How to apply for Indian Visa: Important information & step-by-step guide

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If you are planning to travel to India, looking for procedure and important information about how to apply for Indian Visa, you are at the correct page.

This article includes:

1- Procedure for filling up online application form, step by step guide.

2-How to check status of visa.

3-Important information to be kept in mind when applying for Indian visa.

4-Introduction to Services of e-Visa.

5-Eligibility for applying e-services and Documents required for e-visa.

6-Visa Processing Time.

7-Criteria for the photograph to be uploaded.

8-Visa category and Visa provision in India.

You should have proper international travel document in the form of a national passport with a valid visa obtained from an Indian Mission. Follow below mentioned steps for applying India Visa.

Procedure for filling up online application form:

The below procedure is meant for those foreigners who are applying for visa from outside India

#1  Apply for the Indian Visa through Online application link given below.

click here to fill application form- https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/Registration

Note that application form is meant for those foreigners who are applying for visa from outside India.

#2  If you are traveling in group, each individual has to fill separate application.

#3  Furnish information exactly in the manner asked for in the forms, especially the names, address and date of birth.

#4  It is strongly recommended to verify the application details before submitting the online application form.

#5  Applicant  can save the form and submit later if any changes required meanwhile.

#6  Once the online application form is submitted by the applicant, then further modifications are not allowed.

#7  After filling the form and submitting it, the system shall automatically generate a Application Id. Applicants are requested to keep this Application Id for further communications with the concerned Indian Mission.

#8  After submitting form successfully get the signed physical copy of the online application form, and submit it to the concerned Indian Visa Application Center (IVAC) or directly to Indian Mission/ Post on the scheduled date of interview.

#9  System will automatically ask the Applicant for the following confirmation: “Select ‘Yes’ if the applicant want to seek appointment and make payment online or ‘No’ if the applicant just want to print the submitted application form.”

#10  If the applicant response is “No”, then it is requested by the applicant to take the print out of the submitted online application form and approach the concerned Indian Mission for submission of the online form along with supporting documents.

#11 If the response from applicant is “yes” then the system automatically takes the link to perform the following:

a) Selection of Date and Time of appointment at the concerned Indian Mission
b) Calculation of Visa fee, service charge, VAT etc. as applicable according to the Visa type

#12  ePayment using service provider’s payment system is available for few countries only. Wherever the said facility is not available, it is requested to kindly submit the application submission fees to either the out sourcing agency or to the Mission directly along with the supporting documents.

#13  It is strongly recommended do not forget to carry supporting document and the passport to the IVAC or Indian Mission on the scheduled date of interview.

#14 If allotted time doesn’t suits to applicant, s/he can schedule the appointment as per his/ her convenience with the concerned Indian Mission.

#15  Each applicant has to schedule a separate appointment with the Indian Mission.

How to check Status of Visa:

If you have already applied online for Indian Visa online and want to know the status of your application, please follow the link for Visa Inquiry : https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/StatusEnquiry

Important Information for Regular Indian Visa application:

#1 This site is best viewed in Mozilla Firefox,Google Chrome,Internet Explorer (Windows) version 9.0 and above.

#2 The applicant must also have Adobe Acrobat Reader version 7.0 or higher installed on your PC in order to download and print the completed application form.

#3 The applicant should use either an Ink-Jet or Laser printer to print the completed Visa Application forms once submitted online.

#4 Once the form is filled and submitted, it is requested to submit the signed physical copy of online application form along with the supporting documents and the passport to the concerned Indian Mission on the scheduled appointment date.

#5 In either case no hand written application form will be accepted by any of the Indian Mission/ Post, where-ever online Visa facility has been implemented.

#6 Fee for Indian Visa depends upon the type of applied for and duration of visa.

#7 During the online registration process, at the end of the process the basic fee shall be displayed. However, this fee shall be indicative only and final fee shall be charged while submitting the application at the respective counters.

#8 Fee once received are non refundable even if the visa application is withdrawn, the visa is not granted, or if visa issued is of shorter duration of period than applied for or otherwise issued or returned at a time or on terms and conditions that may vary from those sought by the applicant.

#9 If visa is for more than 180 days, registration is compulsory within 14 days’ of arrival in India.

e-Visa Services:

services of e-Visa is introduced which involves completely online application for which no facilitation is required by any intermediary / agents etc. It is advised not to believe or fall in trap of any such unscrupulous elements who claim speedy/express grant of e-Visa and charge money for it.

Eligibility for applying e-services:

  • International Travelers whose sole objective of visiting India is recreation , sight seeing , casual visit to meet friends or relatives, short duration medical treatment or casual business visit.
  • Passport should have at least six months validity from the date of arrival in India. The passport should have at least two blank pages for stamping by the Immigration Officer.
  • International Travelers should have return ticket or onward journey ticket,with sufficient money to spend during his/her stay in India.
  • International Travelers having Pakistani Passport or Pakistani origin may please apply for regular Visa at Indian Mission.
  • Not available to Diplomatic/Official Passport Holders or Laissez-passer travel document holders.
  • Not available to individuals endorsed on Parent’s/Spouse’s Passport i.e. each individual should have a separate passport.
  • Not available to International Travel Document Holders.

 

The documents required for e-Visa are :

For e-Tourist Visa: Scanned Bio Page of the passport showing the Photograph and Details.

For e-Medical Visa: Scanned Bio Page of the passport showing the Photograph and Details and copy of Letter from the Hospital concerned in India on its letterhead

For e-Business Visa: Scanned Bio Page of the passport showing the Photograph and Details and copy of Business Card.

For e-Business Visa visiting “To deliver lecture/s under Global Initiative for Academic Networks (GIAN)”: Scanned Bio Page of the passport showing the Photograph and Details. Invitation of the host institute to the foreign faculty and copy of the sanction order under GIAN issued by the National Coordinating Institute viz. IIT Kharagpur. Copy of the synopsis of the courses to be taken up by the faculty.

Visa Processing Time:

Upon receipt of the Visa Application through Indian Visa Application Center or directly, the Indian Mission/ Post requires a minimum of three working days to process the case and issue a visa depending upon the nationality and excluding special cases.

Criteria for the photograph to be uploaded:

The digital photograph to be uploaded along with the Visa application should meet the following requirements:

#1 Format – JPEG
#2 Size
Minimum 10 KB
Maximum 300 KB
#3 The height and width of the Photo must be equal.
#4 Photo should present Full face, front view, eyes open.
#5 Center head within frame and present full head from top of hair to bottom of chin.
#6 Background should be plain light colored or white background.
#7 No shadows on the face or on the background.
#8 Without borders.
#9 Make sure that photo presents full head from top of hair to bottom of chin. Head should measure 1 inch to 1-3/8 inches (25mm to 35mm). Make sure eye height is between 1-1/8 inches to 1-3.

 

Visa category in India and Visa Provision

Government of India issues the following visas:
e-Visa, Business Visa, Conference Visa, Diplomatic Visa, Employment Visa, Emergency Visa, Entry Visa, Journalist Visa, Medical Visa, Missionaries Visa, Permit to re-enter within 2 months, Research Visa, Student Visa, Tourist Visa, Transit Visa,Intern Visa,Film Visa.

Visa Provision:

Important links :

https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/Registration

https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/PrintApplication

https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html

https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html

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