Moving to India in 2026: Visas, Customs, First Steps
A move to India rests on four things: the right visa or an Overseas Citizen of India card, registration after you arrive, what customs lets you bring in duty free, and how you are taxed once you live there. Each has an official rulebook. This guide puts the steps in order, with the figures from the Bureau of Immigration, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Indian visa portal, Indian Customs, the Income Tax Department and the statistics ministry, as read on 13 October 2026.
Quick answer
To work in India you need an Employment visa, and a foreigner employed in any sector should draw a gross salary in excess of Rs. 16.25 lakhs per annum. If your visa is valid for more than 180 days, register with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office within 14 days of arrival. Submit the e-Arrival card online within 72 hours before you land. Under the Baggage Rules, 2026, a foreigner on a non-tourist visa moving for more than two years can bring household articles worth up to ₹7,50,000 duty free. You become tax resident after 182 days in India in a year. People of Indian origin can apply for an OCI card, which works as a life-long visa.
Step 1: choose your route
| Your situation | Route | Key rule |
|---|---|---|
| Job with an Indian company, or a foreign company executing a project in India | Employment visa | Gross salary in excess of Rs. 16.25 lakhs per annum, with listed exemptions |
| Setting up or exploring a business, or owning a majority stake in a company | Business visa | You cannot take any salary or remuneration in India on it |
| Full-time, on-campus study | Student visa | Period of the course or 5 years, whichever is less |
| Dependent of a visa holder | Family visa (F) | For dependents of various visa category holders |
| Person of Indian origin, or foreign spouse or child of an Indian citizen or OCI cardholder | X1 visa, or registration as an OCI cardholder | OCI is a life-long visa |
| Foreign investor under the Foreign Direct Investment route | Permanent Residency Status | A minimum of Rs. 10 crores brought in within 18 months, or Rs. 25 crores within 36 months |
| Citizen of Nepal or Bhutan | No visa | Exempt from the requirement of visa and registration |
The Bureau of Immigration states the general rule: a valid passport and a regular visa, an e-Visa or an OCI card are required for entry into India, except for those exempted under bilateral arrangements. It adds that a visa or visa-free regime does not confer the right of entry, which is at the discretion of the immigration authorities.
Step 2: if you are moving for work
Our India work visa guide has the detail. The essentials:
- Who gets it: highly skilled and qualified professionals engaged by an Indian company or organisation, or by a foreign company executing a project in India.
- Salary: in excess of Rs. 16.25 lakhs per annum. A lakh is one hundred thousand rupees.
- Length: for employment outside the special categories, up to 2 years or the term of assignment, whichever is less. It can be extended in India up to a total of 5 years from the date the first visa was issued.
- Employer: no change of employer is permitted during the visa. To change, you leave India and apply for a fresh Employment visa.
- One job: you cannot work for more than one company simultaneously.
Step 3: if you want to stay for good
The official sources describe two long-term statuses. Which one applies depends on your link to India.
The OCI card, for people of Indian origin and their spouses
A foreign national can register as an Overseas Citizen of India cardholder if they were a citizen of India on or after 26.01.1950, were eligible to become one on that date, or are a child, grandchild or great-grandchild of such a citizen. The foreign-origin spouse of an Indian citizen or OCI cardholder is eligible once the marriage has been registered and has subsisted for a continuous period of not less than two years.
| What the OCI card does | What it does not do |
|---|---|
| It is a life-long visa. A visa is not required for OCI cardholders | The OCI cardholder is not entitled to vote |
| Cardholders staying in India are exempt from registration with the FRRO | No appointment to public services and posts in India |
| Registration does not cost the applicant their existing citizenship | No acquisition of agricultural or plantation properties |
| Cardholders can sit Indian entrance tests such as NEET and the Joint Entrance Examination | No admission against a seat reserved exclusively for Indian citizens |
Three limits to know. The passport remains the primary travel document, and staying in India without a valid passport is illegal even for an OCI cardholder. No one who is, or whose parents, grandparents or great-grandparents are or were, a citizen of Pakistan or Bangladesh is eligible. And an OCI card issued to a spouse on or after 03.09.2025 has an initial validity of 5 years, extendable to lifelong subject to scrutiny.
Permanent Residency Status, for investors
The Ministry of Home Affairs' document on visas, dated 20 August 2020 and still the version published on its website, provides Permanent Residency Status for foreign investors. The investment has to generate employment for at least 20 resident Indians in every financial year. The status is granted for 10 years with multiple entry and can be renewed for another 10 years. Holders are allowed to purchase one residential property for dwelling purposes.
Step 4: apply for the visa
- Fill in the form online at indianvisaonline.gov.in. One form covers one person.
- For a regular visa, print and sign the form and submit it with your documents and passport at the Indian Visa Application Center or the Indian Mission on the appointed date.
- Allow for processing. The Mission requires a minimum of three working days to process a case, depending on nationality and excluding special cases.
- For an e-Visa, apply a minimum of 4 days before arrival. The passport should have at least six months validity and two blank pages.
The e-Visa is open to passport holders of the countries on the portal's eligibility list, which includes the USA, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. It covers tourist, business, medical, student and other categories, but not employment. The costs are in our India visa fees guide, and student rules are in the India student visa guide.
Step 5: shipping your belongings
India's customs allowances are now set by the Baggage Rules, 2026. Indian Customs' published FAQs on those rules set out a transfer of residence allowance for people shifting their home to India. It covers bona fide household effects and personal articles, and it comes on top of the duty-free clearance of used personal effects and the general allowance.
| Who | Condition | Duty-free value of personal and household articles |
|---|---|---|
| Foreigner with a valid visa, other than a tourist visa | Intended stay in India of 6 to 12 months | ₹1,50,000 |
| Foreigner with a valid visa, other than a tourist visa | Intended stay in India of 1 to 2 years | ₹3,00,000 |
| Foreigner with a valid visa, other than a tourist visa | Intended stay in India of more than 2 years | ₹7,50,000 |
| Resident or tourist of Indian origin | Stay abroad of 3 to 12 months | ₹1,50,000 |
| Resident or tourist of Indian origin | Stay abroad of 1 to 2 years | ₹3,00,000 |
| Resident or tourist of Indian origin | Stay abroad of more than 2 years | ₹7,50,000 |
- Who counts as a tourist of Indian origin: the FAQs say this includes Non-Resident Indians and OCI cardholders.
- Appliances: one unit each of a listed set of articles is allowed within the value cap, including an air-conditioner, washing machine, refrigerator, television, microwave oven, dish washer, desktop computer and laptop.
- General allowance: separately, a resident, a tourist of Indian origin and a foreigner on a non-tourist visa can each clear articles worth up to ₹75,000 duty free when arriving by any mode other than land. For a tourist of foreign origin the figure is ₹25,000.
- Not allowed duty free: firearms, cigarettes exceeding 100 sticks, alcoholic liquor or wines in excess of two litres, and gold or silver in any form other than ornaments.
- Leaving early: a foreign professional who leaves before completing the intended stay must inform the Commissioner of Customs without delay and pay the applicable duty with interest on goods above the permissible allowance.
- Pets: two pets, a cat and a dog, can be imported under transfer of residence after a stay abroad of two years or more, with an advance No Objection Certificate from Animal Quarantine and Certification Services or an import authorisation.
- Cash: you must file a Currency Declaration Form when foreign exchange in notes and travellers cheques exceeds US $10,000, or when foreign currency notes alone exceed US $5,000.
Step 6: before you fly and at the border
- e-Arrival card: foreigners must complete and submit it online within 72 hours before arrival, at indianvisaonline.gov.in/earrival or through the official Indian Visa Su-Swagatam mobile app.
- Yellow fever: travellers from yellow fever endemic countries need a valid vaccination certificate.
- Biometrics and stamps: the passport is stamped after checks and capture of biometrics where required. The Bureau says it is your responsibility to make sure the arrival seal is affixed.
- Stick to your purpose: you are required to adhere strictly to the purpose of visit declared in the visa application.
Step 7: register after arrival
| Visa | Registration rule |
|---|---|
| Student, Employment or Medical visa valid for more than 180 days | Register with the jurisdictional FRRO or FRO within 14 days of arrival |
| Business visa | Register if aggregate stay in the calendar year, or continuous stay, exceeds 180 days |
| Any other visa | Register if aggregate stay in the calendar year or continuous stay on a visit exceeds 180 days |
| OCI cardholders | Exempt |
| Children below 12 years of age | Not required to register |
Extensions and conversions are applied for online at indianfrro.gov.in, within the validity of the current visa and only by foreign nationals present in India. If the request is not granted within that validity, you must depart. Overstay, non-registration and activities that do not match the visa fall under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, with penalties ranging from 10000 to 3 lakhs for each offence, as well as imprisonment.
Step 8: budget and tax
- Spending: average monthly per capita consumption expenditure in 2023-24 was Rs. 6,996 in urban India and Rs. 4,122 in rural India. Among major states, urban spending ran from Rs. 4,927 in Chhattisgarh to Rs. 8,978 in Telangana.
- Prices: retail inflation was 5.54% in the year to September 2026.
- Tax residence: under one of the Income Tax Department's tests, an individual is resident in India for a year if they are in India for 182 days or more during it.
- Tax rates: under the new regime for assessment year 2026-27, income up to ₹4,00,000 is taxed at nil and income above ₹24,00,000 at 30%, with five steps in between.
The state-by-state table and the full tax slabs are in our cost of living in India guide. One-off relocation costs are in cost of moving to India.
Frequently asked questions
Can a foreigner move to India permanently?
The official sources describe two long-term statuses. People of Indian origin and foreign spouses of Indian citizens can register as OCI cardholders, which gives a life-long visa. Foreign investors meeting the investment thresholds can get Permanent Residency Status for 10 years, renewable for another 10. Other foreigners stay on visas tied to a purpose such as employment, which can be extended up to a total of 5 years.
Can Americans move to India?
Yes, with the right visa. US passport holders are on the e-Visa eligibility list for visits. For work they need an Employment visa, which the Embassy of India in Washington prices at US$140.00 to US$320.00 depending on duration.
How much can I ship to India duty free when I move?
Under the Baggage Rules, 2026, a foreigner on a non-tourist visa can bring personal and household articles worth up to ₹1,50,000 for an intended stay of 6 to 12 months, ₹3,00,000 for 1 to 2 years and ₹7,50,000 for more than 2 years.
Do I need to register with the FRRO?
Yes, within 14 days of arrival, if you hold a Student, Employment or Medical visa valid for more than 180 days. OCI cardholders are exempt.
Can I bring my pets to India?
Two pets, a cat and a dog, can be imported under transfer of residence after a stay abroad of two years or more, with an advance No Objection Certificate from Animal Quarantine and Certification Services or an import authorisation.
Is an OCI card the same as Indian citizenship?
No. The Bureau of Immigration describes OCI as only a life-long visa. An OCI cardholder is not entitled to vote and cannot hold constitutional posts.
What salary do I need to work in India as a foreigner?
A gross salary in excess of Rs. 16.25 lakhs per annum, unless you fall into an exempt category.
Official sources
- Bureau of Immigration, Ministry of Home Affairs — List of visas
- Bureau of Immigration — How to apply
- Bureau of Immigration — General guidelines for those travelling to India
- Bureau of Immigration — Work in India
- Bureau of Immigration — Business in India
- Bureau of Immigration — Registration requirements
- Bureau of Immigration — Visa extension and conversion
- Bureau of Immigration — Penalties
- Bureau of Immigration — About the OCI card
- Ministry of Home Affairs, Foreigners Division — Details of visas granted by India (20 August 2020)
- Indian Visa Online — Regular visa application
- Indian Visa Online — Visa processing time
- Indian Visa Online — e-Visa
- Indian Customs — FAQs on customs measures, including the Baggage Rules, 2026 (hosted by Bengaluru Customs)
- Embassy of India, Washington DC — Revised visa fees for USA nationals
- Income Tax Department — Non-resident individual for AY 2026-2027
- Income Tax Department — Salaried individuals for AY 2026-27
- Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation — Household Consumption Expenditure Survey 2023-24, press note
- MoSPI — Consumer Price Index for September 2026 (12 October 2026)
All figures verified against the official pages above on 13 October 2026. The Ministry of Home Affairs document is dated 20 August 2020, and visa conditions are subject to change, so confirm the requirements with the Indian Mission where you apply and customs allowances with Indian Customs before you ship. Information, not legal or tax advice.