Can International Students Join a 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training in Goa?

If you are planning a teacher training from abroad, the real questions are practical: the visa, the flight, the money and the first morning in the shala. We are Alpesh Yoga, a school at Arambol Beach in North Goa, so this guide describes our own course. Where a question belongs to the Indian government rather than to us, we send you to the official source instead of guessing.

Can international students join a 200 hour yoga teacher training in Goa?

Yes: a 200 hour yoga teacher training in Goa is open to students of any nationality, and at Alpesh Yoga our graduates come from 40+ countries. The school was founded in 2014 and is a Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga School (ID 6903). That registration is what matters when you go home: graduates of the 200 hour course can register as RYT 200 with Yoga Alliance, which is the credential studios in many countries ask for.

The course is led by founder Alpesh Patwari, who has 22+ years of teaching behind him, 21 of them teaching alignment. He is one of the most experienced alignment teachers working today, and the training reflects it: precise cues, props such as blocks, belts, bolsters and chairs, and hands-on adjustments, balanced each afternoon by a Hatha Vinyasa Flow practice. You can read the full course outline on the 200 hour yoga teacher training in Goa page.

Do I need a visa to study yoga in Goa?

Most nationalities need a visa to enter India, and the only reliable place to check the current rules for your passport is the official Indian e-Visa site. We deliberately do not quote visa categories, fees, validity periods or processing times here. They differ by nationality and they change, and a wrong answer on a blog is worse than no answer.

When you open the official site, these are the questions worth answering for yourself before you book a flight:

• Eligibility. Is your passport eligible for the e-Visa, or do you need to apply another way?
• Category. Which visa category fits a short, residential course at a private yoga school?
• Timing. How far ahead can you apply, and how long does processing take for your nationality right now?
• Validity and entries. How long is the visa valid, from which date, and how many entries does it allow?
• Arrival. Is the airport you plan to land at listed as an accepted entry point for your visa?
• Passport. What remaining validity and blank pages does your passport need?

Two practical points from our side. First, we suggest applying once we have confirmed your seat, so the dates you give match the course you are actually taking, and not leaving it to the final fortnight. Second, type the government address yourself rather than clicking the first search result: some sites that look official are private agents that add their own charges. Visa costs are yours, and they are not part of the course fee.

Which airport should I fly into for Arambol?

Fly into Manohar International Airport at Mopa (GOX) if you can, because it is in North Goa and much closer to Arambol than Dabolim (GOI), which sits further south. Either airport works. From many countries you will connect once on the way, usually through a Gulf hub or a large Indian city such as Mumbai or Delhi, before the final leg into Goa.

Help arranging your airport pickup is part of the course. Once your seat is confirmed, send us your flight details and we will sort the transfer, so you are not negotiating a taxi after a long journey. If your schedule allows, land a day before the course begins. The first morning is easier when you have slept off the flight.

How do payment, money and cards work for international students?

All our course fees are quoted in US dollars, and you never pay the full fee before you arrive. After we confirm your seat, a 30% deposit holds it: $210 on the course-only price or $330 on the with-stay price. The balance is paid in cash or by transfer when you arrive. The deposit is not refundable, but it is fully transferable to any batch within 12 months if your plans change; the details are in our refund policy.

The course fee covers tuition, your manual and props, the welcome and graduation ceremonies and your certificate, and the with-stay price adds a room near the beach and three vegetarian meals a day. You pay separately for flights and travel to the campus, indian visa fees, travel insurance, personal expenses and excursions.

For day-to-day spending, a few habits make life easier for anyone arriving from abroad:

• Tell your bank you are travelling, so your card is not blocked the first time you use it in India.
• Carry two cards on different networks, kept in different places, in case one is lost or declined.
• Arrive with some cash in Indian rupees, or a plan for getting it, for your first day of small purchases.
• Ask us how to pay the balance before you travel, so you know whether to bring cash or arrange a transfer.
• Get a local SIM. Mobile data works well in Arambol, and Wi-Fi is available at the accommodation.

When is the season for yoga teacher training in Goa?

Our Goa season runs from November to April, and that is when every 200 hour batch in Arambol takes place. December to March brings dry, sunny days that suit morning practice; pack light clothes, swimwear, sunscreen and one warmer layer for the evenings. From June to September Goa is in monsoon and we do not teach there. If those are the only months you can travel, the same course runs at our Himalayan campus in Dharamshala from May to September.

We do not print batch dates in blog posts, because they are kept up to date in one place. See every current start date and fee on Dates & Prices.

Is the yoga teacher training taught in English?

Yes: the whole training is taught in English, including lectures, practice teaching and the final assessment. You do not need perfect English, but you do need enough to follow anatomy and philosophy sessions, give clear cues out loud to a group, and complete a written and practical assessment. If English is your second language, a useful test is whether you could follow a 60-minute class and then explain one pose back to a friend in English. If that feels hard, spend a few weeks practising with English-language classes online before you come.

What is it like to train with students from 40+ countries?

Training in a group drawn from many countries changes how you teach: you learn to cue bodies, habits and backgrounds that are not like your own. Groups are small, at around fifteen seats, which is what makes daily hands-on correction possible. Most of our students arrive solo, many of them women, and Arambol is a long-established traveller village where the shala is minutes from the accommodation and our team is reachable on WhatsApp throughout.

The training day follows the same timetable throughout, six days a week:

• 07:00 – 08:00 Self-study and self-practice
• 08:30 – 10:15 Alignment
• 10:30 – 11:30 Break
• 11:30 – 12:30 Yoga philosophy
• 12:30 – 14:00 Anatomy, teaching methodology and alignment
• 14:00 – 14:30 Lunch
• 14:30 – 16:00 Homework and rest
• 16:00 – 16:30 Karma yoga
• 16:30 – 18:00 Vinyasa flow practice
• 18:00 – 19:30 Break and free time
• 19:30 Dinner

You can read what past students from many countries say, in their own words, on our testimonials page.

How do I apply from abroad?

Applying from abroad takes a few minutes and no payment, and the steps run in a sensible order for international travel:

1. Choose a batch on Dates & Prices and fill in the short form on our application page.
2. We confirm your seat within 24 hours. No money is taken before this.
3. Pay the 30% deposit to hold your seat.
4. Apply for your visa on the official Indian e-Visa site, using your confirmed course dates.
5. Book your flights into Mopa (GOX) or Dabolim (GOI), and send us the details so we can help arrange your pickup.
6. Pay the balance in cash or by transfer when you arrive in Arambol.

Questions before you commit are welcome. Message us on WhatsApp or email alpeshyoga67@gmail.com, and ask whatever you need to feel sure.

Who should choose a different course?

An honest guide should say who this is not right for. Look elsewhere, or wait, if any of these fits you:

• You are not yet comfortable learning in English. A month of anatomy and teaching practice in a second language you are unsure of is hard work.
• You can only travel between June and September. Goa is in monsoon then; consider our Dharamshala campus instead.
• You want a fast, workout-style class as the core of your training. Our method holds poses and refines them, deliberately.
• You cannot stay for the whole course. Certification depends on completing the contact hours, so plan to be there from the first day to the last.