ENTRY/EXIT REQUIREMENTS: 

U.S. citizens require a passport and visa to enter and exit India for any purpose.  Visitors, including those on official U.S. government business, must obtain visas at an Indian Embassy or Consulate abroad prior to entering the country, as there are no provisions for visas upon arrival.  Those arriving without a visa are subject to immediate deportation.  The U.S. Embassy and Consulates in India are unable to assist when U.S. citizens arrive without visas.  Each visitor should carry photocopies of the bio-data page of the traveler’s U.S. passport and the page containing the Indian visa in order to facilitate obtaining an exit visa from the Indian government in the event of theft or loss of the passport.

Americans who wish to visit India are responsible for requesting the correct type of visa from the Indian Embassy or Consulate, as there are no provisions for changing one’s immigration category (e.g., from tourist to work visa) once admitted.  Foreign citizens whose primary purpose of travel is to participate in religious activities should obtain a missionary visa rather than a tourist visa.  Indian immigration authorities have deported American citizens who were conducting religious activities while holding a tourist visa.