westerners living in india for many years

[alpha]

I have heard of few westerners who managed to stay in India for many years without actually living India.
They mainly stayed in retreat in himalayas or Nepal .I am not talking here about people who go into organized three year retreats...

I have no ideea how was that done considering that indian visa is i think only for 6 months to a year....

Have they stayed illegally ?Or was it that someone would renew their visa whenever was necessary.
I guess they wouldnt come out of their retreat to go to renew their visa....
I am just curious how is this possible.

[Indrajala]

I have heard of few westerners who managed to stay in India for many years without actually living India.
They mainly stayed in retreat in himalayas or Nepal .I am not talking here about people who go into organized three year retreats...

I have no ideea how was that done considering that indian visa is i think only for 6 months to a year....

Have they stayed illegally ?Or was it that someone would renew their visa whenever was necessary.
I guess they wouldnt come out of their retreat to go to renew their visa....
I am just curious how is this possible.

There are other visa categories that you can get sponsored for. I understand there is a "cultural visa" of some sort that is good for five years and is obtained by getting a letter from your sponsoring organization and paying some money. India actually has a class of visas called "yoga visas".

[Indrajala]

If you look here there are various kinds of visas:

http://in.vfsglobal.ca/images/VisaFeeList.pdf

Americans can get a 10 year visa.

A 5 year 'entry' visa is also possible. A 5 year volunteer visa is also possible.

Kind of expensive, but not impossible.

I don't think the Indian government objects to westerners lingering around India for years on end. They bring in foreign currency and spend a lot after all.

[alpha]

I am sorry to say that nothing of what you say is valid in europe.

Here a 5 year visa is only granted to those who are of an indian descent.
And visas for 10 years,cultural visas or so called yoga visas do not exist in europe..
And also ..there isnt a sponsored visa or a 5 yrs volunteer visa...

As a tourist you can only stay for 6 months at the most and have at least 2 months gap inbetween visas.
This is the only way you can visit india.

So they must have been americans all those who manged to live in india for many years....

[Malcolm]

So they must have been americans all those who manged to live in india for many years....

Mostly Brits.

[David N. Snyder]

Americans can get a 10 year visa.

Good to know, in case I decide to go there for my last days or years.

[Quiet Heart]

Depends on having the funds I expect.
You can become a perpetual tourist if you can afford it.
I don't know the visas rules for India, but you can as an American get a 6 month visa for Malaysia or Cambodia. You can also easily get a 3 month visa for Thailand. So you could do your legal, visa time in India then get a 3 month tourist visa to Thailand. When two months go by, then return to India for another 6 month stint.
Many years ago I had a friend who used to do the India/Nepal shuttle...alternating between them. Of course, he was young then.
So it is possible.

[Indrajala]

You can become a perpetual tourist if you can afford it.

One of my friends who now has permanent residency in India had to do this for many years before getting a long-term visa. As a monk he received offerings, but due to visa restrictions he had to leave India every six months, so he went to Sri Lanka or Nepal.

As a wandering monk I imagine this is doable, provided one has funds.