Business Visa

Business Visa for India 2026: Complete Guide to Fees, VFS Centres, High Commissions & FAQs | Fargo Worldwide Fargo Worldwide · Immigration Guides · Updated 13 Aug 2026 Business Visa for India: The Complete 2026 Guide to Eligibility, Fees, VFS Centres & High Commissions Everything a foreign entrepreneur, executive or investor needs to know before applying for an Indian Business Visa — regular vs e-Business Visa, country-wise High Commission fees and timings, documents, FRRO rules and 20+ FAQs. DA Devendra Kumar Arya Director, Fargo Worldwide · Gurugram, India 2Visa routes: regular & e-Business 20+Countries covered in this guide 180Max days per visit before FRRO applies 4Service providers: VFS, BLS, IVS, DU On this page 1. What is an Indian Business Visa? 2. Who is eligible? 3. Regular Visa vs e-Business Visa 4. Country-wise High Commissions, timings & fees 5. Document checklist 6. Step-by-step application process 7. Fee breakdown explained 8. Validity, extension & FRRO registration 9. Common reasons for delay or refusal 10. 20 FAQs on the Indian Business Visa 11. About the author 1. What Is an Indian Business Visa? An Indian Business Visa (Visa category “B”) is issued to foreign nationals travelling to India for genuine commercial activity — not for employment. It covers meetings, negotiations, trade fairs, sourcing, board participation and short-duration project work, while explicitly excluding salaried employment, money-lending and petty trading. At Fargo Worldwide, we handle Business Visa registration, extension and FRRO compliance for foreign executives and investors across India every week — this guide distils what actually matters when you’re choosing between the regular and e-Business routes, and preparing a clean application the first time. Permitted vs. not-permitted activities Generally Permitted Business meetings, negotiations and contract discussions Trade fairs, exhibitions and business conferences Buying/selling industrial or commercial products Board meetings and recruitment of manpower Setting up or exploring a business/industrial venture Technical experts on short-duration, project-linked visits Not Permitted Full-time employment or drawing an Indian salary Money-lending or petty trading Journalism or missionary activity Manufacturing or hands-on production work Long-term residency without FRRO compliance A Business Visa is not a substitute for an Employment Visa. If the activity in India involves drawing a salary from an Indian entity, the correct category is Employment, not Business. 2. Who Is Eligible for an Indian Business Visa? Eligibility depends on your nationality, the purpose of travel and the rules of the specific Indian Mission handling your application. Typical eligible profiles include: Foreign entrepreneurs and business owners Company directors, executives and authorised representatives Investors exploring or monitoring an Indian venture Buyers, suppliers and procurement professionals Trade-fair, exhibition and conference attendees Technical experts on short project visits Applicants must generally demonstrate assured financial standing and relevant business expertise. Reviewing our Business Visa registration & extension guide alongside this article will help you map your specific case correctly before applying. 3. Regular/Paper Business Visa vs. e-Business Visa Regular (Paper) Business Visa Applied for online, submitted physically at the Mission/VFS/BLS/IVS/DU centre Sticker/stamp affixed in your passport Validity up to 1, 5 or even 10 years depending on nationality Biometrics often required in person Can, in limited cases, be extended by the FRRO in India e-Business Visa 100% online at indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) sent by email — no passport visit needed Valid 365 days from grant, multiple entries Stay capped at 180 continuous days per visit Non-extendable and non-convertible Feature Regular / Paper Visa e-Business Visa Entry points Any authorised immigration check post Designated airports / seaports / land posts only Who it suits Long engagements, non-designated entry points, 5–10 year validity needs Short, defined business trips via major ports of entry Decision authority The Indian Mission alone — never the service provider (VFS/BLS/IVS/DU) 4. Country-Wise High Commissions / Embassies: Timings & Government Fees Fees are strictly nationality-based (reciprocity) and change periodically — the table below reflects the most recent officially verifiable figures at the time of writing (fee table dated 15 April 2026 for e-Business Visa; regular-visa figures per each Mission’s published page). Always confirm on the linked official source before advising a client or travelling, since submission hours and fees are revised without much notice. Country Indian Mission (High Commission / Embassy) Service Provider Submission Timing Govt. Fee (Regular Visa, local currency) e-Business Visa Govt. Fee (USD) United Kingdom High Commission of India, London (+ Birmingham, Edinburgh) VFS Global Mon–Fri, 08:30–15:30 (by appointment) [hcilondon.gov.in] See hcilondon.gov.in fee schedule (GBP) 242 USA Embassy of India, Washington DC (+ 8 regional consulates) VFS Global Mon–Sat, 09:00–15:30 [indianembassyusa.gov.in] US$160 flat + US$3 ICWF 140 Canada High Commission of India, Ottawa (+ Toronto, Vancouver) BLS International Business hours, by appointment; biometrics mandatory [hciottawa.gov.in] C$184 + C$4 (≤1 yr); C$383 + C$4 (longer) 120 Australia High Commission of India, Canberra (+ Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane) VFS Global By appointment — confirm on hcicanberra.gov.in [hcicanberra.gov.in] See official fee schedule (AUD) 215 New Zealand High Commission of India, Wellington Direct Mission submission (no VFS/BLS) In person or registered courier — confirm hours [hciwellington.gov.in] See official fee page (NZD) 130 Germany Embassy of India, Berlin (+ Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg) VFS Global By appointment — confirm current hours See Mission fee page (EUR) 120 France Embassy of India, Paris VFS Global By appointment [vfsglobal.com] See VFS France fee page (EUR) 165 Italy Embassy of India, Rome (+ Consulate General Milan) VFS Global By appointment — confirm current hours See Mission fee page (EUR) 120 Spain Embassy of India, Madrid (+ Consulate General Barcelona) BLS International (since 1 Jan 2025) By appointment [eoimadrid.gov.in] See BLS Spain fee page (EUR) 120 Netherlands Embassy of India, The Hague VFS Global By appointment [indianembassynetherlands.gov.in] 1-yr Business Visa: €114 + €3 ICWF + service charge 120 Switzerland Embassy of India, Berne VFS Global By appointment [indembassybern.gov.in] See Mission fee page (CHF) 120 Ireland Embassy of India, Dublin Not independently verified — confirm with Mission Confirm with Embassy of India, Dublin See Mission fee page (EUR) 200 South Africa High Commission of India, Pretoria VFS Global By appointment [vfsglobal.com] See VFS South