India Pakistan Trade Unit - India Visa Information

Visitors in India need visa to enter the country unless they are Indian citizen. Non resident Indians that hold citizenship of another country are also required to obtain visas before arriving in India. Visa should be obtained from the Indian embassy or consulate in the applicant's home country. Special permits are required for visiting the Andaman and Nicobar islands, Bhutan, Lakshadweep, remote northern states and Sikkim.

Foreign nationals who does not reside permanently in India, but who are regularly employed with Indian firms or companies on a monthly salary, are permitted to make recurring remittance of their salaries to their home countries for family maintenance. Authorized dealers are instructed to allow foreign nationals to make this remittance, up to 75% of the net salary (after deduction of a contribution to a retirement benefit plan and tax payable) after verifying that the foreigners hold valid employment visas. However, for foreign nationals holding valid employment visas, remittances in excess of 75% may be made, provided the foreign national has received perquisites in India, such as free housing, conveyance and medical care, and provided his or her family (spouse and children) is resident outside India.

General Visa Requirements

Visas can be applied for in person or by post at the High Commission of India in London. Visa applications from persons not ordinarily residing in the UK or from people of Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan origin are considered only in the High Commission of India, London and Consulate General of India, Birmingham and their processing may take one week or in some cases much longer. Applicants not ordinarily resident in the UK and Sri Lankan nationals are required to complete an additional form. Pakistani and Bangladeshi nationals have to file special visa application forms.

Visitors to restricted/protected areas need special permits and for this purpose an additional form has to be completed. Please contact the High Commission of India, London if you wish to ascertain whether any of the places you intend to visit fall in the category of restricted/protected areas.

All types of visa application forms can be obtained free of charge in any of the following ways:

Collected from the India Place window of the High Commission of India at Aldwych, London from 8.30 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. and from 2.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m. Mondays to Fridays, except holidays (click here for the official holiday list). However, for processing of visa applications at the counters, queue numbers are issued to applicants only between 8.30 a.m. and 12.00 noon.
Downloaded from this Site http://www.hcilondon.net/services/visa-download.html
Obtained through fax back service - please dial 0. (To use this service, you need to dial the number from an ordinary telephone, follow instructions and you must have a fax machine on which you can receive the form returned by the High Commission.)
Obtained through the post by sending a stamped self-addressed envelope to the Visa Section of the High Commission of India at India House, Aldwych, London, WC2B 4NA.
Please ensure that your letters sent to us also have your full address (sender's address) clearly written down on the envelope.

Specific visas are granted for a variety of purposes. The principal types of visas issued are Tourist Visa, Business visa, Student and employment visa and Entry visa. Please contact the High Commission of India for further details if you are visiting India for purposes other than tourism, such as journalism, conferences, yoga, voluntary work, mountaineering or other expeditions. The visa application form is, however, the same. Separate forms are available for Pakistani and Bangladeshi Nationals.

Visa Application

Tourist Visa

Tourist visa are valid for only six months, usually beginning on the date the visa was issued and not on the date of entry into India. Tourist visas are usually multiple-entry visas: however this option should be specifically requested at the time of application. Multiple entry business visa for short-term are issued to those visiting India on business for periods of no longer than six months.

Transit Visa

The validity of the Transit visa will be 3 months from the date of issue, for a single Entry only. However stay in India should not exceed 15 days from date of arrival. Evidence of onward travel to a destination outside India is required.

Business Visa

Business Visas are normally granted for three or six months. However, multiple-entry Business Visas for up to two years validity may be granted to technicians/experts going to India in pursuance of bilateral agreements or joint venture projects having government approval.

Employment Visa

are issued to individuals entering India for the purpose of employment. They are valid from 2 to 5 year and allows the remittance of salaries earned locally.

An employment visa

may be obtained in the home country more rapidly than in India, where the visa application process may take longer than two months.

Foreign nationals need residence permits to reside in India for longer than six months. Residence permits are valid for one to two years and are renewable. Renewed permits are valid for one to two years.

To obtain these permits, all foreign nationals are required to register with the local police authorities within two weeks after their date of arrival if they intend to stay for more than six months, as mentioned in the Registration of Foreigners rule of 1939. they need to present as well the following documents in quadruplicate:

The original of the passport is also required at the time of filling for verification by the authorities.

Visa Fees

Visa fees are non-refundable and subject to change without notice. The High Commission reserves the right on granting and deciding type/duration of visa irrespective of the fees tendered at the time of making application. Granting of visa does not confer the right of entry to India and is subject to the discretion of the Immigration Authorities.

Tourist Visa	Fee £30.00, this is a short duration visa for the purpose of holiday or visiting relatives.
Business Visa*	Fee £30.00, valid up to 6 months, £50.00 for 1 year and £90.00 for 2 years. A letter explaining the nature of business and duration from UK company and a letter of invitation from an Indian company should be submitted.
Conference Visa	Fee £30.00 valid for 3 months, Single Entry. A letter of invitation from the conference organiser should be submitted.
Transit Visa	Fee £8.00 (Single/Double Entry), valid for halts of up to 72 hours within 15 days from date of issue. This visa is issued only for changing of flights en route to another country. Evidence of onward travel outside India is required.
Entry Visa*	Fee £90.00, valid for 5 years is issued to people of Indian origin only.
Long Term Visa*	Fee £90.00, valid for 5 years. This is a settlement visa for the people of Indian origin.
Journalist Visa	Fee £30.00, valid for three months, single entry. A letter from the employer should be submitted where applicable.
Employment Visa*	Fee £50.00, valid for one year. An employment contract signed by both the parties should be submitted.
Transfer of Visa	Fee £4.00, this is for transfer of five-year visa issued by this mission or other missions in UK, from an expired passport to a new passport. Both the expired and new passports have to be submitted in original along with a separate application form.

£15.00	To all applicants holding US passports.
£25.00	Applicants arriving to submit applications beyond Visa Counter hours (08:30-12:00 hrs on working days) on emergency grounds.
£10.00	Non-UK passport holders. Proof of stay of at least one year required to be produced for exemption.
£30.00	Service charges for applicants holding Russian passports.
£5.00	Service charges for applicants holding Romanian passports.
£1.00	For all applications received by post

Note:

The fees above do not apply to applicants holding Japanese, Pakistani, Sri Lankan or Bangladeshi passports, or passports of countries that provide Gratis Visas to Indian passport holders.
Nationals of Japan are charged a fee of £6.00 for any type of visa for any duration, except for Transit Visas, which are issued to them for £0.75. There is no charge for transfer of long-term visas issued to Japanese nationals.
Nationals of Pakistan are charged a fee of £0.50.
Visa fees applicable to holders of Sri Lankan passports:

Business Visa	£3.00, single-entry valid for up to six months £8.00, multiple-entry valid for up to one year
Employment Visa	£3.00, single-entry valid for up to six months £6.00, multiple-entry valid for up to six months £8.00, multiple entry valid for up to one year
Transit Visa	£3.00, single or double entry
Tourist, Student, Conference and all other types of Visas	£3.00, single-entry valid for up to six months £6.00, multiple-entry valid for up to one year

Nationals of Afghanistan, Argentina, Bangladesh, Jamaica, Maldives, Mongolia, Mauritius, North Korea (DPRK), Poland, Slovak Republic, South Africa and Uruguay are not charged any visa fees. These applicants should contact the High Commission or its Birmingham or Edinburgh missions for further information.
Visa fees can be altered at short notice.
Visa fees are not refundable.

High Commission Contact details

Indian visas can be obtained in the UK from the High Commission of India, London or other Consulates at the addresses mentioned below:

Working Hours: Queue numbers are issued to visa applicants between 8.30 a.m. and 12.00 noon Mondays to Fridays, except holidays

Consulate General of India, Birmingham
20 Augusta Street
Jewellery Quarter, Hockley
Birmingham, B18 6JL
Please contact the Consulate for the current working hours for Visa Services
Tel: 0

Consulate General of India, Edinburgh
17 Rutland Square
Edinburgh, EH1 2BB
Please contact the Consulate for the current working hours for Visa services
Tel: 0