Visa for the United States from India: price, documents and processing time 2026

Yes. As an Indian citizen you need a valid B1/B2 visa to enter the United States for temporary tourism (B2) or business (B1). Since India is not a Visa Waiver country, ESTA is not available to you, and there is no exemption even for short stays.

• Government fee185 USD
• Application centre feeVariable, set by the operator
• Agency or online serviceOptional, added on top
• ExtrasVariable

Bring a valid passport, your DS-160 confirmation page, a photo that meets U.S. specifications, and proof that you paid the MRV fee. Add documents showing your ties to India: employment, studies, family or property. The exact MRV fee changes over time, so confirm it directly on travel.state.gov before paying; we deliberately do not quote a figure here.

Start online by completing and submitting the DS-160 form on the State Department's CEAC portal. Then book your appointment through the official U.S. visa information service for India (ustraveldocs) and attend your interview at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi or one of the consulates in Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad or Kolkata. Applicants under 14 or over 79 may in some cases qualify for an interview waiver.

Then the application goes to the post accredited for India, often in a neighbouring capital, or to a state acting on its behalf. Confirm which post is competent with the official source before travelling to a third country to apply, a rejected file at the wrong counter costs the trip and the fee.

The regime follows your nationality, not where you live. If you reside in India but travel on another country's passport, the rule on this page is not yours. Filing usually still happens from your country of residence, at the post competent for it, but the requirement itself comes from your passport.

Interview appointment wait times vary widely by Indian post and season, sometimes from several weeks to several months, so apply well ahead of your trip. B1/B2 visas are frequently issued with multi-year validity and multiple entries, but the length of each stay is decided by the CBP officer at the port of entry, not by the visa itself. Check travel.state.gov for up-to-date processing information.

The most common mistake is confusing the visa (permission to travel) with admission (the decision made at the border): a visa never guarantees entry. Do not buy non-refundable tickets before your visa is in hand. Finally, any inconsistency between your DS-160 and your interview answers can lead to a refusal under section 214(b) for insufficient ties to your home country.