NOTE

Note: The practice of accepting visa applications on handwritten or non-Machine Readable passports is hereby discontinued with immediate effect, except in cases requiring emergency visits to India.

The High Commission of India, London and Consulate General of India, Birmingham and Edinburgh have outsourced their visa services to the external service provider M/S VFS Global Ltd. All applicants, other than those seeking Emergency Visas or those holding UN/Diplomatic/Official passports, are required to fill the valid Regular/paper online visa application form through the authorized website (www.indianvisaonline.gov.in) and lodge their applications with our sole service partner M/S VFS GLOBAL Ltd. For more information please visit https://www.vfsglobal.com/India/UK/.  High Commission of India and the Consulates will not be responsible for transactions made with any other websites or agents.  The procedure for applicants seeking Emergency Visas or holders of UN/Diplomatic/Official passports is detailed at the bottom of this page.

Points to Note Before You Apply

• Government of India has introduced a new category of Ayush (AY) visa for foreign nationals for treatment under Ayush system/Indian system of medicine like therapeutic care, wellness and Yoga viz. Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy etc. Foreign nationals wanting to travel to India for this purpose should apply for Ayush (AY-1) for treatment under Ayush System/ Indian systems of medicine. Their attendants should apply for Ayush AY-2 (co terminus with AY-1 visa holder)

• When applying for a visa, the validity of Passport should be at least for next 180 days or more. The passport must have at least two blank pages and should not be Mutilated / damaged / tampered  in any manner.

• Suppression of facts and information will not only result in delay/ or denial of visa applied for but will also debar the applicant from applying under this system in future.

• Visa fee once paid is non-refundable irrespective of the outcome of the application. However, excess/multiple payments made inadvertently will be refunded by the VFS. Fee should be deposited only after ascertaining all relevant details of the visa, as applicable to the purpose of travel.

• Acceptance of visa application does not automatically guarantee grant of a visa.  The visa application may be accepted, modified or refused by the Consulate General of India, Birmingham in its full right. Decision of the Consulate General of India, Birmingham in the matter shall be final.

• Each visa application is processed individually by the Consulate General of India, Birmingham. As a result processing times may vary between applications that appear to be similar. It is common for families and groups who have submitted their applications simultaneously to receive their visas with a few days gap.

• Certain visa categories go through a closer examination requiring additional time to process. The Consulate General of India, Birmingham reserves the right to withhold any application submitted for an in-depth examination.

• Processing time of applications received from persons of Pakistani origin could take 8-10 weeks or more. Processing time for applications from Pakistani nationals/those holding dual nationality can be substantially longer. All applicants of Pakistani origin who hold dual nationality must apply for an Indian Visa on their Pakistani passport. Those who have either renounced Pakistani nationality or cancelled their Pakistani passport would need to submit documentary proof in this regard.

• The practice of appending manual signature and affixing stamp on visa stickers have been dispensed with and the visa stickers now carry ‘ghost’ imaging and other security features.

• The duration and number of entries granted to the applicant will be solely at the discretion of Embassy/Consulates. No claims and correspondences shall be entertained in this regard.

• Visa is valid from the date of issue and not from the date of travel.

• It is strongly advised that applicants do not make any travel arrangements before obtaining an Indian visa. The Consulate General of India, Birmingham cannot, in any circumstance, be held responsible for any applications which are not completed in time for your intended date of departure.

• Procedure for submission of visa application for holders of  Diplomatic/Official/UN passports
  
  Visa applications from holders of Diplomatic/Official/UN are accepted directly in the Visa Wing, Consulate General of India, Birmingham on all working days from 10:00 hrs to 12:30 hrs without prior appointment. Applications can also be deposited by a representative designated by the applicant. Please expect waiting time.

Documents required:

• Official Note Verbale
• Print out of the online  Regular/ Paper Visa Application Form : www.indianvisaonline.gov.in duly filled in and signed
• 2 Photographs of size 50mmX50mm (2 sq inches)
• Passport of the Applicant valid for minimum 180 days and carrying two blank pages

Procedure for submission of Emergency Visa application

Emergency Visa is issued in cases of genuine emergency like death or serious illness of immediate family member (blood relation with proof of relationship) subject to production of supporting documentary evidence from India like death certificate/Hospital certificate duly signed and stamped.

• Applications for Emergency Visa may be filled online (www.indianvisaonline.gov.in). Complete Regular / [ Paper visa application online. Kindly ensure that you choose the correct jurisdiction (https://cgibirmingham.gov.in/page/display/23/66). Submit the application physically at the Consulate General of India, Birmingham along with the print out of the online visa application form, passport valid for a minimum of 180 days with at least two blank pages, 2 photographs (50mm x 50mm) and £200 (£127 Tourist visa fees + £3 Consular surcharge + £70) as Emergency Tourist visa fees in cash. Kindly note that we do not accept other modes of payment for this category of visa.
• The application in case of minors (below 16 years) needs to be submitted along with documents in original and self attested copy of the following: Marriage certificate, Birth certificate (full version), passport copies of both the parents, Consent form duly signed by both the parents and self attested copies of their current passport. The application form may be signed by either of the parents or both. A custody order from the Court is required in required in respect of children, whose parents are legally separated.
• Application for Emergency Visa (with supporting documents from India like Death Certificate/Hospital/Doctor's certificate) has to be submitted in person at theConsulate General of India, Birmingham, after 1500 hrs on any working day and from 1000 hours to 1700 hrs during Saturdays, Sundays and holidays (with prior appointment only. For details please check https://cgibirmingham.gov.in/page/display/111 ).
• All conditions applicable to Tourist visa will be applicable as detailed in service provider’s website https://www.vfsglobal.com/India/UK/ 
• The decision of the Consulate General of India, Birmingham in this matter shall be final.

FAQs Relating To Various Visa Categories

FAQs related to various categories of visas, eligibility criteria and process of submitting a visa application etc. are available on the website of service provider (https://www.vfsglobal.com/India/UK/). In addition, please follow the link http://mha1.nic.in/foreigDiv/FAQs.html for detailed explanation of various visa categories and specific rules / regulations governing these.

For information regarding e-Tourist Visa (e-TV) visit: https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/tvoa.html