How to Plan Your Yoga Teacher Training in India From Abroad: Visa, Travel, Budget and Arrival

The short answer. Choose your batch two to three months ahead and pay the USD 100 deposit. Apply online for India's e-Tourist Visa, which lists "attending a short term yoga programme" as a permitted purpose, between 120 and 4 days before you fly. Land at a designated international airport such as Delhi (DEL), then take the domestic flight to Dehradun (DED), 45 minutes from the ashram, or a 6 to 7 hour taxi from Delhi. Arrive the day before your course: every room includes one day of early check-in.

This guide is for students coming from the USA, the UK, Canada, Australia, Europe and anywhere else outside India. It covers the practical side only: the visa, the route, the money, the packing and the paperwork after you graduate. For the softer side, such as food, culture shock and ashram life, read 20 things Western students wish they had known.

Every fact about Sri Yoga Ashram below comes from our own course pages. Every visa fact comes from the Government of India e-Visa website. Both were checked on 15 October 2026; rules and fares change, so confirm anything time-sensitive before you pay for it.

At a Glance: The Key Facts

Your Planning Timeline, Step by Step

1. Three months before: choose your course and month. Compare the six 200 hour pathways, or the 300 and 500 hour courses. Booking at least two months ahead (three for Ashtanga) gives you the early-bird fee.
2. Two to three months before: hold your place. Pay the USD 100 advance by PayPal, Wise or bank transfer. You receive a confirmation email. Check that your passport has at least six months' validity on the day you apply for the visa and two blank pages.
3. Six to eight weeks before: flights and insurance. Book a flight into Delhi or another designated e-Visa airport, plus the Delhi to Dehradun connection if you want it. Buy travel insurance that covers medical treatment. Ask a travel health clinic which vaccinations they recommend for northern India.
4. Four weeks before: apply for the e-Visa. You can apply from 120 days before arrival, and no later than 4 days before. Use only the official website. Save or print the approval and carry it with your return or onward ticket.
5. Two weeks before: send us your flight details. Tell us your arrival airport, date and time on WhatsApp or by email so we can arrange the pickup. Pack for the season (see below).
6. The day before the course: arrive and rest. Check in, unpack, walk down to the Ganga and sleep early. The first class starts early the next morning.
7. After graduation: register if you want to. Apply to Yoga Alliance online as an RYT, if your course leads to it, and keep your certificate safe.

Which Visa Do You Need for Yoga Teacher Training in India?

Most of our students use India's e-Tourist Visa. Its list of permitted purposes on the official e-Visa website includes "attending a short term yoga programme", alongside sightseeing and visiting friends. It is available to citizens of most countries, including the USA, UK, Canada, Australia and the EU, but the list changes, so check your nationality first.

• Choose a visa that covers your whole stay. The e-Tourist Visa comes as 30 days, 1 year or 5 years. The 30 day version counts from the day you first arrive in India, which covers the 25 day 200 hour and 27 day 300 hour courses with a few travel days. It does not cover the 57 day 500 hour course: for that, apply for the 1 year or 5 year e-Tourist Visa.
• It cannot be extended. The official site states that an e-Visa is non-extendable and non-convertible, so build in a margin before you book a return flight.
• Apply between 120 and 4 days before you arrive. We suggest about four weeks ahead, so there is time to correct a rejected photo or document.
• Passport: at least six months' validity when you apply, and two blank pages for the immigration stamp.
• Land at a designated airport. e-Visa holders must enter through one of the designated international airports. Delhi is one; Dehradun is not.
• Use the official site only. The Government of India warns that its website is the only official one and that agents may demand extra payment. Lookalike sites charge more for the same visa.
• Need a letter? If your application or your airline asks for proof of the course, we can send a booking confirmation or invitation letter.

Rules depend on your nationality and can change at short notice. Read the current conditions on the official e-Visa page before you buy a non-refundable flight.

How to Get From Delhi to Rishikesh

Sri Yoga Ashram is near the Post Office in Laxman Jhula, Rishikesh. There are three common ways to reach it from Delhi.

If you land late at night, it is sensible to stay near Delhi airport and take a morning flight to Dehradun. Tell us your plan and we will time the pickup to it.

What the Whole Trip Costs

The course fee at Sri Yoga Ashram already includes the three biggest costs of living in Rishikesh: tuition, a room and three vegetarian meals a day. Here is what to add for a 200 hour course.

For a wider comparison of what schools charge and why, read How Much Does Yoga Teacher Training in Rishikesh Cost?

What to Pack for the Month You Choose

All year: comfortable yoga clothes that cover shoulders and knees for town and temples (white is preferred for ceremonies), slip-on shoes, a towel (we can provide one), your own medicines, copies of your passport and visa, and a plug adapter: India uses type C, D and M sockets at 230 volts. Laundry is easy, so a week of clothes is enough.

Health, Safety and Insurance

• Travel insurance: take out a policy that covers medical treatment for the whole stay before you fly.
• Vaccinations: see a travel health clinic six to eight weeks before departure and follow their advice for northern India.
• Water: drink filtered water only. The ashram has RO purified water, so carry a refillable bottle.
• Food: meals are sattvic and vegetarian. Tell us about allergies, or vegan and gluten-free needs, when you book.
• Safety: Rishikesh is one of the more relaxed and welcoming places in India for travellers, and many of our students, including women, come on their own. Dress modestly, use the ashram's taxi or a registered taxi, avoid isolated ghats and forest paths after dark and keep your phone charged. The ashram is staffed around the clock.

For your own government's current advice on India, see the US State Department, the UK Foreign Office, the Government of Canada or Smartraveller for Australia.

Money, Cards and Staying Connected

• The advance: USD 100 by PayPal (USD 106 including PayPal's fee), Wise or bank transfer; students in Europe can pay the equivalent in euros. See payment options.
• The balance: paid when you arrive at the ashram.
• Cards and cash: bring a card that works abroad and some cash in rupees for small shops, cafes and rickshaws. Tell your bank you are travelling to India.
• Phone and internet: the ashram has Wi-Fi. If you want mobile data, you can buy an Indian SIM card with your passport and visa, or an eSIM before you fly.

Your Arrival and First Week

Arrive on the day before your course starts. One day of early check-in is included for every room, and Premium Twin Sharing and Private Room guests also get one day of late check-out. A typical day on the 200 hour course looks like this:

The timetable shifts a little with the seasons and the pathway you choose. Sundays bring guided trips such as Kunjapuri Temple at sunrise, Vasishtha Cave and the evening Ganga Aarti. Go to bed early in the first week, drink plenty of water and give your body a few days to adjust.

After You Graduate: Yoga Alliance and Teaching at Home

Sri Yoga Ashram is a Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga School. On the last day you receive the school's certificate. Registering as a teacher (RYT) is a separate, optional step that you take yourself:

1. Create an account on the Yoga Alliance website and choose the RYT 200 or RYT 500 credential.
2. Add your training: Sri Yoga Ashram as the school, with your course dates.
3. The school confirms your training to Yoga Alliance.
4. Pay the fees: USD 50 to apply and USD 65 a year, according to Yoga Alliance's fee page on 15 October 2026.

Not every course leads to RYT registration. The 200 hour training and its Ashtanga, Kundalini, Yin and Meditation pathways do, and the 300 hour course takes 200 hour teachers to RYT 500. The Yoga + Ayurveda Therapist Training has its own certificate instead. Studios, gyms and insurers in each country set their own rules, so read whether a certificate from India is valid in the USA, UK, Europe, Canada and Australia before you start teaching.

How to Check Any Yoga School in Rishikesh Before You Pay

Rishikesh has hundreds of yoga schools, and many search results are adverts written by the schools themselves. These ten checks work for any school, including ours. The right-hand column shows our own answer so you can compare like for like.

For the full checklist, with the questions to ask at each step, read how to choose the right yoga school in Rishikesh.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I do a yoga teacher training in India on an e-Tourist Visa?

India's e-Tourist Visa lists "attending a short term yoga programme" among its permitted purposes, and it is the visa most of our international students use for the 25 to 27 day courses. Apply only on the official site, indianvisaonline.gov.in, and check the rules for your nationality before you book flights, because they can change.

How far ahead should I book a yoga teacher training in Rishikesh?

Two to three months ahead is ideal. The early-bird fee needs a booking at least 2 months before the start date (3 months for the Ashtanga training), and the e-Visa can be requested between 120 and 4 days before you arrive.

Which airport is closest to Sri Yoga Ashram?

Dehradun's Jolly Grant Airport (DED) is about 45 minutes from the ashram by taxi. It only has domestic flights, so international students enter India at a designated airport such as Delhi (DEL) and connect to Dehradun or travel on by road.

How do I get from Delhi airport to Rishikesh?

Take a domestic flight from Delhi to Dehradun and a 45 minute taxi, or a taxi straight from Delhi airport, which takes 6 to 7 hours. The ashram arranges the Dehradun pickup for USD 20 (free with Premium Twin Sharing and Private rooms) and the Delhi pickup for USD 70. Trains from Delhi to Haridwar are the budget option.

How much does a yoga teacher training in Rishikesh cost in total?

At Sri Yoga Ashram the 200 hour course costs USD 699 to 1550 including tuition, a room and three vegetarian meals a day; the exact figure depends on the room and whether you book early. Add your flights, visa fee, travel insurance, the airport transfer and personal spending.

When is the best time of year for yoga teacher training in Rishikesh?

September to November and February to April are the most comfortable months. December to February is cold in the mornings and evenings (about 5 to 20 degrees Celsius), March to June is hot (up to about 40 degrees), and July to September is the monsoon.

Is Rishikesh safe for women travelling alone?

Rishikesh is one of the more relaxed and welcoming places in India for travellers, and many of our students, including women, come on their own. Take the usual precautions: dress modestly, use the ashram's taxi or a registered taxi, avoid isolated ghats and forest paths after dark and keep your phone charged.

Do I have to register with Yoga Alliance after the course?

No. Registration is optional and done online by you after the course. Many studios ask for it, so most graduates of the 200, 300 and 500 hour courses do register. Yoga Alliance lists a USD 50 application fee and USD 65 annual dues.

Sources

• Government of India, e-Visa (e-Tourist Visa) information: permitted purposes, visa lengths, the 4 to 120 day application window, passport rules, designated airports and the non-extendable rule.
• Yoga Alliance, standards and fees for RYT credentials: application fee and annual dues.
• Sri Yoga Ashram course, payment and accommodation pages: fees, inclusions, pickup prices, check-in, timetable and weather table.

Ready to choose your dates? See dates, room options and fees for the 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training in Rishikesh, or ask a teacher on WhatsApp which course suits you.