Guide
Documents required for a visa from India: US, UK, Schengen, Canada and Australia
- Passport
- 6 months for the US and Canada, 3 months after leaving Schengen
- Bank statements
- 3 months for Germany and Australia, 6 for Canada
- Insurance
- Required for Schengen, at least EUR 30,000
Every country sets its own list, but five things come up for all of them. Here is that core, then what the US, the UK, Schengen countries, Canada and Australia each add, from their own official pages.
A real moment
“The visa centre slot is on Monday. The checklist wants bank statements stamped by the bank, a leave letter on letterhead and two years of ITR acknowledgements, and it is Saturday night.”
Every visitor visa asks for a valid passport, an online application form, proof you can pay for the trip (usually bank statements), proof you will come back, such as a leave letter, and sponsor papers if someone else pays. Passport validity, statement periods and booking rules differ by country.
The checklist
What to have ready
Last checked against the official sources on 26 September 2026
Every destination
- PassportValid for the whole trip, and longer for some countries. Keep your old passports too.
- Online application formDS-160 (US), the UK's online form, the Schengen form, the IRCC Portal (Canada) or ImmiAccount (Australia).
- Proof you can pay for the tripUsually your own bank statements.
- Proof you will come backSuch as a letter from your employer about your job and your leave.
- Your sponsor's papersA letter from them and proof of their funds.Only if someone else is paying for your trip
Schengen (Germany's checklist for India)
- PassportValid 3 months after you leave, with 2 blank pages, and issued in the last 10 years.
- Travel medical insuranceAt least EUR 30,000, valid in every Schengen country for the whole stay. Germany accepts only approved Indian insurers.
- Bank statementsThe last 3 months, stamped by the bank. Passbook copies are not accepted.
- Pay slips, contract and leave letterThe last 3 months of pay slips, and your company's leave sanction letter.Only if you are employed
- Income tax returnsITR acknowledgements for the last two assessment years, or Form 16.
- Itinerary, flight reservation and hotel bookingsA reservation is enough: Germany says a bought ticket does not speed things up.
- Photo35 x 45 mm, white background, no older than 6 months.
Canada (New Delhi checklist)
- Passport, and every old oneValid at least 6 months from your travel date. Include all cancelled or expired passports.
- Family Information FormIMM 5707, completed, dated and signed.
- Income tax returns and bank statementsITRs for the past two years and 6 months of bank statements.
- Leave letterSigned, on company letterhead, with your position, salary and date of hire, dated within 3 months.Only if you are employed
- Itinerary with ticket and hotel bookingNew Delhi asks tourists for proof of both.
USA (B1/B2 visitor visa)
- PassportValid at least 6 months beyond your stay, unless your country is exempt.
- DS-160 confirmation pagePrinted, to bring to your interview.
- PhotoUploaded with the DS-160: 2 x 2 inches, taken in the last 6 months, no glasses.
- Fee receiptIf you paid the fee before the interview.
- Proof of purpose, ties and fundsMay be asked for. Proof of your job or family ties may be enough. No invitation letter is needed.
UK (Standard Visitor visa)
- PassportValid for your whole stay in the UK.
- Bank statementsShowing where the money came from. Statements more than a year old are less useful.
- Employer letterOn company letterhead, with your role, salary and how long you have worked there.
- Old passportsCopies showing your travel to other countries.
- Certified translationsFor any document not in English or Welsh.Only if a document is in another language
Australia (Visitor visa, subclass 600)
- Passport pagesThe pages with your photo, personal details, and issue and expiry dates. Renew it first if you need to.
- Bank statementsItemised personal statements covering 3 months. Pay slips and tax records also help.
- Employer letterSaying you plan to return to your job.
- Colour scans and translationsEvery document scanned in colour, with English translations of anything in another language.
Scan each paper once and DigiSafe ticks it off, shows what is still missing, and sends the lot as one PDF or one link.
Tick these off in DigiSafeThe core list every country shares
Passport rules, country by country
When to book tickets, and when not to
Passport
6 months for the US and Canada, 3 months after leaving Schengen
Bank statements
3 months for Germany and Australia, 6 for Canada
Insurance
Required for Schengen, at least EUR 30,000
Tickets
US and Australia: not before the visa
Five things every country asks for
A valid passport, an online application form, proof you can pay for the trip, proof you will come back, and your sponsor's papers if someone else is paying. Beyond that core, each country adds its own items, and the details are what trip people up.
Passport rules differ more than you think
The US wants your passport valid at least six months beyond your stay, and Canada six months from your travel date. Schengen wants three months after you leave, two blank pages, and a passport issued in the last ten years. The UK and Australia ask for a passport valid for your stay.
Bank statements and tax returns
Germany's Schengen checklist and Australia ask for three months of statements; Canada's New Delhi checklist asks for six, plus two years of ITRs. Germany also wants two years of ITR acknowledgements or Form 16. The US and UK set no period, and the UK finds statements more than a year old less useful.
To book, or not to book
The US says not to buy tickets until you have the visa, and Australia says not to arrange travel until it is granted. The UK calls flight and hotel bookings less useful as evidence. Germany wants a flight reservation, not a bought ticket. Canada's New Delhi checklist asks tourists for proof of an air ticket and a hotel booking.
Fingerprints and interviews
The US generally requires an interview and takes fingerprints. The UK takes fingerprints and a photo at the visa centre. Schengen countries take ten fingerprints and can reuse them for 59 months. Canada asks first-time applicants for biometrics, except under-14s and over-79s. Australia asks only if it needs them.
Step by step
- 1
Open the official visa page for your destination and note its list.
- 2
Open Packs in DigiSafe and choose Visa application.
- 3
Scan your passport's photo and address pages, and any old passports.
- 4
Add bank statements for the period your destination asks for.
- 5
Add your leave letter, pay slips and ITRs.
- 6
Send the set as one PDF, sized for the upload form.
Questions people ask
How many months of bank statements do I need for a visa?+
It depends on the country: 3 months for Germany's Schengen checklist and for Australia, and 6 months for Canada from New Delhi. The US and UK set no period, though the UK finds statements more than a year old less useful.
Should I book flights before I apply for a visa?+
Not for the US or Australia, which both say to wait for the visa. Germany wants a flight reservation, and says a bought ticket does not speed up the decision. Canada's New Delhi checklist asks tourists for proof of an air ticket and a hotel booking.
Is travel insurance compulsory for a visa?+
For a Schengen visa, yes: medical cover of at least EUR 30,000 for the whole stay, valid in every Schengen country. Australia strongly recommends health insurance. The US, UK and Canada pages we checked do not require it.
Do I need ITRs for a tourist visa?+
Germany's Schengen checklist asks for ITR acknowledgements for the last two assessment years, or Form 16, and Canada's New Delhi checklist asks for two years of ITRs. The US and UK visitor pages do not list them.
Where this comes from
Official sources, dated.
Every requirement on this page comes from the official pages listed here, last checked on 26 September 2026. Rules change and offices can ask for more, so check the official page before you go.
- 1US Department of State: Visitor visatravel.state.gov
- 2US Embassy India: Apply for a nonimmigrant visain.usembassy.gov
- 3US Department of State: Visa photo requirementstravel.state.gov
- 4GOV.UK: Apply for a Standard Visitor visagov.uk
- 5GOV.UK: Visiting the UK, guide to supporting documentsgov.uk
- 6EU Visa Code, Regulation (EC) 810/2009eur-lex.europa.eu
- 7German Missions in India: Schengen visa for tourismindia.diplo.de
- 8IRCC: Visitor visa, how to applycanada.ca
- 9IRCC: New Delhi visitor visa checklist (IMM 5881)ircc.canada.ca
- 10IRCC: Biometrics factscanada.ca
- 11Australian Home Affairs: Visitor visa (subclass 600), Tourist streamimmi.homeaffairs.gov.au
Read next
Passport documents
For most adults, a fresh passport comes down to two proofs: where you live now and when you were born.
Moving abroad checklist
Some papers you need in your first week abroad, and some only once in five years, usually when they are in a cupboard back in India.
Shrink to 100 KB or 200 KB
Upload forms reject files for being a few kilobytes too big, and then tell you nothing useful.
Do it in a minute, on your phone.
DigiSafe is free, encrypted on your device, and it works offline.