India Country Profile

Passport
For more details visit India Passport Ranking
  • Passport Grade
    D
  • Passport Ranking
    128/198
  • Passport Score
    36.9/198
  • Visa-free Countries
    57
  • Visa-required Countries
    141
  • Access to the World's GDP
    8%
  • Access to the World's Surface Area
    15%
  • Access to the World's Population
    30%
  • Access to the Unesco Sites
    15%
Citizenship and Naturalization
Birthright citizenship (Jus Soli)
  • Birthright citizenship (Jus Soli)
    No
    No provisions
Naturalization - Standard Conditions
  • Minimum residency period
    12 years
  • Physical presence requirement
    To be able to apply in 12 years, must live full-time. The naturalization timeline extends if you spend time abroad each year.
  • Language test
    Yes, one of the 22 local languages
  • Need to renounce original citizenship?
    Yes
  • Can minor children naturalize?
  • Can naturalized parents pass citizenship to a child born abroad?
  • Can you lose naturalization due to prolonged absence/ naturalization elsewhere?
Naturalization - Your Spouse is a Citizen
  • Living IN the country: Residency/marriage requirement
    7 years / 0 years
    May apply immediately after marriage, assuming you have resided there full-time for 7 years.
  • Living ABROAD: Marriage requirement
    Not allowed
  • Language test
    No
  • Need to renounce original citizenship?
    Yes
Naturalization - Other Beneficial Provisions
  • Your child is a citizen
    No provisions
  • Citizens of specific countries
    No provisions
"–": The provision has not been analysed.
Taxation
For more details visit Cost of Living
  • Taxation Type
    Residence-based
A tax resident of a country with a RESIDENCE-BASED tax system pays taxes on their WORLDWIDE income. However, if you lose tax residency status there (e.g., by moving out), the country will generally stop taxing you.
Schiff Sovereign's Take on India
In 2010, the chairman of India’s Reliance Industries, one of the country’s most valuable companies, completed construction of his 27 story, 570-foot-tall residence in Mumbai. Three elevators, six levels of parking space, and three helipads count among the home’s numerous features.

Several hundred staff members are employed to care for the $1 billion edifice.

And at the same time, thousands of homeless people sleep on the nearby streets. 

India is full of stark contrasts and many superlatives.

It is an emerging market, the way that China was 15 years ago. Many of China’s low-end manufacturing jobs have now gone to India. So have some of the higher-end types of production, too – it’s still cheaper for Volkswagen, for example, to hire Indian workers than to hire Chinese robots.

Over the past decade or so, approximately 100 million people in India have joined the middle class. That’s a phenomenal number, but it’s still only about 10% of the population.

India is on its way to becoming a major economic powerhouse. If the country’s enviable economic growth continues, it should overtake Japan’s economy by 2030, and that of America by 2055.

However, for now, you may want to forget about owning an active business there. The bureaucracy is mind boggling, and their taxes are high.

Overall, there might be some very compelling investment opportunities in India. But, for the most part, the country tends to be a very closed, insular place , with the best opportunities typically offered to Indian citizens first.  

Digital nomads, in contrast, tend to like India, thanks to its exotic flair and incredibly cheap cost of living.

It's a great place to be if you're looking for an incredibly rich – and cheaply priced – experience. If you’re searching for adventure on a shoestring budget, India might well be the place for you.

There’s a sizable expat community in the beach towns of Goa province, for example, where someone with a laptop and an internet business could thrive. 

Sovereign Global Explorer

Benefiting from over a decade of our team’s boots-on-the-ground experience, Global Explorer is where your international journey begins.
India Overview
  • Region
    Asia
  • Capital City
    New Delhi
  • Largest City
    Mumbai
  • Currency
    Indian rupee
  • Languages
    English, Hindi
  • Population
    1.4 billion (2nd)
  • Life Expectancy
    67.2 years (190th)
  • GDP (Nominal)
    $3.5 trillion (5th)
  • GDP/Capita
    $2,522 (153rd)
Useful Data
For more details visit Cost of Living
  • Cost of Living
    Dirt-cheap (1/7)
  • Climate
    Average (3/5)
  • Safety
    Safe (3/7)
  • Pollution
    Polluted (4/5)
  • English Proficiency
    High (2/5)

Sovereign Global Explorer

Benefiting from over a decade of our team’s boots-on-the-ground experience, Global Explorer is where your international journey begins.

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