India: Employment Visa Salary Threshold, Increase Yet to Be Confirmed
A +47.7% increase in the salary threshold for the employment visa in India · from 16,25,000 to 24,00,000 rupees (approximately 28,800 US dollars) · has been reported since mid-October 2026. No notification from India’s Ministry of Home Affairs confirms it, and Indian embassies still publish a floor of 25,000 USD per year.
For employees already in post or being recruited, the key question before any filing: which figure to use?
Employment visa for India: an official floor, an unconfirmed increase
✅ The official floor remains 25 000 USD per year : The pages of the Indian embassies in Rome, Dublin, Brazzaville and Zagreb set this minimum for the Employment visa (a work visa for an employee of an Indian employer), with a few notable exceptions such as ethnic cuisine cooks.
✅ The increase to 24,00,000 INR is not officially documented : It rests on notes seen on recent residence permits issued by the Foreigners Regional Registration Offices (FRRO) and on verbal confirmations. No independent source confirms the information.
✅ The two amounts are not equivalent : At the current exchange rate, 24,00,000 INR is worth approximately 28,800 USD. A salary set at 25 000 USD might therefore no longer be sufficient if the increase were confirmed.
The embassies refer to a gross annual salary. The extracts reviewed do not say how bonuses, benefits in kind or the portion paid outside India are treated. Have this point validated before any filing.
In practice, the currency gap makes the figures harder to read.
The reported increase would apply to new applications and to renewals filed in India, and therefore to your employees already in post. It comes on top of the registration rules in force since 1 June 2026, detailed in our [news update on the registration of foreign nationals in India]. The table compares the two amounts.
| Aspect | Officially published | Reported increase |
|---|---|---|
| Amount | 25 000 USD per year | 24,00,000 INR per year |
| Currency | US dollars | Rupees |
| Source | Embassy pages | FRRO permits, verbal statements |
| Status | Published online | Unconfirmed |
Other countries are raising their salary floors, such as Malaysia for the Employment Pass (a skilled work permit) since 1 June 2026: see our [overview of Employment Pass thresholds in Malaysia].
Our article on the India e-Business visa details the risk of a short assignment being requalified.
What should you do while awaiting an official notification?
- Identify employees in India whose gross annual pay falls between 25 000 USD and approximately 28 800 USD: these are the first files exposed.
- Ask the competent Indian embassy or consulate which amount applies to your case, and keep the reply in writing.
- Model a scenario at 24,00,000 INR for your upcoming filings and renewals, without amending contracts before confirmation. Monitor publications from India’s Ministry of Home Affairs and the indianvisaonline.gov.in portal.
We check the threshold that applies to your employees in India. Expatriation: 150+ countries covered, 650+ procedures per year.
Frequently asked questions
You need a contract or an appointment letter from an Indian employer, followed by an application to the competent embassy or consulate. The salary in the contract must meet the applicable threshold.
No. It is a condition for issuing the Employment visa and does not replace the minimums set by local labour regulations, which should be checked separately.
No official text addresses this case. Ask the competent Indian mission, keep its reply in writing and build in a salary margin.
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