Information from India Pakistan Trade Unit

Employment of Foreigners
Expatriate employment in manufacturing industries is generally limited to technical and specialised
personnel. Many foreign affiliates have a few expatriates in India. The usual configuration is one or two at
the head office (often in the finance function or as chief executive) and two or three technical people.

No specific permission of the Government of India or the RBI is required for a foreign national to take up
employment in India. Foreign nationals do have to register with the concerned District Foreigners'
Registration Officer/Foreigners' Regional Registration Officer, within 14 days of their arrival in India, if they
hold a visa for a period of more than 180 days. This registration is required irrespective of whether or not
they intend to stay in India for less or more than 180 days-that is, the deciding factor is the period for which
the visa has been granted and not the actual length of stay. Foreigners' Regional Registration Offices are
located in Mumbai, New Delhi (the capital) and Kolkata (Calcutta); there are also state-level offices in
individual states.

Foreign nationals (except citizens of the countries of Nepal and Bhutan) require a valid passport or travel
document and a valid visa to enter India. Such a visa can be obtained from the Indian Embassy/Consulate
located in the home country of the foreign national.

It normally takes about three months to obtain an immigration visa, and foreign companies report no
problems in acquiring visas for their technical personnel. The visa is generally given for the same period as
the employment contract. Once it is obtained, a stay permit is granted; this must be endorsed annually by
the state government where the foreign national resides.

Indian embassies and consulates abroad issue visas. Business visas are granted on application and may be
issued for up to five years, with a multiple-entry provision. Visas may be extended or renewed within India.
A foreigner who arrives in India without a visa may be granted a temporary visa at the airport, but this
usually leads to future difficulties and should be avoided.

Expatriates are paid salaries several times those of their Indian counterparts. Domestic private-sector
salaries are rising quickly, although they vary widely among industries. Foreign nationals employed in India
for up to three years, but not permanently resident in the country, may remit up to 100% of their net salary
out of India.

Under India's double-taxation agreements, salaries that a foreign company (and not its permanent
establishment in India) pays for services rendered in India are taxable in India if the employee works for
more than 182 days during the tax year.