Business visa, how hard to get?

static1635 · Jul 27th, 2006, 04:26

How easy is it to get a business visa for india if you are British and self-employed? As yet I have no registered business.

anar · Jul 27th, 2006, 06:37

static, i would be very interested in some answers to the same question. here's hoping.

Nick-H · Jul 27th, 2006, 13:20

I think more information is needed before anyone can offer help on this.

For a legitamate business, there shouldn't be a problem...

static1635 · Jul 28th, 2006, 00:28

Ok so I was thinking of starting a Tai Chi School in Anjuna (along with several hundred others I am told) only I wanted to do it legally as there is demand for it.

Penri · Jul 28th, 2006, 14:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by static1635

Ok so I was thinking of starting a Tai Chi School in Anjuna (along with several hundred others I am told) only I wanted to do it legally as there is demand for it.

Then you'll need an employment visa, not a business visa. You'll also need a sponsor to set up a company.

Good luck

Nick-H · Jul 28th, 2006, 14:29

You need an employment visa for doing business here if you are working for a company here, even if it is your own.

You need a business visa if you are doing business here ---with an Indian company

Is that right?

anar · Jul 28th, 2006, 15:41

this is all deeply interesting (and bewildering). what if one established a company - in india, in partnership with an indian person - would one need to have a company in the uk as well or would the indian company be sufficient to fulfill the requirement for a business/employment visa? and how long could this visa be for? hopefully, more than six months at a time as otherwise, the whole exercise would be futile (in one's case). just trying to get all the sometimes-conflicting information (the lawyer says one thing, the accountant quite another, as an example) to somehow make sense is enough to make one go mad!

AnnieG · Jul 28th, 2006, 18:01

It's tough. When I started Purple Valley at Anjuna (you may know it - the Drop-In Centre is at the Hotel Bougainvillea and the Retreat is up in Assagao) it was relatively easy. I had a letter from the Hotel saying they wanted me to open a yoga centre (even though, in fact, it was going to be quite independent from the hotel). I had a two year business visa based on that.
But it has got progessively harder, and I would suggest you get professional advice. There are visa experts in Mumbai although I don't have their email addresses to hand (perhaps someone else in here does).
If you get an employment visa you might get some tax ramifications. If you say you are going to be a consultant, and get a business visa, you might find it easier.
You could check with Phil Dane at Yogamagic (www.yogamagic.net) and see if he has any advice. He is an ex-pat living in Goa, near to Purple Valley. He may even be able to offer you a space to do the Tai Chi.
See you there in October!
Best, Annie

Penri · Jul 28th, 2006, 19:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick-H

You need an employment visa for doing business here if you are working for a company here, even if it is your own.

You need a business visa if you are doing business here ---with an Indian company

Is that right?

My understanding is that business visas only cover conferences, meetings, training and short term consultancies etc.

Nick-H · Jul 28th, 2006, 20:26

That makes sense.

AnnieG · Jul 28th, 2006, 22:02

All I know is that I had a business visa because I was running a business.
Mind you, I got a lot of flack when I went to the Foreigners Registration in Panjim - questions about whether I was taking work away from locals. No, I said, I'm creating more work for locals. They didn't really believe it.

As I said, its tough to know what to do for the best, and wanting to do the right thing doesn't make life any easier.

Nick-H · Jul 28th, 2006, 23:32

That makes sense too!

static1635 · Jul 29th, 2006, 00:06

oh dear, it looks like it may all be too much hastle, I am really not sure where to start with it all. I may have missed the chance to get to India this year now, and the longer I am in England the more diffucult that is going to get. I don't know why it has to be so confusing, no wonder people end up doing it on a tourist visa.

The annoying thing is I know there would be demand for Tai Chi, even though, so I am told, there are loads of people teaching it already. I think I could do well from teaching it well.

anar · Jul 29th, 2006, 00:37

my partner has had it with working on a tourist visa - if we don't come up with a solution pronto, he doesn't think he can carry on like this and may just throw it all up and return to the uk for good (something he doesn't relish but at least he won't have to constantly look over his shoulder wondering when he's going to be 'done' for working when he isn't supposed to).

mira4bai4 · Jul 30th, 2006, 17:39

As it happened in NZ the Indian Embassy accepted a letter from a friend in India that was on a business letter head wishing to discuss a Joint Venture project. That was all that was really needed although we had other documents about other business ideas, the letter was the only thing that they were interested in. We asked about having work permits and they said that a business visa covers everything.

Based on what I heard about the goings on in the embassy after we left NZ with the rejection of 70% of applications for no real reason it seems we were lucky or presented a project thouroughly that it convinced them of our intent.

So do some home work and present a project with something supportive from an Indian contact and this would make it much easier. It is like doing the marking at the embassy, thinking like a business person rather than a tourist dreaming.

Jul 27th, 2006, 04:26	#1
static1635 Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: UK Posts: 9	Business visa, how hard to get? How easy is it to get a business visa for india if you are British and self-employed? As yet I have no registered business. __________________ Justin's Website with travels in India and Goa www.greylizard.net

Jul 28th, 2006, 18:01	#8
AnnieG Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Goa and Penzance, Cornwall Posts: 152	It's tough. When I started Purple Valley at Anjuna (you may know it - the Drop-In Centre is at the Hotel Bougainvillea and the Retreat is up in Assagao) it was relatively easy. I had a letter from the Hotel saying they wanted me to open a yoga centre (even though, in fact, it was going to be quite independent from the hotel). I had a two year business visa based on that. But it has got progessively harder, and I would suggest you get professional advice. There are visa experts in Mumbai although I don't have their email addresses to hand (perhaps someone else in here does). If you get an employment visa you might get some tax ramifications. If you say you are going to be a consultant, and get a business visa, you might find it easier. You could check with Phil Dane at Yogamagic (www.yogamagic.net) and see if he has any advice. He is an ex-pat living in Goa, near to Purple Valley. He may even be able to offer you a space to do the Tai Chi. See you there in October! Best, Annie __________________ AnnieG Live life to the full - you never know what's around the corner.

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Jul 27th, 2006, 06:37	#2
anar Maha Guru Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: India Posts: 703	static, i would be very interested in some answers to the same question. here's hoping.

Jul 27th, 2006, 13:20	#3
Nick-H This is just a cameo appearance Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 36,225	I think more information is needed before anyone can offer help on this. For a legitamate business, there shouldn't be a problem...

Jul 28th, 2006, 00:28	#4
static1635 Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: UK Posts: 9	Ok so I was thinking of starting a Tai Chi School in Anjuna (along with several hundred others I am told) only I wanted to do it legally as there is demand for it.

Jul 28th, 2006, 14:29	#6
Nick-H This is just a cameo appearance Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 36,225	You need an employment visa for doing business here if you are working for a company here, even if it is your own. You need a business visa if you are doing business here ---with an Indian company Is that right?

Jul 28th, 2006, 15:41	#7
anar Maha Guru Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: India Posts: 703	this is all deeply interesting (and bewildering). what if one established a company - in india, in partnership with an indian person - would one need to have a company in the uk as well or would the indian company be sufficient to fulfill the requirement for a business/employment visa? and how long could this visa be for? hopefully, more than six months at a time as otherwise, the whole exercise would be futile (in one's case). just trying to get all the sometimes-conflicting information (the lawyer says one thing, the accountant quite another, as an example) to somehow make sense is enough to make one go mad!

Jul 28th, 2006, 20:26	#10
Nick-H This is just a cameo appearance Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 36,225	That makes sense.

Jul 28th, 2006, 22:02	#11
AnnieG Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Goa and Penzance, Cornwall Posts: 152	All I know is that I had a business visa because I was running a business. Mind you, I got a lot of flack when I went to the Foreigners Registration in Panjim - questions about whether I was taking work away from locals. No, I said, I'm creating more work for locals. They didn't really believe it. As I said, its tough to know what to do for the best, and wanting to do the right thing doesn't make life any easier.

Jul 28th, 2006, 23:32	#12
Nick-H This is just a cameo appearance Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 36,225	That makes sense too!

Jul 29th, 2006, 00:06	#13
static1635 Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: UK Posts: 9	oh dear, it looks like it may all be too much hastle, I am really not sure where to start with it all. I may have missed the chance to get to India this year now, and the longer I am in England the more diffucult that is going to get. I don't know why it has to be so confusing, no wonder people end up doing it on a tourist visa. The annoying thing is I know there would be demand for Tai Chi, even though, so I am told, there are loads of people teaching it already. I think I could do well from teaching it well.

Jul 29th, 2006, 00:37	#14
anar Maha Guru Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: India Posts: 703	my partner has had it with working on a tourist visa - if we don't come up with a solution pronto, he doesn't think he can carry on like this and may just throw it all up and return to the uk for good (something he doesn't relish but at least he won't have to constantly look over his shoulder wondering when he's going to be 'done' for working when he isn't supposed to).

Jul 30th, 2006, 17:39	#15
mira4bai4 Lost in Space Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: ND PaharGanj Permanently/Temporarily Posts: 1,245	As it happened in NZ the Indian Embassy accepted a letter from a friend in India that was on a business letter head wishing to discuss a Joint Venture project. That was all that was really needed although we had other documents about other business ideas, the letter was the only thing that they were interested in. We asked about having work permits and they said that a business visa covers everything. Based on what I heard about the goings on in the embassy after we left NZ with the rejection of 70% of applications for no real reason it seems we were lucky or presented a project thouroughly that it convinced them of our intent. So do some home work and present a project with something supportive from an Indian contact and this would make it much easier. It is like doing the marking at the embassy, thinking like a business person rather than a tourist dreaming.