submitted online application form and bring it with your payment and other requirements to the embassy.
4. Get Your Other Requirements Ready
One of the common mistakes in applying for a student visa in India, which results in rejection, is having incomplete requirements and failing to upload correctly formatted photos. Make sure to prepare a checklist to easily monitor what you have prepared and what else you need to accomplish.
As for the photos, make sure these meet the following formatting requirements before submitting the digital copy with your online application:
- JPEG format
- Size: 10 KB to 300 KB
- Equal height and width
- Showing your entire face, front view, and your eyes opened
- Shows your full head at the center of the frame, from top of your hair to the bottom of your chin
- Head should measure 1 to 1 3/8 inches
- Eye height should be between 1 1/8 to 1-3 inches
- Plain light or white-colored background
- No shadows on your face or background
- No borders
5. Bring Your Requirements to the Indian Embassy
As previously mentioned, you can set up an appointment with the embassy online after completing your requirements. Bring your complete requirements on your appointment date, as well as your payment for the application fee if you haven’t done it online.
If the online appointment setting is not available in your country, you can visit the embassy website to know more about setting up an appointment. You can find the list of Indian embassy websites here. You can also check the embassy website before submitting your requirements in-person to know if there are regulations and guidelines you should follow on your visit.
6. Wait for Application Result
The visa processing time typically lasts at least three working days from when the embassy received your application for your student visa in India. At this point, you can check the status of your application through this website. You’ll need to enter your Application ID and passport to get the update.
7. Receive your Passport with Visa
Once you receive the confirmation of your visa approval, you can pick up your passport from the embassy. You can also check the embassy website to know if you can get it by post.
We hope that this article on how to apply for a student visa in India was helpful! If you’re interested in studying abroad, make sure to check out the Available Programs for International Students!
