Visit & tourism

Visit & tourism: quick answers

Who is eligible for a tourist visa? Anyone travelling for tourism, a short business meeting, a family visit, medical treatment or transit, who can show funds for the trip, a return booking and a reason to go home (job, study, family, property). There is no points test; the officer judges intent and paperwork.

How much does a tourist visa cost? ₹20 to ₹22,455 all-in across 52 destinations, government fee plus Vistolane filing fee. Cheapest in the set: Thailand at ₹20; United States is the most expensive at ₹22,455. Government fees are charged at the official rate.

How long does a tourist visa take? From Same day once filed (Thailand) to 4–9 weeks (Ireland) once the file is complete. E-visas decide fastest; sticker visas add a biometrics appointment and embassy visas add interview wait. Vistolane shows the document deadline and filing date before you pay.

Overview

A visitor visa covers short trips for tourism, seeing family, attending meetings or transiting through a hub. It is the highest-volume visa in the world and also the one most often refused on paperwork: the officer has to believe you will leave on time, so proof of funds, a return ticket and a coherent itinerary matter more than any letter.

e-visas (Egypt, Turkey, Vietnam, Kenya) are decided in days without an appointment; sticker visas (UK, Schengen, China) need biometrics and hold your passport; embassy visas (United States) require an interview. Vistolane tells you which format a country uses before you start.

Who this route suits

Travellers with a fixed return date and a reason to come back — a job, a business, a family or property in India — and the savings to cover the trip without a sponsor's help. It fits a two-week holiday in Thailand, a Schengen itinerary across three countries, a parent attending a graduation in Canada, a buyer visiting a trade fair in Germany or a patient booked for treatment in Singapore. First-time applicants do well on e-visa countries (Thailand, Vietnam, Turkey, Egypt) before trying sticker-visa destinations.

It does not suit anyone planning to work, study for longer than a short course, or stay with the intention of switching status after arrival; those applications are refused for intent and the refusal follows you to the next form. If your bank balance arrived in one lump in the last three months, let it settle first: unexplained deposits are the single most common reason a visitor visa is declined.

Does this route fit you? Three questions:

• Will you leave before the permitted stay ends, usually 30 to 90 days, and return to a job, business, course or family at home? If not: A move without a return date is a residence application, not a visit.
• Will you avoid paid work for a local employer and any course longer than a short programme while you are there? If not: Paid work needs a work visa and a full-time course needs a student visa; a visitor visa cannot be switched after arrival in most countries.
• Can you show how the trip is paid for, from your own statements or a documented sponsor, plus some travel history or ties? If not: Funds and ties decide most visitor refusals. Run the check to see exactly what to add before you file.

How the process works

1. Confirm you need a visa. Some passports get visa-free or visa-on-arrival entry. Check the rule for your passport and the length of stay first.
2. Show funds and ties. Three to six months of bank statements, employment or study proof, and a return booking that matches the dates.
3. Book biometrics or interview. Sticker and embassy visas need an in-person step; e-visas are fully online.
4. Decision and travel. Approvals arrive by email or in the passport. Check the validity window and entry count before booking non-refundable travel.

Why applications get refused

• Bank balance that does not match the itinerary or a sudden large deposit
• No evidence of a job, study place or property to return to
• Itinerary, hotel and flight dates that contradict each other
• Previous overstay or refusal not declared on the form

Verified tourist and visitor visas route pages, by country

23 tourist and visitor visas routes across 21 countries, each written from the issuing authority's own pages with the government fee, the published processing window, the document checklist and the refusal reasons, and dated when it was last re-read.

Questions, answered