VISA INFORMATION FOR INDIA
We recommend starting your E-Visa application not earlier than 90 days before you are travelling. If your country requires offline Visa applications, please view the guidelines in the FAQs at the bottom of this page.
Visitors planning to attend RSVVW’24 should be aware of the visa requirements to enter Mumbai. We advise you to apply for a Conference Visa, however, please refer to the visa FAQs at the bottom of this page for all guidelines.
- Visa Application Process: To apply for a visa to India, visitors can submit their application online through the Indian government’s official visa portal or apply in-person at the nearest Indian embassy or consulate. Applicants will need to provide relevant documents, such as a passport, photograph, invitation letter from the conference organizers, and proof of financial means to support their stay in India.
- Letter of Invitation: Request your Letter of Invitation using the button below.
- Visa Validity: Conference visas are usually valid for up to 6 months, with a maximum stay of 180 days per visit. However, the actual duration of the visa depends on the discretion of the Indian authorities.
- E-visas: For certain nationalities, India also offers an e-visa option for short-term visits, including business trips and attending conferences. The e-visa application process is entirely online, and the visa is usually issued within 72 hours.
- Conference Clearance: A conference visa is a type of travel permit issued by the government of the country where you want to travel to attend the conferences. It allows foreign nationals to enter and stay within their country for a limited time period to participate in conference. The Conference Clearance will be coming soon. In case, you would like to extend your stay (for more than 30 days) it is advised to apply for a tourist visa.
Other requirements: Visitors should also ensure that they have valid travel insurance, necessary vaccinations, and follow COVID-19 protocols, including quarantine rules and testing requirements.
To summarise, visitors attending RSVVW’24 should apply for a Conference Visa (refer to the visa FAQs for all guidelines), provide relevant documents, and follow the visa application process carefully.
FAQs
Q01. How do I apply for an Indian Visa?
E-Visas for 166 Nationalities can be applied online on https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/Registration. Kindly check your Nationality on the above link (as per passport) to be eligible for E-Visa Application (Ref Page 02 on Indian E-Visa Guideline) for all Visa Types. If your country is not listed in the 166 countries, you will have to apply to the Local Indian Mission / Embassy for an offline Visa.
The documents required for completing the E-Visa application is indicated against each type of E-Visa. Please keep all these documents ready at hand before beginning to fill your eVisa application. All documents including Business cards, Invitation letters etc. must be in English language, failing which the application would be liable for rejection. The entire process may take between 15-20 minutes to complete the application and make the payment (dependent on a stable internet connection and readiness of documents).
Q02 Who is eligible for an E-Visa?
Below criteria needs to be met to be able to apply for an E-Visa for India:
- Nationals of countries listed on the E-Visa website https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/ are eligible to apply for E-Visa Services.
- Foreigners whose sole objective for visiting India is
(a) Recreation and sightseeing
(b) Casual visit to meet friends and relatives
(c) Attending short term yoga programme or short term courses on local languages, music, dance, arts & crafts, cooking, medicine etc. which should not be a formal or structured course/programme (courses not exceeding 6 months duration and not issuing a qualifying certificate/diploma etc. to the participants)
(d) Voluntary work of short duration (for a maximum period of one month, which do not involve any monetary payment or consideration of any kind in return)
(e) Medical treatment, including treatment under Indian systems of medicine
(f) As attendant to e-Medical visa holder 2
(g) Business purpose
(h) Attending a conference/ seminar/ workshop. - Passport should have at least six months validity at the time of making application for grant of E-Visa and a re-entry permit, if that is required under the law of the country of nationality of the applicant.
The passport should have at least two blank pages for stamping by the Immigration Officer. - The foreigner should have return ticket or onward journey ticket, with sufficient money to spend during his/her stay in India.
- Foreigners of Pakistani origin or having Pakistani Passport are not eligible for E-Visa. Foreigners who are not Pakistani nationals, but whose parents or grandparents (either paternal or maternal) was born in, or was permanently resident in Pakistan, are also not eligible for E-Visa. They may apply for regular Visa at Indian Mission.
- Not available to Diplomatic/Official Passport Holders or Laissez-passer/ international
travel document holders. - Not available to individuals endorsed on Parent’s/Spouse’s Passport i.e. each individual should have a separate passport.
Q03 Which Visa Category do I fall under/I need to apply for?
As a part of the RSVVW24 Conference we strongly suggest that delegates who are registered and accepted for the conference to select “Conference Visa” which can from the dropdown during the selection of visa type.
Q04 If I have a spouse, friend, family travelling along with me, but not attending the conference will he/she still be eligible for a Conference Visa?
No. In that case the accompanying person will have to make a fresh application as per his nationality for a E Tourist Visa.
Q05 Is there any other website / agent where I can apply for an Indian Visa?
No. https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/ is the only official website to apply for the
E-Visa Services. No facilitation by any travel agent/tour operator/intermediary is allowed for an E-Visa. Please be aware of such fake agents who may charge you additional to apply for a Visa/ Express Visa. Please feel free to write to us for any clarity you may need.
Q06 Can I get a Visa on arrival at Indian Airports?
Nationals of Japan, South Korea and UAE (only for such UAE nationals who had earlier obtained E-Visa or regular/paper visa for India) can only get a Visa on Arrival facility (VOA). All other nationals, need a valid Visa to travel to India.
Q07 What are the documents needed for a Visa application?
Below is the list of documents needed for the application of the visa . The same is also dependent on the nationality and the type of Visa applied. Kindly keep the documents handy at the time of application.
Conference Visa:
- Passport Valid for minimum 06 months at the time of making an application
- Passport should have at least 02 blank pages for stamping by the Immigration Officer
- Recent front facing photograph with white background in digital format (Refer Photo Guideline below)
- Photo page of the passport containing personal details like name, date of Birth, Nationality, Date of Expiry
- Business Card (A Visiting of your own company or the one provided by the company you are working for which mentions all professional details viz – Name, Designation, Name of the company, Address, Phone and Mobile numbers, Email ID and website if applicable)
- Invitation / Acceptance to the conference / Delegate E-Badge from RSVVW24 – any01 or all, as may be applicable
- Political clearance letter from Ministry of External Affairs
- Yellow Fever Vaccination Card (Refer FAQ)
- Event clearance from Ministry of Home Affairs
Tourist Visa :
- Passport Valid for minimum 06 months at the time of making an application
- Passport should have at least 02 blank pages for stamping by the Immigration Officer
- Recent front facing photograph with white background in Digital format (Refer Photo Guideline below)
- Photo Page of the passport containing personal details like name, date of Birth, Nationality, Date of Expiry
- Hotel / Tour Confirmations, if booked in advance
(Additional documents over and above the stated list may be needed depending on the Nationality and visa types)
Q08 Can I be asked for additional documents apart from the ones listed above/mentioned in the documentation list?
Yes. The mission/online embassy may ask for additional verification documents, like financial statement/Income Tax Returns/or any other additional support documents that will be needed to grant the Visa. This is solely at the discretion of the Government of India and the issuing authorities
Q09 When should I apply for the visa?
Indian E-Visa can be applied between 120 days(travel date) and not less than 07 working days from travel date.
Q10 What is the validity of the visa?
E-Tourist Visa (01 year / 05 years) – Validity would be 365 days / 05 years from the date of grant of ETA with Multiple entries and Maximum stay in India during one Calender Year should not exceed 180 days.
E-Tourist Visa (30 days) – Validity would be 30 days from the date of your first arrival in India. Double entries will be granted within the e-Visa validity period stamped on your Passport. Your first arrival must be between the date of issue and expiry of ETA
E-Conference Visa – Validity would be 30 days from the date of arrival in India with Single entry
Q11 Which cities/ports can I arrive in India with the E-Visa?
You may arrive at any of the below 29 designated airports i.e. Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bagdogra, Bengaluru, Bhubaneshwar, Calicut, Chennai, Chandigarh, Cochin, Coimbatore, Delhi, Gaya, Goa, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kannur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Madurai, Mangalore, Mumbai, Nagpur, Port Blair, Pune,
Tiruchirapalli, Trivandrum, Varanasi & Visakhapatnam, and 5 designated seaports (i.e. Cochin, Goa, Mangalore, Chennai and Mumbai seaports). You may depart from any of the Indian Immigration Check Posts (ICPs)
Q12 Can I enter through a land Border with my E-Visa?
No. You can only enter through the above designated Air/seaports.
Q13 What are the E-Visa fees?
Please refer the documents attached pertaining to Visa fees depending on the Visa type and nationality applying for.
Q14 Is my E-Visa convertible to any other Visa type?
No. Once issued the Visa type cannot be changed, extended or converted
Q15 Do I need to apply for a separate Visa for my minor child/dependent parents/grandparents?
Yes. Each individual needs a separate application with the above listed and/or supporting documents as may be needed.
Q16 Do I need to carry a Yellow Fever Vaccination Card?
All the foreigners arriving in India within 6 days of departure from any yellow fever endemic country are required to possess (in original) a valid yellow fever certificate of vaccination. List of Yellow fever vaccination countries are as attached. The same may be refreshed by the Government of India from time to time.
Q17 Are visa fees refundable?
No. Visa fees are non refundable even in cases of a rejection of visa, cancellation or postponement of travel. In case the travel is postponed for any reasons and the visa is not valid during the new dates, a fresh application with the new dates and documents is required to be made.
Q18 How is my Visa issued?
The E-Visa application may take approx. 72 hours or more (depending on weekends, Public Holidays) for processing. You will be informed about the VISA STATUS (GRANTED or REJECTED) on the email ID provided by you at the time of application. For a sample Visa type Refer to Indian E-Visa Guideline.
Q19 How do I check the status of my Visa application?
The same can be checked online on https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/ by clicking “Check your Visa Status” Tab. In case of any delays, or errors please feel free to contact the Mission on: indian-evisa@gov.in or write to our help desk on:
Q20 How do I pay for my E-Visa application?
The same can be paid at the time of application via a Bank transfer/Credit Card (Which additional bank charges as may be applicable) In case there is an issue on the payment at the application stage, try to resubmit/re-enter the application details. Alternatively the same can be escalated to the mission at the email ID/numbers provided at the application stage.
Q21 Do I get a payment receipt?
Once the payment has gone through, the receipts can be obtained/downloaded by using the Verify Payment/Pay E-Visa fee tab. Do save a copy of the same/screenshot of the receipt saved for future reference.
Q22 How does my E-Visa look like?
Q23 Discrepancies on the issued E Visa?
Please be extremely careful while filling in your details on the form. The applicants are responsible for any discrepancy that may arise due to any wrong information/errors on the form while submission. However in case of any discrepancies on the Visa – viz Error in name, date of birth, passport number please feel free to write on Indian-evisa@gov.in. You may feel free to copy us on the helpdesk ID: MAIL ID. However kindly escalate the above matter minimum 48 hours prior to travel to avoid any hassles at immigration on arrival.