Visa Run in India in 2025: How It Works, Risks, and Where to Go

The popular practice of visa runs in India has undergone significant changes in recent years. New rules are regularly introduced, and travelers are increasingly facing restrictions—especially citizens from certain countries, including Russia. This article offers up-to-date information on visa rules and practical tips for those still planning a visa run.

A visa run is a short trip out of the country followed by re-entry, typically used to reset or extend the duration of stay.

Tourist Visas in India

India offers both e-Visas and traditional sticker visas for tourism. The most popular is the e-Tourist Visa, available for 30 days (double-entry), 1 year, or 5 years (multiple-entry). Processing takes 3–5 business days, and applications can be submitted up to 4 months before travel.

Stay conditions depend on nationality. For example, as of 2023, Indian authorities introduced restrictions for Russian citizens:
- Max 90 days continuous stay per trip
- Max 180 days total per calendar year

This decision was made due to frequent abuses of the visa system.

Longer stays now require different visas, such as business or medical visas (more info).

Meanwhile, citizens of the US, UK, Canada, and Japan are allowed to stay up to 180 days per trip on long-term tourist visas.

Popular Visa Run Destinations in 2025
In 2025, travelers may exit India and return on a valid multiple-entry visa or after a reasonable interval. You can reapply for a new e-Visa after leaving the country, provided your previous visa has expired or was single-entry.

Red flags for immigration officers include:
- Frequent short-stay re-entries
- Attempts to return after 180+ days of annual stay
- Trying to re-enter via land borders on an e-Visa (not allowed)

Air travel is the safest way to do a visa run, as e-Visas are valid only through designated airports and seaports.

Here are the most common visa run destinations for travelers from India:

Nepal

A classic route due to proximity. Citizens of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, the EU, UK, USA, and Canada are eligible for visa on arrival.

Sri Lanka

From 2024, visa-free entry (30 days) applies to citizens of Russia, India, China, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Japan.
Other travelers (EU, USA, Canada) must apply online for an ETA. Visa-free transit is also allowed for up to 48 hours.

UAE

From 2024, citizens of Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan enjoy visa-free stays up to 90 days (source). Most Western passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival or apply online. The UAE is a convenient, low-bureaucracy option.

Thailand

As of 2024, Russian nationals can stay visa-free for up to 60 days (source). Similar exemptions apply to Kazakhstan, most EU countries, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, and Malaysia.
US, UK, Canada, and Australia citizens can stay 30 days visa-free upon air arrival. Others may need an [eVOA].

Malaysia

Visa-free access for up to 30 days for citizens of Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, EU, USA, Canada, Australia, UK, Japan, and many ASEAN countries (source). Travelers from certain African or Middle Eastern countries may need a pre-approved visa.

Important Considerations

Land borders and e-Visas
Entry via land is not allowed on an e-Visa. For example, crossing from Nepal by road won’t work—you must fly.

Continuous stay limits
Most nationalities can stay no more than 90 consecutive days, even on long-term e-Visas.
Exceptions: Citizens of the US, UK, Canada, and Japan can stay 180 days without leaving.

Gaps between e-Visas
Technically, there’s no fixed gap required. However, frequent visits may trigger scrutiny, especially for Russians.

Misusing visa runs
Spending most of the year in India through repeated short stays can look suspicious. Immigration may view this as unauthorized residence or work.

Vary your routes
Entering the same country repeatedly may raise red flags. Consider rotating your destinations (e.g., Nepal → Sri Lanka → UAE → India).

Practical Tips
- Always fly, not cross land borders
- Save flight tickets, hotel bookings, and travel plans for inspection
- Never overstay your visa—this may result in deportation or bans
- For long stays, consider business, student, or medical visas
- If you're working online, avoid mentioning it while on a tourist visa

Conclusion

Visa runs are still possible in India in 2025, but come with growing risks—particularly for Russian travelers. Since 2023, even those following stay limits have faced stricter scrutiny, questioning, or denial of entry.

The safest approach is a 2–3 month stay, followed by a trip to a neighboring country, and a cautious return. Avoid repeated entries without varying destinations, and track your total days per calendar year.

For those planning longer stays, experts now recommend applying for a long-term visa instead of relying on risky visa runs.