Short answer: An India business visa, or its online version the e-business visa, lets staff of a foreign company meet customers, buy and sell, negotiate, attend trade fairs, recruit and make short expert visits to an ongoing project, but not take up employment or carry out a contract in India [1][2]. Since an MHA circular of August 2025, installing and commissioning equipment goes through the Production Investment visa, a business-visa sub-category issued online as the e-Production Investment visa (six months, multiple entry) on the Indian company's sponsorship letter, while staff who will work for an Indian company need an employment visa with a gross salary above INR 16.25 lakh a year [1][2][3][4]. The visa does not settle tax: the same trip can still create a permanent establishment or Indian payroll and social-security obligations, which day counts, signing authority and a certificate of coverage keep under control.
Who this is for: HR and mobility leads, CFOs and project directors at Belgian, Dutch, German, Nordic, Swiss and UK engineering and technology companies sending staff to India.
What staff can do on an India business visa
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) guidelines list these business-visa purposes, among others [1]:
- meetings, negotiations, buying and selling;
- technical and board meetings, setting up a venture, recruiting staff;
- exhibitions and trade fairs (see exhibiting at an Indian trade fair);
- buyers visiting suppliers to check quality and place orders;
- short expert visits to an ongoing project to monitor progress or give technical guidance;
- pre-sales and post-sales activity "not amounting to actual execution of any contract or project";
- in-house training at the group's regional hub in India.
It is not for "full time employment in India", and it cannot normally be converted into another visa in India [1]. Breaching visa conditions is an offence under the Immigration and Foreigners Act 2025, in force since 1 September 2025: up to three years' imprisonment, a fine of up to INR 3 lakh (about EUR 2,800), or both [5].
A free trial for a prospect is pre-sales work; delivering a paid pilot is executing a contract (see moving an Indian customer from pilot to paid contract).
India business visa requirements
A regular business visa is granted by default for up to five years with multiple entries for most nationalities, and up to ten years for UK nationals, with each stay capped at 180 days [1]. Missions ask for your company's letter with the purpose and dates, the Indian company's invitation and, for a fair, proof of the event, as the Brussels embassy's checklist shows [6]. German travel teams searching for a "Visum Indien Geschäftsreise" need this visa.
The e-business visa: India's online option
The e-business visa is valid for one year from grant, with multiple entries and up to 180 days per visit; apply at least four days before arrival [2]. Nationals of some 175 countries on the portal's list qualify, including Belgium, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK [2]. It covers the same activities as the regular business visa [1].
Installation and commissioning: the Production Investment visa
MHA's 2020 guidelines list installation and commissioning of equipment under a supply contract, and technical work for which the Indian company pays fees or royalty, as employment-visa work [1]. According to DPIIT, an MHA circular of August 2025 moved foreign nationals coming to install and commission equipment, whether under a supply contract or for fees or royalty paid by an Indian company, into the business-visa regime, through a new sub-category: the Production Investment visa (B-4), issued as an e-visa [4]. MHA has not reissued its 2020 guidelines.
The B-4 visa covers specialists and engineers engaged by Indian companies for installation and commissioning, quality checks and maintenance, production, IT ramp-up, training, vendor development and plant bring-up, and senior managers visiting for these activities [4]. Since 29 November 2025 an Indian company or LLP can generate a sponsorship letter on DPIIT's National Single Window System; the expert then applies online for the e-Production Investment visa, granted for six months with multiple entries [2][3][4]. The published pages set no salary floor, and MEA or MHA still decides the visa [3].
When staff need an employment visa: India's work visa rules
Staff who will work for an Indian entity, including your own subsidiary, need an employment visa [1]. India grants it to "a highly skilled and/or qualified professional", not for routine work, and the holder must draw a gross salary above INR 16.25 lakh a year (about EUR 15,200), pro rata for visas shorter than a year [1][7]. The USD 25,000 figure still quoted on many sites does not appear in MHA's current guidelines; the binding figure is INR 16.25 lakh, about USD 16,900 at October 2026 rates [1][7].
The visa is granted for up to two years, or the assignment if shorter, and can be extended to five years in all; the employer cannot change except within a group, joint venture or consortium [1]. For India, this employment visa is what people mean by a "work permit India".
Project and conference visas, briefly. A project visa exists only for power and steel projects, with headcount ceilings [1]. A conference visa, or online the e-conference visa valid for 30 days from arrival, is for travellers whose sole purpose is a conference or seminar [1][2].
FRRO registration: who must register and when
Registration with the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer (FRRO) is done online on the e-FRRO portal [8]:
- Business visa: no registration while no single stay exceeds 180 days and the total in a calendar year stays within 180 days; anyone staying longer must register before the 180 days run out [8].
- Visa valid for 180 days or less: register only if the person stays beyond 180 days [8].
- Employment visa valid for more than 180 days: register within 14 days of arrival [1][8].
Decision table: activity, visa and the tax flag
| What the person will do | Business or e-business visa? | Sponsored e-Production Investment visa? | Employment visa? | PE and payroll flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales meetings, negotiation, trade fairs | Yes | No | No | Agency PE if they conclude contracts in India |
| Board meetings, recruitment, setting up an entity | Yes | No | No | Low; watch who signs |
| Short expert visit to an ongoing project | Yes | No | No | Days count towards treaty project or service limits |
| Free demo or trial for a prospect | Yes | No | No | Low |
| Installing or commissioning equipment you sold | No | Yes, on the customer's sponsorship letter | Only if employed by the Indian company | Installation PE; Indian tax on salary past 183 days |
| Maintenance, training or ramp-up at an Indian company's plant, paid by it | No | Yes, on its sponsorship letter | Only if employed by the Indian company | Service PE or fees for technical services |
| Working for your Indian subsidiary | No | No | Yes | Indian payroll; secondment terms |
| A conference or seminar only | Conference or e-conference visa | No | No | Low |
What the visa does not settle: PE, payroll and social security
Permanent establishment. A permanent establishment (PE), a taxable presence of the foreign company in India, can arise from signing authority, long project or service days or premises at your disposal, whatever the visa; the treaty limits and the usual cure are in permanent establishment in India, employees and employer of record.
Payroll. Salary for days worked in India is taxable there unless the treaty's short-stay rule applies: under the India–Belgium treaty, no more than 183 days in the Indian tax year, pay from an employer not resident in India and no charge to an Indian PE [9].
Social security. A certificate of coverage from the home authority keeps a posted employee out of Indian contributions for the agreement's posting period [10][11]. India has agreements in force with 14 European countries, and the UK's applies from 15 July 2026:
| Country | In force | Posting period in the home system |
|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 1 Sep 2009 | Up to 60 months [11] |
| Germany | 1 Oct 2009 | Up to 48 months [11] |
| Switzerland | 29 Jan 2011 | Up to 72 months [11] |
| Denmark | 1 May 2011 | Up to 60 months [11] |
| France | 1 Jul 2011 | Up to 60 months [11] |
| Netherlands | 1 Dec 2011 | Up to 60 months [11] |
| Hungary | 1 Apr 2013 | Up to 60 months [11] |
| Finland | 1 Aug 2014 | Up to 60 months [11] |
| Sweden | 1 Aug 2014 | Up to 24 months [11] |
| Norway | 1 Jan 2015 | Up to 60 months [11] |
| Austria | 1 Jul 2015 | Up to 60 months [11] |
| Portugal | 8 May 2017 | Up to 60 months [11] |
| Luxembourg, Czech Republic | In force [10] | Posting period on EPFO's country page |
| UK (Double Contributions Convention) | 15 Jul 2026 | Up to 60 months [13] |
Italy, Spain and Ireland have no agreement with India, and Poland's is signed but not in force [10][12].
If the work becomes permanent, consider a liaison, branch or project office, or a company: see Branch office vs liaison office in India (ATB Legal) and India company incorporation and foreign investment.
UK staff, the CETA and the EU–India deal
The UK–India CETA, in force since 15 July 2026, commits India to stays of up to 180 days for UK business visitors and up to a year for intra-corporate transferees kept on UK payroll, but does not remove the need for a visa [14]. The Double Contributions Convention keeps UK staff posted for up to 60 months in UK National Insurance, on an HMRC certificate (form CA9107) [13]. The detail is in India–UK trade deal (CETA): mobility and the Double Contributions Convention (ATB Legal). The EU–India FTA, concluded in January 2026 but not signed or in force, has provisions on mobility of professionals but changes nothing today [15]; the wider picture is in India for European companies: entry, structuring and the EU–India deal.
Worked example (illustrative)
Hypothetical. FX: INR 107 = EUR 1 (rounded exchange rates, October 2026). The contract, fee and travel plan are our assumptions.
A Belgian process-equipment maker has sold a packaging line to an Indian food manufacturer for EUR 2.4m (INR 25.68 crore), with a separate commissioning fee of EUR 180,000 (INR 1.926 crore). Three engineers will spend ten weeks on site; the sales director will make four five-day trips to win the next order. The corridor background is on the Belgium–India page.
- Visas. The sales director travels on a business visa [1]. Commissioning under a supply contract is not ordinary business-visa work [1]: the Indian customer generates a sponsorship letter on the National Single Window System and the three engineers apply for e-Production Investment visas, valid six months with multiple entries [2][3][4].
- Salary test. The e-Production Investment visa has no published salary floor [2][3]. On three-month employment visas instead, pro-rata pay would have to exceed INR 16.25 lakh × 3/12 = INR 4.06 lakh (EUR 3,797) [1].
- Registration. Ten weeks is 70 days, under 180: no FRRO registration [8].
- PE test. Under the India–Belgium treaty, an installation project is a PE if it lasts more than six months, or, if shorter and incidental to the machinery sale, if its charges exceed 10% of the machinery price [9]. EUR 180,000 ÷ EUR 2.4m = 7.5%, so neither limb applies. Priced at EUR 300,000 (12.5%), the same ten weeks would meet the second limb.
- Payroll. 70 days is under 183 and the engineers stay on Belgian payroll, so with no Indian PE their pay is taxable only in Belgium [9]. The sales director's 20 days are inside too, if orders are signed in Belgium.
- Social security. Certificates of coverage under the India–Belgium agreement keep all four in the Belgian system [11].
UK comparison. Sent from the group's UK company, UK nationals could hold a ten-year business visa [1], an HMRC certificate would replace the Belgian one [13], and the UK treaty's limits in the permanent-establishment article linked above would apply (six months for an installation project; 90 service days, or 30 for an associated enterprise). See the UK–India page.
Risks and common mistakes, ranked
- Commissioning on an ordinary business visa. The route is the sponsored e-Production Investment visa [4]; breaching visa conditions is an offence [5].
- Pricing commissioning above 10% of the machinery price without checking the treaty (Belgium) or the day limits (other treaties).
- Letting a visitor sign contracts in India: an agency PE risk whatever the visa.
- Assuming every European country has an agreement. Italy, Spain and Ireland have none.
- Quoting the employment-visa floor in dollars. The binding figure is INR 16.25 lakh.
- Missing FRRO registration on an employment visa valid for more than 180 days.
- Planning to switch visas in India. A business visa generally cannot be converted [1].
Checklist to forward internally
- Each traveller: activity, dates, days in India this tax year, signing authority
- Visa category matched to the activity
- Sponsorship letter requested from the Indian customer for commissioning
- Pay of anyone employed in India above INR 16.25 lakh a year, pro rata
- FRRO registration diarised where a stay will pass 180 days
- Certificate of coverage obtained before departure, or Indian contributions budgeted
- Commissioning fee and project days checked against the treaty
- Contracts signed outside India
How ATB Corporate can help
ATB Corporate advises companies and investors on entering, structuring and operating in India and the UAE: choosing the entry route and holding structure, tax and exchange-control planning, regulatory compliance, and setting up and running the local business. To discuss your plans, contact ATB Corporate.
FAQ
What can staff do on an India business visa?
Staff can use an India business visa for meetings, negotiation, buying and selling, trade fairs, recruitment, board meetings, setting up a venture and short expert visits to an ongoing project, but not to take up employment or execute a contract in India [1]. Pre-sales and post-sales work is allowed only where it does not amount to carrying out the contract [1].
Can engineers install or commission equipment in India on a business visa?
Engineers cannot install or commission equipment in India on an ordinary business or e-business visa, because MHA's guidelines exclude work amounting to execution of a contract [1]. Since an MHA circular of August 2025 the route is the Production Investment visa, a business-visa sub-category issued online as the e-Production Investment visa (six months, multiple entry) once the Indian company has generated a sponsorship letter on DPIIT's National Single Window System [2][3][4]; an employment visa applies where the engineer will be employed by or deputed to the Indian company [1].
What is the minimum salary for an India employment visa?
The minimum salary for an India employment visa is a gross salary above INR 16.25 lakh a year, about EUR 15,200 or USD 16,900 at October 2026 rates, worked out pro rata for visas under a year [1]. The USD 25,000 figure still quoted on many sites does not appear in MHA's guidelines, and a few roles, such as non-English language teachers and translators, are exempt [1][7].
Do business visa holders need FRRO registration in India?
Business visa holders do not need FRRO registration if no single stay exceeds 180 days and their total stay in a calendar year stays within 180 days [8]. Anyone staying longer must register online before the 180 days run out, and holders of an employment visa valid for more than 180 days must register within 14 days of arrival [1][8].
How long is the India e-business visa valid?
The India e-business visa is valid for one year from the date it is granted, with multiple entries and continuous stays of up to 180 days per visit [2]. Applications must be made at least four days before arrival, and entry is only through designated airports and seaports [2].
Do employees sent to India have to pay Indian social security?
Employees posted to India by a European employer stay in their home system, without Indian contributions, if they hold a certificate of coverage under an agreement in force, such as Belgium's (up to 60 months) or Germany's (up to 48 months) [10][11]. The UK's agreement has applied since 15 July 2026 for postings of up to 60 months [13], while Italy, Spain and Ireland have no agreement [10][12].
Does the UK–India trade deal give UK staff an India work visa?
The UK–India trade deal does not create an India work visa, so UK staff still need a business or employment visa [14]. What it adds is India's commitment to stays of up to 180 days for business visitors and up to a year for intra-corporate transferees and contractual service suppliers [14].
Related reading
- Permanent establishment in India (employees, EOR, agents)
- Exhibiting at an Indian trade fair: visas, exhibits and turning leads into distributors
- From pilot to paid contract: selling technology to Indian companies
- India for European companies: entry, structuring and the EU–India deal
- India entry by home country
- Transfer pricing, tax and employment for an India GCC
- India–UK trade deal (CETA) in force: what UK businesses can use (ATB Legal)
- Branch office vs liaison office in India (ATB Legal)
Sources
- Ministry of Home Affairs, "Details of Visas granted by India" (Annex III; paras 28–30, 37–42, 44–46 and 72) (20 August 2020) — https://www.mha.gov.in/sites/default/files/2022-09/AnnexIIIDetailsofVisas20082020%5B1%5D.pdf (accessed 16 October 2026)
- Government of India, Indian Visa Online, e-Visa information (e-Business, e-Conference and e-Production Investment visa terms; eligible countries; designated ports) (no date shown) — https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html (accessed 20 October 2026)
- DPIIT, National Single Window System, "E Visa Details": Production Investment Business Registration (last reviewed 15 October 2026) — https://www.nsws.gov.in/evisa (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Commerce and Industry (DPIIT), "DPIIT launches a digital sponsorship letter generation module under e-Production Investment Visa (e-B4 Visa)" (MHA circular of August 2025; installation and commissioning moved to the business-visa regime; Production Investment Visa B-4; NSWS module launched 29 November 2025) (17 December 2025) — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=2205592®=3&lang=1 (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Ministry of Home Affairs, The Immigration and Foreigners Act 2025 (Act 13 of 2025), ss.3, 6, 23 and 36 (4 April 2025) — https://www.mha.gov.in/sites/default/files/2025-09/Immigration_and_Foreigners_Act_2025_16092025.pdf ; commencement on 1 September 2025, Notification S.O. 3981(E) (31 August 2025) — https://www.mha.gov.in/sites/default/files/2025-09/Notification_on_commencement_date_of_Immigration_and_Foreigners_Act_2025_16092025.pdf (accessed 16 October 2026)
- Embassy of India, Brussels, Checklist for Business Visa (no date shown) — https://www.indianembassybrussels.gov.in/pdf/Checklist%20for%20Business%20Visa.pdf (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Consulate General of India, San Francisco, Employment Visa (gross salary above Rs. 16.25 lakh a year) (no date shown) — https://www.cgisf.gov.in/page/employment-visa/ (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Ministry of Home Affairs, The Immigration and Foreigners Rules 2025, G.S.R. 596(E), rules 10 and 12 (1 September 2025) — https://www.mha.gov.in/sites/default/files/2025-09/Immigration_and_Foreigners_Rules_2025_16092025.pdf (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Income Tax Department, India–Belgium Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement, Articles 5(2)(j) and 15(2) (Notification GSR 632(E), 31 October 1997, as amended) — https://www.incometaxindia.gov.in/w/belgium-comprehensive-agreements-1 (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Employees' Provident Fund Organisation, International Workers: countries with operational social security agreements and the certificate of coverage (no date shown) — https://www.epfindia.gov.in/site_en/International_workers.php (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Employees' Provident Fund Organisation, "Operating SSA" pages (entry-into-force dates and posting periods) (no date shown): Belgium — https://www.epfindia.gov.in/site_en/Operating_SSA.php?id=Belgium ; Germany — https://epfindia.gov.in/site_en/Operating_SSA.php?id=Germany ; Switzerland — https://www.epfindia.gov.in/site_en/Operating_SSA.php?id=Switzerland ; Netherlands — https://www.epfindia.gov.in/site_en/Operating_SSA.php?id=Netherlands ; Hungary — https://www.epfindia.gov.in/site_en/Operating_SSA.php?id=Hungary ; Finland — https://www.epfindia.gov.in/site_en/Operating_SSA.php?id=Finland ; Sweden — https://www.epfindia.gov.in/site_en/Operating_SSA.php?id=Sweden ; Norway — https://www.epfindia.gov.in/site_en/Operating_SSA.php?id=Norway ; Portugal — https://www.epfindia.gov.in/site_en/Operating_SSA.php?id=Portugal (accessed 20 October 2026); Denmark — https://epfindia.gov.in/site_en/Operating_SSA.php?id=Denmark ; France — https://epfindia.gov.in/site_en/Operating_SSA.php?id=France ; Austria — https://epfindia.gov.in/site_en/Operating_SSA.php?id=Austria (accessed 16 October 2026)
- Ministry of External Affairs, Social Security Agreements (status list: in force; signed and yet to enter into force) (no date shown) — https://mea.gov.in/social-security-agreements (accessed 20 October 2026)
- HM Revenue & Customs, "UK and India: new social security agreement" (in force 15 July 2026; postings up to 60 months; form CA9107) (published 7 July 2026, updated 25 September 2026) — https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/social-security-agreement-between-the-uk-and-india/uk-and-india-new-social-security-agreement (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Department for Business and Trade, "Travelling to India for work" (UK–India CETA mobility commitments) (no date shown) — https://www.business.gov.uk/export-from-uk/markets/india/trade-agreement/travelling-to-india-for-work/ (accessed 20 October 2026)
- European Commission, "EU–India trade agreement" (updated 11 September 2026) — https://commission.europa.eu/topics/trade/eu-india-trade-agreement_en ; DG Trade, "Memo: EU–India free trade agreement – chapter-by-chapter summary" (2026) — https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/eu-trade-relationships-country-and-region/countries-and-regions/india/eu-india-agreements/memo-eu-india-free-trade-agreement-chapter-chapter-summary_en (accessed 20 October 2026)
Disclaimer: This article is general information, not legal, immigration or tax advice; visa practice, rules and treaty positions change, so check the current requirements with the Indian mission and your advisers before anyone travels.