Transit visa document checklist
For passing through India on the way to a third country. Three extra documents apply: the third country's visa, an onward ticket and a hotel booking.
Who applies for this visa
For travelling onward to another country through India. Double-entry transit visas are issued for landlocked neighbours such as Nepal and Bhutan, with a 3-day stay in India each way. Bangladeshi seamen joining a ship from an Indian port also apply under this category.
Document checklist
What you tick stays on your own phone — nothing is sent anywhere, and no login is needed.
What everyone needs
The original passport, with at least six months of validity as on the date of submission, and at least two blank pages.
Why it is asked for, and where people slip
The six months are counted from the day you submit, not the day you travel — working from the travel date is where people most often come up short. The two blank pages must be genuinely blank; pages carrying stamps do not count.
- Passport validity
- At least 6 months validity from the date of submission
- Blank pages
- The passport must have at least 2 blank pages
Old passports must be submitted with the application form.
Why it is asked for, and where people slip
It is easy to leave an expired passport at home once the new one arrives, but the official list makes it mandatory — dig it out and bring it. The document does not say what to do if an old passport is lost or unavailable, so you will need to ask at the centre.
One recent passport-size colour photograph (2×2 inch), on a white background, showing the full face.
Why it is asked for, and where people slip
2×2 inch means 51×51 mm — square. Many blogs quote 45×35 mm, but that is the specification for the reverse case: Indians applying for Bangladeshi visas. On the number of copies, both the High Commission document and IVAC’s documents page say one. The photo is uploaded with the online application, and IVAC’s page gives its size as 2×2 (350×350 pixels). IVAC’s page also says the photo must be “not less than 3 months old” — read literally that means at least 3 months old, which is probably not the intent. We do not settle it by guessing; a recently taken photo is the safe choice.
- Photo size
- 2×2 inch (51×51 mm), square, white background, full face visible
- Photo pixel size
- IVAC’s page describes the photo uploaded with the online application as 2×2 (350×350 pixels).
- Number of photos
- One colour photograph — both the High Commission’s official document and IVAC’s “Kind of Visas & Documents” page say one. Two copies are sometimes mentioned, but we found that in no official source.
- Photo file
- jpg or png, maximum 2 MB
A copy of the National ID Card OR the Birth Certificate, whichever applies.
Why it is asked for, and where people slip
The spelling of your name must match the passport exactly. A mismatch between the ID and the passport is one of the biggest reasons applications come back — put the two side by side and compare before you apply.
A copy of the electricity bill OR gas bill OR landline telephone bill. The document adds, in brackets, “not less than 6 months old”.
Why it is asked for, and where people slip
Mobile phone bills are not on the list — only landline. And the bracketed condition is ambiguous: “not less than 6 months old” literally means the bill must be at least six months old, whereas conditions like this usually ask for something recent. The official document says nothing further, so we are not going to guess at which reading is intended — if you can, carry both a recent bill and one from six months ago.
The document reads: (i) a bank statement for the last six months showing sufficient funds, (ii) an endorsement of foreign currency equivalent to US$150 per applicant (the endorsement must not be older than three months at the time of submission) OR a copy of an international credit card or travel card.
Why it is asked for, and where people slip
Read this requirement carefully. The 2024 document numbers the bank statement separately as (i), which can be read as requiring both the statement and the endorsement. The High Commission's earlier version (2021) listed all three as alternatives joined by “OR”. The document does not settle which reading now applies — the safe course is to bring the bank statement, since it satisfies either reading.
One of the following, depending on your profession.
Why it is asked for, and where people slip
You need the one document that matches your profession — the list offers no option for homemakers, the unemployed or freelancers, so ask at the centre in those cases. The student visa list additionally accepts a salary slip in place of the employer's certificate for private-sector employees.
Extra documents for this visa
A valid visa from the third country is required.
Why it is asked for, and where people slip
The whole basis of a transit visa is that you are passing through India rather than stopping in it. Without the destination country's visa that case does not hold — get the destination visa first, then apply for transit.
A confirmed ticket for the onward journey.
Why it is asked for, and where people slip
The word “confirmed” matters — a provisional booking or a held reservation is not the same as an issued ticket.
Hotel booking in the third country.
Why it is asked for, and where people slip
The booking must be in the destination country, not in India — this is where people mistakenly submit an Indian hotel booking.
Bangladeshi seamen joining a ship from an Indian port fall under separate provisions of the Visa Manual, which mention special permission from DG-Shipping, a seaman's book and similar documents.
Applies only if: You are a seaman joining a ship from an Indian port
Why it is asked for, and where people slip
The official list does not enumerate these papers; it points to the Visa Manual and ends with “etc.” Do not treat this as a complete list — if you are a seaman, confirm the full set at the centre.
Where this list comes from
The whole list is taken from the “VISA DOCUMENTS: CATEGORY-WISE” document published by the High Commission of India, Dhaka. The document is dated 7 March 2024, and we last checked it against this page on 3 August 2026. You can open it below and verify it yourself.
Open the official document (PDF)2. TRANSIT VISA
Questions about this visa
- When is a transit visa needed?
- How long can I stay in India on a transit visa to Nepal or Bhutan?
- What do seamen need to join a ship from an Indian port?