India e-Visa

[Gary B]

It looks like I cannot apply for an eVisa for India, the country dropdown box seems to list every country but the UK.Anybody know if this is correct?

[George K]

It’s correct. No eVisa for UK passport holders. It went away with the pandemic. No idea when it’s coming back. You need an actual visa.

[strickers]

It’s been like this for a while, mostly owing to us putting India on the red list at very short notice. There’s a very good guide on the Tripadvisor India forum, biggest problem at the moment is getting appointments for the £148pp paper visa. I’m off to Bradford on the 6th Oct.

[sherlockholmes]

If you can wangle a reason to get a business visa it takes less than 2 days.

However @strickers is correct, appointments are hard to come by.

[Gagravarr]

I got my latest Indian visa a couple of weeks back. I managed to get an appointment in Cardiff for about 5 days after applying, for one of the last slots of the day. Kept getting sent away by reception as they were running late, then told they were closing for the day and I was out of luck! Was rebooked for Hounslow for 2 days later, which went fine (other than taking over 2.5 hours)

One of my colleagues also got a Cardiff slot a few days later, and did manage to get in the door before they closed. He also had a long long wait…

Make sure you read the website carefully. Lots of people getting turned away for picking things like “UK – British Citizen”, which despite being an option isn’t one they accept, you have to pick “United Kingdom”! And take all the required photocopies, it’s very expensive to get one at the Hounslow visa center if you forgot

[Gary B]

Thanks for the replies.

A question regarding the Application Form…it asks for India reference and a UK reference. What does that mean and what have people put?

[strickers]

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1D9GeofYJ7iYhzRryYK9PvPGh5RmrKl0TyIm-HCstg5c/edit

[strickers]

India reference is where you are planning to stay, first night is OK. UK reference is someone they can go to if they need a reference, I put my Dad down. I don’t think they are particularly scrutinised, possibly more so for a press or charity visa?

[Gagravarr]

Are you going for a business visa or a tourist visa? Who to put for the references differs between the visa types!

[Gary B]

Anybody got any experience of how long it is between the interview and receiving the visa?

[strickers]

Lots of info on TripAdvisor forums, from 3-10 working days from what I can see if you use the DX courier service.

[Gagravarr]

I got a business visa a few weeks ago, appointment in Hounslow on a Tuesday morning, had the passport back by Friday lunchtime

[AFKAE]

Gary B wrote:

Anybody got any experience of how long it is between the interview and receiving the visa?

I did mine a couple of months ago and it was pretty quick, 3 days I seem to remember.

[strickers]

https://www.hcilondon.gov.in/page/consular-camp/

[strickers]

Various consular camps just opened up for the 15th Oct, they’ll go quickly though.

[Janie]

Hello, does anyone know if you have to pay online with the visa application, or do you pay when you visit the centre?

[strickers]

Pay at the centre, debit card only.

[Janie]

strickers wrote:

Pay at the centre, debit card only.

Thanks! Have now completed the form. Hopefully the e-visa might be back before my actual appointment, since it won’t be until January.

[shanghaiguizi]

Janie wrote:

strickers wrote:

Pay at the centre, debit card only.

Thanks! Have now completed the form. Hopefully the e-visa might be back before my actual appointment, since it won’t be until January.

I collected my business visa two weeks ago. Went for the interview at the Glasgow centre. Paid with corporate visa credit card.

Appointment was on the Monday and had an outbound flight the following Thursday. Still hadn’t received my passport by the following Wednesday so called the consulate in Edinburgh. They managed to track down my passport so I’m assuming it still hadn’t been processed. After explaining I had a flight the following day they told me I could collect my passport after 3pm that day. This was for a business visa. Not sure if they would have been so helpful for a tourist visa.

[sherlockholmes]

eVisas will be available again (for UK passport holders)

https://twitter.com/HCI_London/status/1599779657347276803

[strickers]

Blooming typical, 5 weeks until we go!

[SamG]

Thanks for flagging this up – was supposed to go for an appointment for a business visa on the 22nd for a Jan trip but seems like that is being pushed out a little so I Can cancel and do e-visa instead

[Erico1875]

Good news. Too late for me. I couldn’t be bothered with all the faff so 2 weeks ago we booked flights and hotel in the Gambia

[bthorn]

Has anyone done an e-visa before? We fly on boxing day and have an appointment this Friday but would rather do the e-visa if I will get it back in time and dont have to rely on posting the visa back etc.

Or do we think its best to take the day off and go to the appointment on Friday?

[Aston100]

Erico1875 wrote:

Good news. Too late for me. I couldn’t be bothered with all the faff so 2 weeks ago we booked flights and hotel in the Gambia

Oh cool.
That’s somewhere that I’ve thought about from time to time.
Can I ask what made you book there (beyond the India visa faff) and what your expectations are?

Thanks.