Before you can apply for the visa
India issues a student visa only against a provisional admission letter from a recognised institution. You cannot apply on the strength of an application receipt or a conditional email — the mission wants the signed letter naming the programme, duration and campus.
Institutions issue that letter after they have verified your academic documents, so credential checks and any equivalence requirement sit on the critical path of the visa, not after it.
- Provisional admission letter naming programme and duration
- Passport valid at least six months beyond the course start
- Proof of funds covering tuition and living costs
- Recent passport photographs to the mission's specification
The online application and the mission appointment
The application is filed online, printed, signed and taken to the Indian mission or its outsourced visa centre in your country along with the supporting set. Some missions add an interview; most do not for straightforward student cases.
A student visa is normally granted for the duration of the course up to five years, with multiple entry. Processing ranges from a few working days to several weeks depending on the mission, so plan for the slow case rather than the fast one.
FRRO registration within 14 days of arrival
If your visa is longer than 180 days you must register with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office within 14 days of arriving. Registration is done online through the e-FRRO portal and confirmed by a residential permit.
Your institution's international office will usually run a group session for new arrivals. Missing the window attracts a penalty and complicates every later extension, so treat it as part of orientation, not paperwork you can defer.
- e-FRRO account with passport and visa scans
- Bonafide certificate from the institution
- Proof of address (hostel allotment or registered lease)
- Undertaking from the institution where required
Extensions and changes during the course
Extensions are applied for through e-FRRO with a fresh bonafide certificate, fee receipts and academic progress evidence. Apply well before expiry — retrospective regularisation is possible but avoidable.
Changing institution, city or address all require an update on the portal. A visa granted for one institution does not transfer automatically to another.
