Nearly all visitors need to apply for a visa before traveling to India (apart from citizens of Nepal, Maldives and Bhutan)  Sadly the process can be tedious and over the recent months new developments have made it even more confusing, especially for UK passport holders. From statutory biometric testing and finger printing to visas on arrival! What’s going on!?

I’ve just applied for my third Indian visa in as many years, each time the process has been slightly different but equally confusing, so I thought it was about time I guided you through the process of how to apply for a tourist visa to visit India.

Please bear in mind this is from the point of view of a British / UK passport holder (and this is just my experience – guidelines may change, requirements and processes for other nationalities are different) I cannot comment on the process for other nationalities.
Despite the frustrations with the visa process it will be worth it! India probably the most incredible place to travel in the world!

So what’s going on and how do you get a visa to visit India?

UK  passport holders must apply for a visa before visiting India. Some important things to note before you start is that Indian tourist visas are valid from the date of issue not the date of your entry to India so being prepared and applying months in advance will waste the time on your visa.

What about getting an Indian visa on arrival ?

There has been a lot of talk about India introducing Visa on Arrival! Horay! This would be a great step towards increasing tourism in India but the visa on arrival is deceptive – it is more an electronic travel authority. You must still apply for the visa before arriving by filling out an online application form (at least 4 days before you travel) and paying a fee.  You then collect your visa on arrival at one of the major airports in India. The E Tourist Visa is only valid for 30 days (and with so much to see, so much diversity and the challenges of traveling in India  1 month is nowhere near enough time)

Big News! As of 15th August 2015 British and Irish Citizens will now be eligible for the E Tourist Visa!  They join citizens from the USA, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, most European countries are eligible to apply for the ETV. A total of 113 countries are now eligible and the scheme will now operate at 17 airports making it much easier to visit India for a short visit. The ETV will cost $60 (about £39) but it is only valid for 30 days, is not extendable or convertible and you can only apply for 2 ETVs in one year but not be required to send off your passport and wait for 2 weeks for the visa to be processed will make a quick holiday to India much easier.

You can see more information and apply for an E Tourist Visa to India online here

So how do you apply for a 6 month Indian tourist visa

Most tourists visit India on a 6 month visa. If you want to visit India for longer than 1 month (which I highly recommend as there is so much to see in this huge, diverse country and not a place you can rush) then you will still need to apply for a visa by sending away your application and passport.
The process has been outsourced to VFS Global, the website and instructions for applying for the visa are confusing to say the least. To make the process easier you can use an agency like Visa HQ but you will pay a service charge for the pleasure.

Which Indian visa to apply for?

Basically most British citizens travel to India on a tourist visa valid for 3 or 6 months, you can get single, double or multiple entry. You may as well go for a 6 month multiple entry visa because the price and process for apply is still the same. However, the High Commission of India do not always give you the exact length and entries of visa that you have asked for.

How much does a tourist visa for India cost for a UK national?

A tourist visa for India costs £82 for UK passport holders. But then after you add on other processing fees, the cost for postage and to get special passport photos taken the total cost for applying for an Indian tourist visa adds up to £110 in total.  The fee is also non-refundable—even if your application is denied the fee is not refunded.

So can I apply online, through the post or do I need to attend an appointment and submit biometrics or fingerprints?

The most confusing thing is that it is hard to find information that tells you how to apply by post as all the information on the website seems to say that you need to make an appointment to physically go to London and apply for the visa in person. In March 2015 it was announced that:
Seriously! What a way to encourage tourism! As much as I love India I can see why people would choose to visit somewhere like Thailand or Sri Lanka to save this kind of hassle and expense. After searching around the net and in forums a bit more I am relieved to find that actually Biometric data collection has not been introduced and applications can still be received through post/courier but need an additional processing time of at least two weeks.
So it seems like the plans to make attending an appointment and submitting fingerprints and biometric data appear to have been shelved for a while thankfully. But, it could have been made a little clearer, on the website.

How to apply for an Indian visa by post

The first mission is working out where to start the application and where to find the online application form, to save you the trouble here is the link. Click on this and then click on the red tab that says ‘regular visa application’ – https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/info1.jsp
The first hurdle to over come is which ‘mission’ you select. All postal applications are only being accepted in Hounslow so pick UK London but if you did find it more convenient to attend an appointment there are several other offices across the UK.
Then continue to fill out the ridiculously long form – I’ve never been asked so many questions from my religion, education, any visible identification marks, occupation, place of birth of mother and father and whether my grandparents were born in Pakistan, details of previous visits to India and the previous visa number and all the countries that I have visited in the last 10 years.

References for applying for an Indian Visa

The form also asks you for a reference in India – if you don’t have any friends in India you can use a hotel or tour company as a reference. If you haven’t booked a hotel yet (because you are still figuring out how to get a damn visa!?) you could always book provisionally on Booking.com and cancel or change the booking later. Or just pick a hotel as I doubt that they even check the reference anyway.  Then a reference in the UK – I always just use my Mum!

Once you have answered all the questions, confirm the details. It then gives you your application number – it’s a good idea to make a note of this as the website can crash – if you have the application number you can log back in, if not you’ll have to start again.
Then you need to print off the application form. Make sure you sign it in the right places (on both pages) and attach the right size photos. You also need to print off and include a signed declaration form. You can find that here – http://in.vfsglobal.co.uk/pdf/Declaration.pdf

Photos for Indian Tourist Visa Application

The Indian visa application also requires 2 passport photos but they are a different sized passport photo to normal UK passport photos – 50mm x 50mm, the same size as USA passport photos so you can quite easily get these done in most photo booths for £4.99 for 4 or a specialised photography shop in the UK. You can also check the specifications and take a photo yourself and upload a photo to the application for a service cost of £10 or you can get them printed out at Boots for less than £1.
It’s a good idea to get some extra ones because you will need them if you want to get a sim card for your mobile phone. See more on this (also overally complicated process) on how to get a Sim Card in India

How to submit the visa application

Click on the button to ‘make appointments and payments’ and select your mode of submission – either you want to make an appointment or send by post. Then go to the tab at the top – ‘Visa Fee and Pay Details’ and you can make the payment. The payment page looks a bit dodgy but I’ve never had any problems with it.
Money Saving Tip – Watch out for the extras. Untick the extra charges for uploading a photo and delivery. VFS will ask you for £14.95 per application to return your passport instead, when you go to the Post Office to send off your application (I always send mine special delivery)  get another special delivery, prepaid envelope and self address it – this should cost only £7.25. Half the price!

Where to send your India visa application

• Printed and signed application form
• Declaration form
• Passport
• 2 sized passport photos
• Return signed delivery envelope

Don’t send it to the address on the top of your application form – send it to:

How long does the Indian visa take to process?

Officially it states that it takes a minimum of 2 weeks. I’ve had mine come back in anything from less than a week to a bit over 2 weeks, so allow enough time but remember it’s valid from the date of issue not the date of entry.
You should get an email or text saying something along the lines of ‘a decision has made on your application … your processed application is ready for collection or courier’ Once you get this your passport should be back with you in the next few days after that. You will not know until you open the post whether your visa has been granted or refused or if it has been granted for the full amount of time and number of entries you have asked for.

Do I need another permit?

Until late 2012 you were not allowed to leave and renter India within 2 months (you had to wait 2 months even if your visa was still valid!?) To enter without the gap of 2 months you had to apply for a permit to re-enter and to get this had to compile an itinerary for the whole trip. Thankfully this is no longer required and that restriction has been lifted.
However, certain restricted areas including most of the states in the far North East, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and some border areas still require permits. Usually you can only obtain these through going with a travel agency or on a tour.

Incredible India will be worth it!

As with everything in India really, the visa process requires a bit of patience and persistence but you will be richly rewarded. Just remember how incredible India is! It is a country like no where else on earth, it will challenge, enchant, surprise, captive and transform you! It will be worth it!