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    Student visa guide

    India student visa 2026: cost, requirements and how to apply

    The Student visa (S) costs $80 in fees nobody can skip, up to $85 if every situational extra applies.

    By Global Admissions Editorial · Checked against 6 official sources

    How much does a India student visa cost in 2026?

    Applying for a student visa in India on the Student visa (S) costs $80 in fees you cannot skip: Student visa, course duration or five years ($80). Situational extras (bank transaction charge on an electronic application and indian Community Welfare Fund levy at some missions) add up to $5 more. Tuition, living costs and proof-of-funds sit outside this total. All amounts are US dollars, last checked September 2026.

    Student visa (S) cost breakdown

    Every line the India application puts on your card, in US dollars, as of September 2026.

    Student visa, course duration or five years$80
    USD 80 on the general schedule; USD 25 for South Africans, USD 43 or USD 81 for Sri Lankans, USD 85 for Ukrainians, USD 229 for British nationals High Commission of India, Port Moresby: Visa fee structure effective 1 April 2026
    Mandatory total$80
    What the Student visa (S) costs before any optional service.
    Situational extras, only if they apply to you
    Bank transaction charge on an electronic application$2
    3 percent is added to the e-Visa fee Indian Visa Online (Bureau of Immigration): e-Visa categories and validity
    Indian Community Welfare Fund levy at some missions$3
    A small local-currency levy on top of the visa fee; the Port Moresby schedule charges 13 kina High Commission of India, Port Moresby: Visa fee structure effective 1 April 2026
    If every extra applied$85
    Worst case. Most applicants pay none or one of these.

    Amounts are US dollars. India bills in its own currency, so the exact charge moves with the exchange rate. The native figures are in the notes column where the fee schedule publishes them.

    Things to watch

    • India charges the student visa once for the whole course rather than per year, which makes it one of the cheapest study visas of any large destination for the nationalities on the USD 80 rate.
    • Nationals of Afghanistan, Argentina, Bangladesh, DPR Korea, Jamaica, Maldives, Mauritius, Mongolia and Uruguay get all visa types free at the mission that publishes this schedule.
    • Fees are set per nationality on a reciprocal basis, so the mission that covers you is the only place the exact figure can be confirmed.

    India student visa requirements and documents checklist

    6 documents every applicant provides.

    DocumentWho needs itWhat it involves
    A Study in India ID, quoted on the visa applicationeveryoneRegistering on the Study in India portal is now mandatory for foreign students. The portal issues a unique SII-ID, which goes on the student visa application and is what makes the electronic student visa route available at all. source
    Admission to a full-time on-campus courseeveryoneThe visa goes to a foreigner whose sole objective is full-time on-campus study at a recognized institution. It is not issued for short-term courses that are not recognized, and study has to happen on the institution's own premises rather than at a franchise or off-campus center. source
    An original admission letter, signed and stamped, with the curriculumeveryoneMissions ask for the admission letter in original with contact details, confirming a particular full-time course and setting out the curriculum and duration, plus a bonafide certificate from the institution, which for higher education has to be recognized by the UGC or AICTE. source
    Proof that you can cover fees and living costs, usually through a guarantoreveryoneThe file shows enough money for hostel and tuition. The guarantor, normally a parent, brings identity documents and four months of bank statements and signs the undertaking in front of the consular officer; accepting a guarantor other than a parent is at the mission's discretion. source
    A passport valid for the course with three blank visa pageseveryoneThe passport has to cover the period applied for or the duration of the course and carry three blank visa pages, with education documents and a birth certificate attached in copy and produced in original for verification. source
    FRRO registration within 14 days when the stay passes 180 dayseveryoneA student staying more than 180 days continuously registers with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office within 14 days of arrival. A student arriving on a provisional student visa may be given provisional registration in the same window. source

    How to apply for a India student visa

    1. Register on the Study in India portal and get the SII-ID

      The portal's own sequence is register, apply, get admitted, then register for e-FRRO or FRRO with the SII ID within 14 days of landing.

      source
    2. Choose the paper visa at a mission or the e-Student visa online

      The e-Student visa runs for one year from the grant of the electronic travel authorization with multiple entries, and is applied for with the SII-ID on the Indian Visa Online portal. The paper student visa can run longer.

      source
    3. Pay the fee your nationality carries

      The student visa is priced per nationality rather than per duration. A typical mission schedule charges USD 80 for a student visa valid for the course or five years, whichever is less, alongside USD 229 for British nationals, USD 85 for Ukrainians, USD 43 or USD 81 for Sri Lankans depending on whether the institution is covered by a bilateral agreement, and USD 25 for South Africans.

      source
    4. Collect a visa for the course length, up to five years

      Missions may grant the student visa for up to five years or the length of the academic course, whichever is less, with up to four entries an academic year. Where the institution has not yet confirmed a place, a six-month provisional student visa can be granted and converted once admission comes through.

      source
    5. Register with the FRRO within 14 days of arrival

      Registration is done through the e-FRRO system. Every university and institution also has to report its enrolled foreign students to the office that covers it.

      source
    6. Extend through the FRRO for as long as the institution keeps you

      Extensions are granted for as long as the university or institution permits the student to complete the course. A student may change course at most three times on the same visa; a fourth change means a fresh student visa from a mission abroad.

      source

    India student visa processing time

    India publishes no single decision time for the student visa. Missions warn that submitting an application with the fee does not guarantee a visa and ask students not to finalize travel plans before it is issued.

    High Commission of India, Port Moresby: Documents required for student visa · checked September 2026

    India student visa work rights, dependants and what comes after

    Dependants

    The spouse and minor children of a foreign national granted a student visa can be given dependent visas. Family members of a minor child studying on a student visa take another visa category rather than a student visa of their own.

    source
    United States
    From $535 all-in
    United Kingdom
    From $1,760 all-in
    Canada
    From $175 all-in
    Australia
    From $2,250 all-in
    Germany
    From $190 all-in
    France
    From $183 all-in

    FAQ

    Frequently asked questions

    How much is the India student visa fee?
    The Student visa (S) application charge is $80 (Student visa, course duration or five years). That is also the all-in mandatory total. Optional extras add up to $5 on top.
    How long does a India student visa take?
    India publishes no single decision time for the student visa. Missions warn that submitting an application with the fee does not guarantee a visa and ask students not to finalize travel plans before it is issued. Source: High Commission of India, Port Moresby: Documents required for student visa (September 2026).
    Can you bring your family on a India student visa?
    The spouse and minor children of a foreign national granted a student visa can be given dependent visas. Family members of a minor child studying on a student visa take another visa category rather than a student visa of their own. Source: Ministry of Home Affairs: Details of visas granted by India (student and research visa) (September 2026).
    What's not included in the Student visa (S) fee?
    Tuition, living costs and the money you have to show in your account are separate from the fees on this page. Use our cost-of-study calculator at /tools/cost-calculator for a complete budget.
    When are these fees due?
    Application and biometric fees are paid before submission. Health surcharges (UK IHS, Australian OSHC) are paid as part of the visa application. Some fees (Anmeldung in Germany, OFII in France) are paid after arrival.

    Official sources

    Last verified September 2026.