Entering India on a 1-Year Visa, Exiting on a 30-Day Visa

Indian border officers are seeing more travelers try to pair a long 1-Year Tourist Visa with a short 30-Day Tourist Visa to manage changing plans, but the rules are strict: you can only use the visa you entered on until you leave and come back. The approach can work when timed correctly, yet missteps bring fines and bans. As of October 2025, India allows multiple entries on many tourist visas but limits each stay and your total time in a calendar year.

This report explains how sequencing visas, respecting re-entry gaps, and exiting on time keeps you lawful and mobile.

Key principle: your legal status follows the visa you used at entry

• Your legal status inside India is tied to the visa used at the border.
• If you entered on a 1-Year Tourist Visa, you remain on those terms until you depart — even if a fresh e-Tourist visa sits in your inbox.
• There is no in-country switch, no quiet conversion, and no routine extension. To change visas you must leave and re-enter.

VisaVerge.com notes travelers planning two-step itineraries do best when they map dates backward from return flights and leave buffer days for airport delays, land closures, or personal emergencies. That buffer protects you from accidental overstays.

Main visa options and core limits

• Two flexible pathways:
  • 1-Year Tourist Visa (regular paper or e-Tourist visa)
  • 30-Day Tourist Visa (e-visa)
• Common rules:
  • Both are non-extendable and non-convertible in normal circumstances.
  • The one-year tourist option allows up to 180 days per visit, and the total time on tourist status in a calendar year is 180 days.
  • The 30-day e-visa offers double entry within its validity (from first arrival) but cannot be extended.

Entry and re-entry rules

• e-Tourist visas:
  • Must arrive through designated airports and seaports.
  • Cannot be used to enter via land borders.
  • Exit can be through any authorized checkpoint.
• Regular paper visas:
  • Offer more flexibility on entry points.
  • Are subject to a 2-month gap between visits unless an Indian Mission/Post abroad grants special permission.
• The e-visa track does not impose the 2-month gap, but stay limits still apply.

Typical two-visa pattern and pitfalls

• Typical sequence:

  1. Arrive on a 1-Year Tourist Visa and stay up to the 180-day per-visit cap.
  2. Exit before the cap is reached.
  3. Reapply from abroad for a 30-Day Tourist Visa to finish short plans.
  4. Re-enter on the new visa, respecting entry-point rules.
• Common mistakes:
  • Trying to “switch” visas inside India.
  • Overstaying any visa period.
  • Misreading one-year to mean 365 days inside India (it does not).
• Consequences for errors: fines, deportation, bans, or later visa denials.

How the visit clock works

• The visit clock starts on the date of arrival for that entry.
• Example: If you enter on day 1 and remain through day 179, you must leave before day 180.
• Leaving resets the per-visit count, but the calendar year 180-day total still applies across visits.
• If you return on a 30-Day Tourist Visa, that allowance starts from the first arrival under that visa.
• Keep clear records of entries and exits to avoid errors at immigration.

Order matters: regular vs electronic routes

• If you start with a regular multiple-entry 1-Year Tourist Visa and plan to re-enter quickly, check the 2-month gap requirement before buying return tickets.
  • If you cannot wait, you must get written permission from an Indian Mission/Post abroad to waive the gap.
• If both legs use e-Tourist visas, the 2-month gap does not apply — but you must enter via approved airports or seaports, not land posts.
• This affects overland travel plans and timings significantly.

Holding two visas at once — the practical answer

• You cannot “hold” two visas and have the second take effect while still in India on the first.
• An approval email does nothing until you exit and re-enter.
• Immigration checks the entry stamp and the visa used at the border to determine status.
• To move from a 1-Year Tourist Visa to a 30-Day Tourist Visa, exit, apply from outside, then re-enter on the new grant.

Emergencies and exceptions

• Rare extensions are allowed for serious medical issues or force majeure, handled through local FRROs (Foreigners Regional Registration Offices) or Indian Missions abroad.
• These require strong evidence (hospital letters, insurance notes, etc.).
• Routine travel changes, business needs, or convenience do not qualify.

If you face sudden illness or force majeure, contact the FRRO or an Indian Mission/Post quickly and gather supporting documents. Otherwise, the default rule stands: tourist visas are non-extendable and non-convertible.

Exit timing and practical advice

• Airports and roads can be disrupted by fog, strikes, storms, or closures. Build margins so your last legal day is not your flight day.
• Keep boarding passes, hotel bills, and bookings handy in case officers request proof of travel intent.
• If delay is unavoidable near your limit, contact your carrier and FRRO — but do not assume you will automatically get permission.
• Your responsibility is to exit before permission ends.

Family events, compassion cases, and documentation

• If you need to return quickly after a short exit (e.g., due to illness in the family) and you’re on a regular tourist visa, request permission from the mission abroad to waive the 2-month gap, and carry documents explaining urgency.
• E-visa holders do not face the 2-month barrier but must still comply with the 180-day yearly total and the 30-day window.

Overland travel and Nepal/Bhutan crossings

• The e-Tourist visa bars land entry, so re-entry from a land border (e.g., Nepal or Bhutan) is not permitted on an e-visa.
• You could leave by land and later fly or use a seaport listed for the program to re-enter on a 30-Day Tourist Visa.
• Always check flight availability and costs before committing to an overland leg — weather or border-hour changes can cause fragile itineraries to fail.

Document management tips

• Carry:
  • Copies of visa approvals
  • The biodata page of your passport
  • Scans of entry and exit stamps
  • Onward tickets, hotel bookings, and travel insurance
• If you renewed your passport after receiving a visa, bring the old passport with the visa alongside the new passport.
• Organized files make it easier to demonstrate compliance with the 180-day limit, the 2-month gap, and double-entry timing on the 30-Day Tourist Visa.

Simple lawful sequence to switch from 1-Year to 30-Day visa

1. Exit India well before your per-visit 180-day cap.
2. Apply for the 30-day e-visa from outside India (passport valid at least six months and two blank pages).
3. After approval, re-enter through a designated airport or seaport.
4. Leave again before the 30-day validity ends.
5. Track your annual 180-day total at all times.

This sequence avoids any in-country switch and keeps records clean for future applications.

Applications and official sources

• You cannot apply for a new tourist visa while inside India — applications must be made from outside the country.
• Check official instructions and entry point lists on the Government of India e-Visa portal before booking: https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html
• Review passport validity and photo requirements early to avoid delays.

What tourist status allows (and forbids)

• Allowed: sightseeing, visiting friends and family, short courses, and casual meetings.
• Not allowed: paid work or long-term study.
• Authorities monitor patterns of frequent long stays that suggest hidden employment; the 2-month gap helps curb abuse.
• People with business or employment needs should apply for the correct visa category.

Managing the annual 180-day total

• The one-year tourist visit cap of 180 days per visit is clear, but the calendar 180-day total across the year is the real limit.
• Exiting briefly to “restart the clock” still requires care — the annual tally matters.
• Keep a running tally of days (use stamp dates) and, if close to the limit, defer return until the next year rather than risk refusal at boarding gates.

Budgeting and practical cost considerations

• Two-visa trips add extra costs: flights, hotel nights, visa fees, passport photos, and potential rebooking.
• Consider travel insurance that covers rebooked tickets and emergency changes.
• If asked to show funds, have bank statements ready.
• Budgeting for delays is cheaper than paying fines, deportation costs, or losing future visa privileges.

Final reminders and checklist

• Follow these core rules:
  • No in-country switch — exit to activate a new visa.
  • No routine extension — exceptions are rare and require proof.
  • Respect 2-month gaps on regular visas unless waived.
  • Enter only through approved ports on e-visas.
  • Leave before your permission ends.
• Practical checklist before travel:
  • Confirm which visa you will use to enter.
  • Map entries and exits and tally days against the calendar-year 180-day limit.
  • Build buffer days for delays.
  • Keep organized documentation (visas, stamps, tickets, hotel bookings, medical notes).
  • Check the Government of India portal: https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html for current rules and entry points.
  • Contact Indian Missions/Posts or FRRO for case-specific questions or emergencies.

Follow these steps and two-visa trips can remain smooth, legal, and predictable.