Who the Intern Visa Is For
The Intern (I) Visa covers foreign nationals doing an internship with an Indian company, educational institution, or NGO. It exists precisely because the alternatives don't fit: a Student Visa is for enrolled study, an Employment Visa is for jobs meeting the salary threshold, and interning on a tourist or business visa is a visa violation.
The core eligibility rules, per Indian mission checklists (for example the Embassy of India, Dublin):
- You're doing the internship during your studies or shortly after graduating — mission guidance works to a window of about two years after completing your degree; older graduates fall outside the category
- The internship is with an identifiable Indian company, educational institution or NGO, with a formal letter setting out the role and duration
The Two Conditions That Surprise Applicants
1. Company internships have a salary floor
For internships with companies, mission checklists specify a minimum remuneration — ₹7.80 lakh per annum on current published checklists. An unpaid or token-stipend company internship doesn't clear the bar. Internships with educational institutions and NGOs don't carry the same minimum.
The logic mirrors the Employment Visa's salary threshold: India doesn't want the intern route used to place cheap foreign labour into commercial roles.
2. Whole sectors are off-limits
Internships are not permitted in a list of sensitive sectors, including defence, telecom, space technologies, mining, civil aviation, petroleum and natural gas, private security, nuclear energy, and certain sensitive civil-society areas. If your host company operates in one of these, the visa route likely fails no matter how good the paperwork — check before committing to the offer.
Duration and Entries
The Intern Visa is issued for the internship period or one year, whichever is shorter — it is not a rolling multi-year permit. Plan the internship to fit inside that ceiling, and don't count on extending: treat the granted duration as the whole runway.
Documents Missions Typically Ask For
| Document | Notes |
|---|---|
| Internship offer/agreement letter | From the Indian host, stating role, duration and remuneration |
| Proof of student status or graduation date | Establishes you're inside the eligibility window |
| Host organisation's documents | Registration/incorporation details |
| Financial proof | Ability to sustain yourself in India |
| Standard set | Passport (6-month validity), photos per spec, fee |
Apply through the Indian mission for your residence (internships are not an e-Visa category) — via the mission's outsourced centre where one operates.
After Arrival
The standard long-stay rules apply: an Intern Visa valid over 180 days triggers FRRO registration within 14 days of arrival, and your activity must stay within the internship described in your application — the visa doesn't convert into general work rights.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I do an internship in India on a tourist visa?
No — an internship is a purpose of its own, and doing one on a tourist or business visa is a visa violation. The Intern Visa (or, for course-mandated internships during enrolled study in India, the Student Visa framework) is the lawful route.
Does an unpaid internship qualify for the Intern Visa?
With a company, generally no — mission checklists set a minimum remuneration (₹7.80 lakh/year on current published lists). Unpaid internships with educational institutions and NGOs are treated differently. Check the checklist of the mission you'll apply through.
How long can an India Intern Visa last?
The internship's duration or one year, whichever is shorter. It's a fixed-purpose visa, not a path that rolls into employment — a job afterwards means a fresh Employment Visa application meeting its own requirements.
I graduated three years ago — can I get an Intern Visa?
Likely not — mission guidance works to a window of roughly two years after graduation. Outside it, look at whether the role really is a job (Employment Visa) rather than an internship.
Does the Intern Visa lead to an Employment Visa?
Not automatically. If the host wants to hire you afterwards, that's a new Employment Visa application — sponsoring entity, salary threshold and all — generally made from outside India. Plan the transition early.
Disclaimer
India Visa Experts is an independent private consulting firm, not affiliated with the Government of India or any mission. Intern Visa conditions — including remuneration figures and sector restrictions — are set by the authorities, vary by mission checklist, and change; the checklist of the mission you apply through governs. Verified against official mission guidance in July 2026. General guidance, not legal advice.