India

India has no digital nomad visa. Remote workers who spend a few months in the country usually come on an e-Tourist Visa, applied for online through the government's e-Visa portal. India publishes no rule written for remote work for a foreign employer. The e-Visa purposes are recreation, sightseeing, visits to friends and relatives, short courses, medical treatment, conferences and business, so anyone planning to work from India should confirm the fit with an Indian mission before applying.

Visa-free entry: None for most nationalities. Only citizens of Nepal and Bhutan (no visa needed when arriving from those countries) and the Maldives (up to 90 days in 6 months) enter visa-free; everyone else needs an e-Visa or a regular visa (Bureau of Immigration).

Visa on arrival: Nationals of Japan, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates can get a visa on arrival for up to 60 days for business, tourism, conferences or medical treatment.

The e-Tourist Visa comes in three lengths (fee table):

• 30 days: multiple entries, $25 for most nationalities from July to March and less from April to June. Thai nationals currently pay no fee for it.
• 1 year: multiple entries over 365 days from the grant of the travel authorization, $40 for most nationalities.
• 5 years: multiple entries, $200 for most nationalities. UK nationals pay $484 and US nationals $160.

The 1-year and 5-year visas cap time in India at 180 days in each calendar year. Fees are set per nationality, and the portal adds a bank charge. The e-Visa is open to passport holders of 175 countries and territories, and it can't be extended or converted inside India. Everyone else applies to an Indian mission for a regular visa, which carries its own validity and stay endorsement.

Business travel: the e-Business Visa runs one year with multiple entries, and each continuous stay can last up to 180 days. Work for an Indian employer, long courses and family moves need regular visas from an Indian mission, each with its own conditions.

India is cheap by global standards, but the gap between a big metro and a small town is wide. Numbeo's crowd-sourced figures give a sense of scale for two of the main remote-work cities. Dollar amounts use the Sept. 30, 2026 rate; treat them as rough guides.

• Mumbai: a one-bedroom apartment runs about INR 59,200 a month in the center and INR 34,300 outside it, and a single person spends about INR 36,900 a month on everything else (Numbeo, updated Sept. 21, 2026). That adds up to about INR 96,200, or $1,000, with a central flat and INR 71,200, or $740, farther out.
• Bengaluru: about INR 30,600 for a central one-bedroom and INR 17,700 outside the center, plus about INR 33,800 in other monthly costs (Numbeo, updated July 27, 2026). Totals come to about INR 64,500, or $670, central and INR 51,500, or $540, outside.

Smaller cities, hill towns and Goa outside peak season usually cost less than Mumbai. Serviced apartments, coliving spaces and short furnished lets cost more than long-lease averages, and prices in tourist areas rise in high season.

India is big enough that the choice of base shapes the whole stay. These five suit different kinds of remote work:

• Bengaluru: the tech capital, with the deepest coworking scene and a large community of startup and software workers. Traffic is heavy and rents are high for India.
• North Goa: beach towns, coliving houses and a long-running community of remote workers. It's busiest from late autumn to spring, and quieter and wetter in the monsoon.
• Mumbai: the financial and media center, for people who want big-city energy and business contacts. It's the most expensive city on this list.
• Rishikesh: a riverside town known for yoga, with a slower pace and lower costs. Connections are workable but less dependable than in the big cities.
• Dharamshala: a Himalayan hill town that suits the hot months on the plains, with cafes and guesthouses popular with long-stay travelers.

Many long-stay nomads split the year, spending winter in Goa or the south and moving north to the hills as the plains heat up.

The Speedtest Global Index put India's median fixed broadband speed at 63.94 Mbps and median mobile speed at 128.2 Mbps in August 2026. Mobile data is often faster than home broadband, so a local SIM makes a good backup for calls.

Bengaluru, Mumbai, the Delhi region, Hyderabad and Pune have large coworking markets, with day passes, monthly hot desks and private offices from national chains and international operators. Beach and hill towns have fewer dedicated spaces, and cafes and coliving houses fill the gap. Power cuts still happen in some areas, so backup power is worth asking about before signing up for a space or an apartment.

India's Income Tax Department treats an individual as resident for a tax year, which runs April 1 to March 31, after 182 days or more in India. A second test also makes someone resident: 60 days or more in the year plus 365 days or more over the four preceding years (Income Tax Department).

The second test catches repeat visitors. Someone who spends a few months in India every year on a 5-year e-Tourist Visa can become resident with as few as 60 days in a year. Indian citizens and people of Indian origin visiting India face a higher threshold under that second test.

A new resident is often "resident but not ordinarily resident" at first. That status applies to someone who was non-resident in nine of the 10 preceding years, or who spent 729 days or less in India over the seven preceding years, and it changes how income from abroad is treated. The Income-tax Act 2025, in force since April 1, 2026, keeps the same residence tests.

India has no special tax regime for remote workers or visitors. Anyone near either threshold should confirm their status with a tax adviser and check the tax treaty between India and their home country.

• Apply early and only on the official portal: e-Tourist and e-Business applications go in at least four days before arrival on indianvisaonline.gov.in. The passport needs at least six months of validity when applying, and travelers should hold a return or onward ticket and enough money for the stay. Unofficial sites often charge extra.
• Arrival: carry a copy of the granted travel authorization. Fingerprints and a photo are taken at immigration on arrival.
• Registration: foreigners must register with the FRRO or FRO once their stay in a calendar year, or a single continuous visit, goes beyond 180 days (Bureau of Immigration).
• Restricted areas: the e-Visa isn't valid for protected, restricted or cantonment areas, which include parts of the northeast and some border districts. Those need a separate permit.
• Money: the currency is the Indian rupee (INR). Cards work in hotels, malls and larger restaurants in cities, while small shops, rickshaws and markets often want cash or a local QR payment.
• SIM cards: local prepaid SIMs are cheap but need a passport and visa copy to register, and activation can take a day. An international eSIM covers the first days.
• Health: private hospitals in the big cities offer good care at lower prices than in many Western countries, but foreigners pay out of pocket. Health insurance that covers India is worth having.
• Getting around: app-based taxis are easier than street hails in the big cities, and domestic flights and trains cover the long distances. Check the home government's travel advice before visiting border regions.