IMPORTANT INFO WHEN APPLYING FOR AN INDIAN VISA
Applying for a travel visa is an important task that requires meeting all the objectives and requirements that the country has in place for those nationals from the origin country. India is a remarkable country, unique in many ways, which offers many sights, places, and people of interest. Since the Government of India introduced the e-Tourist visa which can be applied for entirely from home in 3 simple steps, it is now much easier for the nationals of the many eligible countries to access e-Visa services to travel to India.
Nationals of most countries are eligible for the electronic e-Tourist visa to enter India for pleasure or tourism purposes for short stays without the need to consult an Indian Consulate. This E- tourist Visa is electronic and does not appear in the passport in the form of a stamp or label. The e-Visa is issued via email and must be printed out and carried on the applicant for the duration of the stay in India.
The Government of India issues various types of travel visas depending on the reason for the foreign national’s visit to India, of which the e-Visa is admissible for short stay tourist, business, conference and medical reasons only. Longer stay and employment visas, among others, require a regular visa, which necessitates an interview with the applicable Indian Consulate and processing through an agency.
Indian Visa Application
General information for visa application varies depending on the nature and duration of the visit to India. To enter India, a passport valid for 6 months after the date of arrival in India is required which must have at least two empty pages.
Application for an e-Visa must be made between 4 and 120 days prior to a short stay of up to 60-days with entry into India by air or sea through the designated airports and seaports only. The e-Visa is valid for 365 days from the date that the visa is granted. Immigration Officials check the biometrics of the visa holder on arrival in India. The applicant’s passport must have two pages available for the official to stamp it accordingly on arrival and departure.
Applications for a regular visa require an interview with an Indian Consulate, and it is normal for the processing to be outsourced to a Visa Application Center (VAC). The application process for a regular visa may take a week or so rather than days, and submissions should, therefore, be made accordingly.
Where & How to Apply for an Indian Visa Online
For regular visas, visa application centers are used by the Indian Consulates to process submissions. The first step is to apply online and make sure that all the required documentation and information is available. Applicants are required to print out the fully and correctly completed application to be submitted to the Visa Application Centre (VAC). The information provided must be exactly the same as in the passport to avoid potential rejection. An appointment is scheduled once payment is made, and all supporting documents must be taken to this interview, including proof of residency, signed the application and recent passport type color photograph, signed additional particulars form, passport, payment receipt, and visa checklist.
The e-Visa is admissible for short stay tourist, business, conference, and medical reasons only. The online procedure is the same for every type of e-Visa as the mandatory preliminary step to applying for a visa to India. Indian Visa Online can assist in the simple 3-step process.
The online application for both regular and e-Visas requires the submission of the following documentation:
- Scanned first page of passport in PDF format
- A square digital photograph in JPEG format which meets all the stipulated specifications.
An automatically generated application ID is supplied after successful application online, to be conveniently used to track progress and communicate with the Agency.
General Information for Visa Application:
The most important part of applying for a visa to India is complete transparency and honesty. All information provided must comply with the passport to be used to enter India. Nationals of certain countries are not required to hold an Indian visa while others are not eligible for the online e-Visa and may be redirected to apply for a regular visa during the online application. Any person holding dual citizenship should include the passport number, country, and dates of validity of the applicable passport. A business invitation letter must accompany applications for a business visa to enter India. By simply following all the instructions provided during the application process and proceeding according to the drop-down menu, the application will go smoothly. Answer all the questions in full. Always be sure to check the application and attach all requested additional information before submitting to avoid rejection or delays in the process.
