Do I really need a business visa?

acelikespace

I'm a UK citizen who will be travelling round India for 6 months from mid October. Rather than leaving my job, my employer has agreed to allow me to take 6 months off work, however I have been asked to work for a month while I'm out there.

I will be employed by the UK company and paid by the UK company, but working from a computer in India. Do I need a business visa or will my tourist visa suffice?

My job is all web based and can be done from anywhere, so all I will be doing is logging onto the Internet from the company's office in Hyderabad, not attending any meetings of conducting any actual business in India.

I already have my tourist visa so don;t want to go through the hassle and expense of getting a business visa as a replacement. What would be the consequenses if I was found to be working on a tourist visa?

Merchant

Just get the tourist visa. Whatever work you are doing is informal and none of the Indian government's concern.

Nick-H

And pull the hood right down over your face as you go in and out of the office!

But seriously: I agree.

Haylo

Officially, I think that you would might need an employment visa, rather than a business visa, but it depends on what you'd actually be doing. Trying to get either for such a short period would be a real nuisance though.

Well, as you do ask, the consequences IF you were found to be working illegally could be a short imprisonment, but are far more likely to be a fine, tourist visa being cancelled, being made to leave the country, and being unlikely to get approval for another Indian visa for at least for a number of years.

However, as others have said, while it is not legal, it is unlikely that you would be caught if you work for such a brief period on a tourist visa. Just be careful not to antagonize anyone who might decide it's a good idea to report you!

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acelikespace

That's good advise regardless of the situation :-)

Thanks for the advice - i think going the non-official route is the best option. Fingers crossed that i go under teh radar!

Nick-H

These are not the tourists you are looking for...

They are not working here...

curtdfw

It's unlikely that while there you're going to have any discussions about the type of visa you have. Tourists with laptops, assuming you're carrying one, are so common that it's totally unremarkable...

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Haylo

I doubt that there will be many tourists with laptops in his company's office in Hyderabad, which is where the OP will be working...

curtdfw

I suppose not, but I recall no interest at all from my co-workers in Gurgaon or Bangalore about my visa details.

GoanCanuck

Very true. Nobody cares.