Visa for transit in India

Hi there,

We’re a group of 7 people heading to SRI LANKA in March.

We’re transiting through Mumbai (Air India flight), then after a few hours, we’ll take a SriLankan Airlines flight to Colombo.

The return trip follows the same route 26 days later.

The issue is about the Indian visa.

1- Do we need an Indian visa since we’ll only be at Mumbai Airport for a few hours (no checked baggage)?

2- Do we need a double-entry visa?

Thanks for your help—everything I’ve read online is pretty unclear.

Hi there,

No worries at all. Since it's just a layover and you won't be leaving the airport, you don't need a visa at all—let alone one with two entries! Imagine if you had to apply for a visa every time you had a layover in a country... The rule is clear: if you have a layover and don’t go through immigration (meaning you stay in the international transit zone), no visa is required because legally, you’re not in the country.

Hello,

As the original message is worded, I’m not as sure as you are that it’s a connecting flight on a single ticket.

Michel

That’s what I thought too, but since it’s not mentioned either...

Hi,

This is indeed a layover with two flights on two different airlines: Air India and SriLankan Airlines.

Hi,

But do you have a single end-to-end ticket? Where did you buy it?

Michel

Hi there,

We have two tickets—one with Air India and the other with SriLankan Airlines

We have two tickets, one with Air India and the other with SriLankan Airlines

Ah... That’s what I thought you meant. Have you already gotten the boarding pass for the second flight?

Michel

Yes, in this case, you’ll need a visa because retrieving your luggage at Mumbai Airport requires exiting the international zone. There are transit visas, but it seems the 30-day e-tourist visa, which you apply for online, is easier to get—especially since it allows two entries and only costs 25 €.

It was mentioned that there was no checked baggage. So it might be possible depending on the airport setup and provided you already have the boarding pass.

Michel

Actually, there was already a discussion about this, and I think it was mentioned that the layout of Mumbai Airport forces you to exit the international zone to collect your luggage. But definitely double-check that info, of course.

Here are the precise answers based on the current regulations for Mumbai Airport (BOM).

1. Do you need an Indian visa for a few hours? The answer depends on a single technical criterion: do you have a single booking reference (PNR) for the entire journey or two separate tickets?

Case A: Single ticket (End-to-end ticket) If your Air India and SriLankan Airlines flights are on the same reservation (same PNR number), you remain in "International Transit."

You do not go through immigration.

You stay in the transit area of Terminal 2.

No Indian visa is required.

Case B: Two separate tickets ("Self-transfer") Even without checked baggage, if these are two distinct bookings, the airline may require you to go through immigration to "enter" the country technically before checking in for your next flight.

In this specific case, a Transit Visa is necessary.

Important: Even if you have no baggage, some airlines may refuse boarding in France if you don’t have an Indian visa for separate tickets, as they cannot guarantee your access to the transit area in Mumbai.

2. Do you need a double-entry visa? If you are in Case B (separate tickets) and need a visa:

Yes, you absolutely need a "Double Entry" visa. Since you’re making the same trip 26 days later, you’ll "enter" the Indian transit zone a second time.

Hi there,

Thanks for this info—it’s really clear. We’ll go for an e-visa with multiple entries; it’s easier to get than a transit visa.

It’s great to finally have precise details. Thanks again!

Thanks for the explanation, it’s really clear!