Before traveling to India, I had never had to apply for a
visa, nor did I even realize that I needed one to go to India! I wasn’t sure how to exactly go about the
process. What was required? What was needed? What website is legit? What process is safe? How do I go about doing this?
I didn’t have much of a reference so I learned from what I
did and didn’t do. I recently had a
friend ask me about obtaining her visa for India since she knew that I had
already gone through the process so, I wanted to put my experience and
knowledge out there on what I did to get my India visa to help eliminate the
worry, stress, and intimidation and to answer the many questions that I once
had for others. This isn’t an exact step-by-step because, let’s be real, I
don’t quite remember it all but, the website that I used and suggest helped.
What I did was:
·
Used the third-party company called Travisa and
their website http://india.travisa.com/
·
Filled out the “India Visa Application Form”
online
o
Tip: remember to write down your unique
identification number that is provided to you when you first begin!!
·
Under the “New India Visa Application Guide”,
there are great details on how to fill out the form if you run into any
road-blocks regarding the meaning of any questions on the form.
·
A few tips regarding some questions on the form:
o
When it asks for your address, it must match the
address that is on your “proof of residency” such as your driver’s license or
state ID that you photocopy and mail in.
o
When it asks for your address in India, just put
down an address of a hotel/hostel/accommodation that you will stay at. If you aren’t sure, look an accommodation up
on a website like HostelWorld.com or Booking.com and choose one.
o
When it asks for the Indian territories/regions
that you plan to visit, just pull up a map on google like this one and choose
some areas. You don’t have to be exact
on exactly where you will be traveling to for sure because you may not know
yet.
o
When it asks for
o
Be sure to mark MULTIPLE ENTRIES, not single
entry, although you may just be doing once to India, they will NOT accept a
single entry visa when applying. This is
a mistake that I made out of ignorance and it could have cost my more time and
money had the lady at the Travisa office not let me change it before sending it
off.
o
When it asks for “port of arrival”, that means
the very first city that you fly into when you reach India NOT the first city
in another country on the trip as a layover.
o
When choosing your “date of arrival” to India,
you don’t need to be exact if you haven’t purchased a flight ticket and you
aren’t sure when you will be there. I
had this concern myself. I needed my
visa but I wasn’t sure when I’d get to India because I was backpacking other
countries first. No problem. Just estimate a date (I was about a month off
on mine) and put it down. Your India
visa won’t be
o
“active” until you first arrive in India.
·
On the “India Particulars Form”
o
At the very bottom where it says “Place” beneath
the “date”, put “USA”
·
What to mail in:
o
Your current valid U.S Passport
o
TWO passport-valid photos of you (you can get
these at Costco, Sam’s Club, Walgreens, CVS, the Post Office, etc) (they will only need and use 1 but they ask
for 2)
o
Your proof of residency (I sent a photocopy of
my valid driver’s license)
o
Completed “Global Service Order Form”
o
Check for Travisa (around $185, the price may
have gone up, I think I paid closer to $165 a year ago)
o
Printed and signed India Visa Application Form
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