Is return ticket needed to enter India?
 

I am traveling to India in March 2015 for about 5 weeks with US passport. My Indian visa expires in Feb.2017. Thanks!

No, no one asks for it.

Thank you, oliver2002.

i'm not so sure....a few years ago my uncle had a one way ticket, traveling iad-del on a u.s. passport....he had no set plans on when to return so he only booked one way....at immigration in del they asked him how long he was staying & when he said he hadn't decided then they actually questioned him on his one way ticket....it wasn't a big deal & they let him through but i guess they can ask if they want....

Normally not, but i have been asked once to show my return ticket.

I've never been asked for it by immigration authorities at DEL or BOM on arrival; and even if I were to be asked a few times this year, it wouldn't amount to me being asked even 1% of the time.

There was a spike in asking, but that was when India was still cracking down on the number of uses of any given visitor visa within a rather short monthly period unless the itinerary met specific conditions. Was it during that period when you were asked?

I've been asked (by passport control) for how long am I staying, but I've not been asked (by passport control) for an itinerary as a condition of being admitted.

About to book one-way flight LAX-JFK-BOM on a 30-day tourist visa. Does anyone know if this is still true?

Just entered India on a last minute emergency trip with a one way ticket yesterday, no questions asked.

Sorry to hear this Oliver!

But don't you have an OCI or PIO, which would negate that requirement?

I have a PIO indeed. Hmm... I'll ask the immigration officer sometime late this week when I go back. (My mother is recovering surprisingly well)

Glad to hear the mother is recovering well.

Even without OCI/PIO, US citizens with Indian tourist visas are still flying in and being admitted with one-way tickets. Most of my own tourist visa entries into India are on one-way tickets. Indian officials never ask me for any proof of onward travel. Most of my EU/EEA relatives still fly into India on one-way tickets.

Really glad to hear that! ^

Glad to hear it, oliver2002. May her continued recovery be swift and painless.

Will be in India in the next three days. I'm a ball of nerves because you never forget your first time. Plus, I haven't booked the hotel room yet :)

no. you don't need

Update: I can confirm that, with my 30-day e-Tourist Visa, I did not need to show anyone any evidence of having a return flight booked...which is good since I don't have one! I will be leaving India well before the 30 days elapses, and will fly from Mumbai to Singapore, then Singapore to Sydney, before taking Virgin Australia from Sydney back home to Los Angeles.

Getting the e-Tourist Visa was one of the most convenient experiences I have ever had. They say they issue it within 72 hours, but I got mine in less than 24 hours. If you can use it, do it.