Can I Get Married On A Tourist Visa In India
While numerous foreign nationals get married in India every day, the fact remains that getting married on a tourist visa is not allowed. If you want to get married while in India the best option is to get your spouse to visit India on a valid visa (e.g., spouse, dependent, work etc.) and then go ahead and tie the knot while they are in India.
Can I Get Married On A Tourist Visa In India
One of the most important documents for someone engaged to be married living abroad is the visa. Often overlooked but vital to the success of their trip, knowing which type of visa one needs and how to obtain it is crucial.
A large number of foreign nationals come to India as tourists every year. Some decide to remain in India on a long-term basis and some even choose to stay back because they fall in love with the country and its people, who are welcoming and warm towards foreign nationals.
Yes, a person holding tourist visa in India can get married in that duration in India. It is advised that you get your marriage registration in India. Unfortunately there is no specific spouse visa in India. However, you can get your Tourist Visa converted into an X visa, by a time consuming process without leaving the country.
Prior to September 2012, all applications for the extension and conversion of tourist visas on the grounds of marriage had to be directly made through the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in Delhi. Now, the task of processing applications has been delegated to Foreigner Regional Registration Offices (FRRO) and Foreigner Registrations Offices (FRO) across India. This means that instead of going to Delhi for an interview, you’ll need to apply at your local FRRO/FRO.
The main documents required for Tourist to X Visa conversions are:
- Marriage certificate.
- Recent photo in the specified format.
- Passport and visa.
- Spouse’s Indian identification (such as Indian passport).
- Proof of residence.
- An Indemnity Bond on 100 rupee stamp paper, signed by the spouse.
- Report from the relevant local police station about marital status, including observations, confirmation of living together, and security clearance.
The facility will not be offered to nationals of several countries including Pakistan (Representational)
Spouses of the Indian nationals getting married abroad will no longer have to face difficulties in converting their tourist visa to dependent visa as the government plans to change existing rules.
The move came after the Philipino spouse of an Indian national, who married outside the country, faced difficulties in converting her tourist visa to X2 (dependent visa) as the existing visa rules did not permit to do so. The husband had complained to Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
“We are doing away with the particular rule and simplifying it so that irrespective of the place of the wedding, the foreign spouse can convert their tourist visa to dependent visa,” a senior Home Ministry official said.
As per the visa manual, tourist visa can be converted to X2 visa only when the marriage takes place in India and gets registered within the validity of the present tourist visa.
Contrary to that, if anyone wants to do so has to go back to his or her country and come back on X2 visa.
With the amendment of the visa rules and streamlining the process, the conversion of tourist visa to X2 would be allowed even if the marriage takes place on foreign soil.
However, the facility will not be offered to the nationals of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sudan and Iraq, and citizens of Pakistani origin and stateless persons.
Addressing the Parliamentary Consultative Committee last week, the Home minister had said that the government would facilitate safe and convenient entry inside the country to legitimate international travellers and provide all visa-related and consular services to foreigners staying in India in a faster and convenient mode.