India · Student
India e-Student visa
First stay: 1 yr
e-Student Visa (e-S) and e-Family Visa for student dependants (e-SX)
Checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
e-Student visa is a student route for India. Checked 2026-10-12 against the official source.
- First stay
- 1 yr
Time and long term
Renewal1 year max, no extension
An e-Visa cannot be extended or converted to another visa type. It is valid for one year from the grant of the ETA.
Where to applyFrom abroad
Apply online before travelling and carry the granted Electronic Travel Authorization. e-Visa holders can enter India only through the designated airports and seaports.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Can't be renewed: 1 year in total at most
- Applications are made from outside India, not after arriving
- Needs a place at a school or university in India
- Only for passports from 174 countries
What you'll need
Who can apply1
- The student has a letter of admission from a recognised Indian educational institution.
Documents2
- The letter states the course duration.
- A no-objection certificate from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is required for medical or paramedical courses.
When you become tax resident
How India decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Stay on this route
Up to 1 year in total
- Tax residence
- More than 729 days in a preceding seven tax yearsPresence above 729 days (together with residence in two of the ten preceding years) makes an individual ordinarily resident; 729 days or less gives RNOR status
- At least 182 days in a tax year (1 April to 31 March)Resident in India
- At least 60 days in a tax year, together with 365 days or more in the preceding four tax yearsAlternative resident test
- At least 120 days in a tax year, together with 365 days or more in the preceding four tax yearsAlternative test for citizens or persons of Indian origin with Indian income above INR 15 lakh (≈ $15,600)
- Foreign-source income
RNOR relief
A resident individual who is 'not ordinarily resident' in India is taxed on income received or accruing in India, and on foreign-source income only when it comes from a business controlled in or a profession set up in India.
- Special regime
Foreign-source income largely outside tax · Tax relief
All tax rules for India Tax records checked
Full official text
Electronic student visa valid one year from grant of ETA, multiple entry, for eligible nationalities; e-Family visa (e-SX) for dependants is valid one year. 1
Requirements
- The student has a letter of admission from a recognised Indian educational institution. 1
- The letter states the course duration. 1
- A no-objection certificate from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is required for medical or paramedical courses. 1
Stay
- One year (365 days) from grant of ETA, multiple entry.
- Initial permitted stay: 12 months.
- Visa validity: 12 months. Validity is the window to use the visa, not the length you may stay.
Nationality
Only passport holders of the 174 countries and territories on the Indian e-Visa eligibility list; not available to Pakistani passport holders or persons of Pakistani origin, or on diplomatic or official passports. Open to: Albania, Andorra, Angola, AI, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, AW, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burundi, Canada, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cabo Verde, Cayman Islands, Chile, Colombia, KM, CK, Costa Rica, Ivory Coast, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, eSwatini, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, GG, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, IM, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, JE, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, KI, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, MH, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, FM, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, MS, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, NR, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, NU, Norway, Oman, PW, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, South Korea, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, VC, WS, San Marino, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tajikistan, United Republic of Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, TO, Trinidad and Tobago, TC, TV, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay, United States, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, VA, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Family
e-Family visa (e-SX) for student dependants, valid one year.
Official sources
- e-Visa (categories, durations, documents, FAQ) · Bureau of Immigration, Ministry of Home Affairs (indianvisaonline.gov.in) · checked 2026-10-12
e-Student visa and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| e-Student visa | – | 1 yr | – |
| Student visa (S-1) | – | 5 yr, renewable | – |
| Study visa (ED) Thailand | – | 3 mo, renewable | No |
| Student visa Japan | – | 4.3 yr, renewable | Limited |
| Student visa · Non-formal Indonesia | – | 4 yr, renewable | No |
Questions people ask
How long can I stay on the e-Student visa?
One year (365 days) from grant of ETA, multiple entry.
Can I bring my family on the e-Student visa?
e-Family visa (e-SX) for student dependants, valid one year.
Who can apply for the e-Student visa?
Only passport holders of the 174 countries and territories on the Indian e-Visa eligibility list; not available to Pakistani passport holders or persons of Pakistani origin, or on diplomatic or official passports. Open to: Albania, Andorra, Angola, AI, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, AW, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burundi, Canada, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cabo Verde, Cayman Islands, Chile, Colombia, KM, CK, Costa Rica, Ivory Coast, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, eSwatini, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, GG, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, IM, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, JE, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, KI, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, MH, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, FM, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, MS, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, NR, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, NU, Norway, Oman, PW, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, South Korea, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, VC, WS, San Marino, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tajikistan, United Republic of Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, TO, Trinidad and Tobago, TC, TV, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay, United States, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, VA, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Is there a tax break for e-Student visa holders in India?
Not ordinarily resident (RNOR) status: foreign-source income largely outside tax: A resident individual who is 'not ordinarily resident' in India is taxed on income received or accruing in India, and on foreign-source income only when it comes from a business controlled in or a profession set up in India. It's separate from the visa and has its own conditions.
Tax
Special regime
Not ordinarily resident (RNOR) status: foreign-source income largely outside tax
Tax relief
Details
- On: Income received or accruing in India
- Limit: ₹1.5M/yr ≈ $16k
A resident individual who is 'not ordinarily resident' in India is taxed on income received or accruing in India, and on foreign-source income only when it comes from a business controlled in or a profession set up in India.
Taxed on
Income received or accruing in India, plus foreign-source income derived from a business controlled in India or a profession set up in India.
Who it applies to
- Resident in India for the tax year but non-resident in nine of the ten preceding years, or present in India 729 days or less in the seven preceding years.
- Indian citizens or persons of Indian origin who visit India for 120 to 181 days with Indian-source income above INR 15 lakh (≈ $15,600) are treated as not ordinarily resident.
- Indian citizens deemed resident because Indian income exceeds INR 15 lakh (≈ $15,600) and they are liable to tax nowhere else are treated as not ordinarily resident.
- From tax years beginning on or after 1 April 2026 the rule is section 6(13) and section 5 of the Income-tax Act 2025; the criteria match the 1961 Act.
Exclusions
- Ordinarily resident individuals (more than 729 days in the preceding seven years and resident in at least two of the preceding ten years) are taxed on worldwide income.
Limits
- INR 1,500,000 a year (≈ $15,600) · Indian-source income (other than foreign-source) above which a citizen not taxed elsewhere is deemed resident, as RNOR
Days in the country
- More than 729 days in preceding seven tax years · Presence above 729 days (together with residence in two of the ten preceding years) makes an individual ordinarily resident; 729 days or less gives RNOR status
Tax residence
RNOR status is annual and tests look back to years governed by the 1961 Act.
Visas
Visa type is irrelevant; status depends on days of presence and past residence.
Other taxes
Goods and services tax, surcharge and cess apply separately.
Checked against official sources on Change log
More in India
Study visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-12 against 1 official source. Status: verified against the official sources.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- e-Visa (categories, durations, documents, FAQ) · Bureau of Immigration, Ministry of Home Affairs (indianvisaonline.gov.in) · checked 2026-10-12
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.