Guidelines on e-visa application
Here is some information you should know before you start the online application process for a e-visa:
- The easiest way to get a visa for attending the Forum is to get a e-visa for the business category (the e-tourist visa is only reserved to tourism activities in India). The online application takes no more than 15 minutes if you have all the information ready beforehand. The approval response can take just a few hours, and no more than 3 days.
- Your visa will be valid for 60 days after date of entry, and you'll have 4 months to enter the country after reception of your e-visa.
- You should be familiar with the instructions and required documents. All of this information is available on the visa application webpage
- Remember to select the "business" e-visa category. For the activity select "Attend technical/business meetings".
- Once the application form is complete and submitted, you'll be able to pay with a debit card, credit card, or using Paypal
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You will need a few electronic documents ready on your computer, so they can be uploaded onto the e-visa server. Those documents are:
- A recent picture ID in JPG format (it has to be square, minimum of 250pix x 350pix, or 2"x2", and the file size must be less than 1MB)
- A copy of the personal information page of your passport. It must be the same passport you will use when entering the country. Hence if your passport is scheduled to expire before you travel, you should renew your passport first before you apply for the e-visa.The copy of the relevant passport page must be in PDF format, and the file size less than 300 kB.
- A copy of your business card, also in PDF with a size less than 300kB. If you do not have a business card, it is probably time to think about getting one.
- Once you've started to fill in the information online, a tracking number will be generated (something that looks like: 12345678ABCDEFG). Write it down as the system might crash during the application, and you will need this number to log in again (the system crashed while I was uploading my documents for instance). The e-visa webpage has a link to resume completing a partially filled application form.
- When asked about the locations you will be visiting for business, enter "Bengaluru" and also "Mysuru".
- You will be asked the name and phone number of the company/institute you will be visiting. You should enter: IIA (for Indian Institute of Astrophysics), 2nd block, Koramangla, Sarjapur Rd. Ph: 8022541307
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You will be asked the name and phone number of a contact person in India, as well as in your country of origin (i.e. the country you have listed as being citizen from). For India, you can use the information of the India TMT Program Director:
- Eswar Reddy. IIA, 2nd block, Koramangla, Sarjapur Rd. Ph: 8022541307.
- You will also be asked the address and phone number of your institute, which you should hopefully know.
- Once your application has been submitted, the system will generate an application-ID, which you should write down (an email will also be automatically sent to your address with all this information).
- Once your application has been submitted and payment has been made, you will be able to check on the status of your application directly on the e-visa website, by clicking on "Visa Status" and entering your ApplicationID and passport numbers.
- Finally, when you get the email confirmation that your visa has been approved (if it takes too long to get an answer, think about checking your "junk-mail" folder as it might be automatically directed there by your mailer), do not forget to login again at the same location as mentionned above ("Visa Status") to print your Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA). The ETA form has a watermark in the middle, and you will need to bring a hardcopy of the ETA with you to show the immigration officer at your point of entry.
- At the port of entry in India, the immigration officer will likey ask you the purpose of your visit. It is better to refer to attending "project meetings" rather than "conference", as attending conferences require a separate, different, type of visa.
