Went to Indian Commission for a visa today

Steve570 · Dec 10th, 2005, 02:43

Just thought I'd put some info out there for those of you who haven't yet sampled the delights of obtaining your visa in person at the Indian High Commission in London. It's really not that bad.

Filling out the form (for British passport holders)

the only parts we were unsure of when completing and our answers were:

Passport issued by......we wrote....'UKPA' (from the photo page on passport)
At (place).............we left this blank
Duration of visa and No of entries.........wrote 6 months/ one entry
two referees........we wrote a contact address in the UK and the address of the hotel..(although I guy I met in the queue left this blank cos he was travelling and had no problems.

These answers gave us no problems and we received our visas with no complications

The Day:

Came out the Tube at Holborn (Circle Line) at approximately 8:15am turned left and walked down Kingsway, (Southerly direction), for about 300 metres until I reached a junction. From this junction if you look across the road and to the right you'll see the queue. And in the distance the flag of India. Everybody joins the queue asking if tyhis indeed the queue for India House. There were 241 people in front of me but it didn't take long to get to the front. Just before you go through the door you take a ticket with a number on it. NB. The tickets are per Visa application not per person. I was applying for me and my friends visa so I should've taken two tickets. Not a drama though they sorted it out. Once through the door everyone waits for there number to come up on the screen and then go to the relevent teller. Be quick though because if you don't make it within about 300 milliseconds they press the button for the next number. My number was call ed at about 0940hrs Once we'd given them the slip with the number on it, the passport, the visa application and the payment we were told to return in about an hour to teller number 7. We went for a 30 minute breakfast at a cafe around the corner. Now, Teller number 7, you need to get fairly close to this window (a letter box with a glass front would be a more apt description). because the guy behind has your passport with the visa attached inside and the 2 Watt speaker he uses isn't quite powerful enough to go beyond the range of about 2 metres. The numbers aren't necessarily in complete numerical order so you may find they miss a large chunk of numbers out. They just don't have those completed passports yet, but you will get them eventually you'll just have to wait. And if you miss your number ,yes you must wait until he starts again from the beginning.

So, I arrived there at 0815hrs, payment at 0940hrs, completed visa by 1045hrs.

Quite painless really.

'Hello' to Matt from Croydon a great guy I met in the queue, he's off to Goa on a 3 monther in Jan. Good luck mate.
And a 'hello, hope you got your visa eventually' to the lady with ticket number 181 who was still waiting after I'd received my visa and I was number 242

Hope this is of some help.

cheers

scatts

PeakXV · Dec 10th, 2005, 03:13

Can't wait to read your India e-travel logue postings if you can muster such a positive day/story like that at the bureaucratically red-taped Indian High Commission.

....

The next time I'm going to remember to bring the correct change ...... The next time I'm going to remember to bring the correct change ...... The next time I'm going to remember to bring the correct change ......

kiwi_razz · Dec 10th, 2005, 13:23

the best I've ever had was:
arrive in line at 8:15am
out with visa at 9:15am

this was before low season though.

Casey · Dec 10th, 2005, 20:10

When I picked up my Visa in the Ottawa office, correct change wasn't enough. They refused to take my 4 quarters for a dollar. I was at the front of a 9 person line after waiting for a woman in front of me to fill out all her forms. I almost cried but someone in line was able to give me a dollar for my quarters. When I returned (pick up between 4:30-5-30) there were no problems for me but there was a man whose visa wasnt' ready. "No questions answered now, only pick-up". In fact, the person in the "enquiries" booth would not answer question during "drop-off"(9-12) "only payment". That's why the woman in front of me spend 20 minutes filling out her forms and asking the cashier. I know, it's like that in India. I recall sitting on the bus that leaves at 9:00 for several hours. Yes, the bus leaves at 9:00. But it is already 10:30. Yes, bus leaves at 9. And, I can't wait!!!

jam_mac_jam · Dec 10th, 2005, 21:26

well, I am glad you had such an easy time. I was unlucky, went to the Embassy in Dublin and it wasnt as easy.

I went on Wedenesday morning, I took the morning off work and I am glad i did the length of time it took. because i have a child who I am not married to this seemed to cause a huge problem, the man behind the counter repeatedly sent me to the back of the queue because i didnt have spouce filled in, then after explaining to him for the third time that I wasnt married he accepted it. He had also told me to fill in spouce on the child's form when I did and went back he again gave out to me for filling it in wrong. He practically threw it at me. I was actually shaking I was so angry at the treatment there.

It was only that the people in queue could see what was going on and kept letting me back in that I wasnt there all day. I am dreading going back to collect it in case it is refused or I have to speak to that man again. He turned me away 5 times, I am not stupid, I work in bank so I am well able to deal with forms all I needed was a small bit of help or clarification, not that.

Nick-H · Dec 10th, 2005, 21:27

ICH in London seems pretty good and efficient at dealing with routine tourists apps.

Yildiz · Dec 10th, 2005, 22:03

I just downloaded application form from (Ankara)Embassy website, filled it in and sent it off with return courier costs included and covering letter, and have received back my passport with visa inside no problem ...........no travel to city or queuing needed!

Andy & Anne · Dec 28th, 2005, 23:32

We've never had a problem with a postal application in the UK.

Downloaded the form in "word" version, types in the answers and used from year to year. Only problem will be when we run out of pages in the passport for new visas

Merchant · Dec 28th, 2005, 23:39

Quote:

Only problem will be when we run out of pages in the passport for new visas

When this happens in the US, you send your PP back to the government and they sew in new pages.

Nick-H · Dec 28th, 2005, 23:46

When it happens in UK you buy another passport

guerik · Dec 29th, 2005, 05:02

It's so much easier in Australia - I just drop my form, cash and photo in and they give me a call a couple of days later to drop by and pick it up. I jump in the car, drive 5 minutes, park right in front of the embassy, walk up to the reception desk and the receptionist gives my passport back to me with the visa all fixed up

You have to get a new passport when your old one runs out of pages here too - but if you know you're going to be travelling a lot you can get one with twice the pages already in it!

Dec 10th, 2005, 02:43	#1
Steve570 Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Norwich Posts: 2	Went to Indian Commission for a visa today Just thought I'd put some info out there for those of you who haven't yet sampled the delights of obtaining your visa in person at the Indian High Commission in London. It's really not that bad. Filling out the form (for British passport holders) the only parts we were unsure of when completing and our answers were: Passport issued by......we wrote....'UKPA' (from the photo page on passport) At (place).............we left this blank Duration of visa and No of entries.........wrote 6 months/ one entry two referees........we wrote a contact address in the UK and the address of the hotel..(although I guy I met in the queue left this blank cos he was travelling and had no problems. These answers gave us no problems and we received our visas with no complications The Day: Came out the Tube at Holborn (Circle Line) at approximately 8:15am turned left and walked down Kingsway, (Southerly direction), for about 300 metres until I reached a junction. From this junction if you look across the road and to the right you'll see the queue. And in the distance the flag of India. Everybody joins the queue asking if tyhis indeed the queue for India House. There were 241 people in front of me but it didn't take long to get to the front. Just before you go through the door you take a ticket with a number on it. NB. The tickets are per Visa application not per person. I was applying for me and my friends visa so I should've taken two tickets. Not a drama though they sorted it out. Once through the door everyone waits for there number to come up on the screen and then go to the relevent teller. Be quick though because if you don't make it within about 300 milliseconds they press the button for the next number. My number was call ed at about 0940hrs Once we'd given them the slip with the number on it, the passport, the visa application and the payment we were told to return in about an hour to teller number 7. We went for a 30 minute breakfast at a cafe around the corner. Now, Teller number 7, you need to get fairly close to this window (a letter box with a glass front would be a more apt description). because the guy behind has your passport with the visa attached inside and the 2 Watt speaker he uses isn't quite powerful enough to go beyond the range of about 2 metres. The numbers aren't necessarily in complete numerical order so you may find they miss a large chunk of numbers out. They just don't have those completed passports yet, but you will get them eventually you'll just have to wait. And if you miss your number ,yes you must wait until he starts again from the beginning. So, I arrived there at 0815hrs, payment at 0940hrs, completed visa by 1045hrs. Quite painless really. 'Hello' to Matt from Croydon a great guy I met in the queue, he's off to Goa on a 3 monther in Jan. Good luck mate. And a 'hello, hope you got your visa eventually' to the lady with ticket number 181 who was still waiting after I'd received my visa and I was number 242 Hope this is of some help. cheers scatts

Dec 10th, 2005, 03:13	#2
PeakXV Naan.tering Nabob Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Abode of Glooscap Posts: 4,195	Keep us posted .... Can't wait to read your India e-travel logue postings if you can muster such a positive day/story like that at the bureaucratically red-taped Indian High Commission. .... The next time I'm going to remember to bring the correct change ...... The next time I'm going to remember to bring the correct change ...... The next time I'm going to remember to bring the correct change ...... __________________ We shall not cease from exploration and at the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started ...and know the place for the first time. T.S. Eliot Don't go to India ~ Pre-trip Warnings & Misconceptions?

Dec 10th, 2005, 21:27	#6
Nick-H Loud-mouthed, Noisy Bird Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 26,829	ICH in London seems pretty good and efficient at dealing with routine tourists apps. __________________ . Just one member of the IndiaMike Mod Team

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Dec 10th, 2005, 13:23	#3
kiwi_razz Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: London Posts: 410	the best I've ever had was: arrive in line at 8:15am out with visa at 9:15am this was before low season though.

Dec 10th, 2005, 20:10	#4
Casey Maha Guru Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Ottawa, Canada Posts: 637	When I picked up my Visa in the Ottawa office, correct change wasn't enough. They refused to take my 4 quarters for a dollar. I was at the front of a 9 person line after waiting for a woman in front of me to fill out all her forms. I almost cried but someone in line was able to give me a dollar for my quarters. When I returned (pick up between 4:30-5-30) there were no problems for me but there was a man whose visa wasnt' ready. "No questions answered now, only pick-up". In fact, the person in the "enquiries" booth would not answer question during "drop-off"(9-12) "only payment". That's why the woman in front of me spend 20 minutes filling out her forms and asking the cashier. I know, it's like that in India. I recall sitting on the bus that leaves at 9:00 for several hours. Yes, the bus leaves at 9:00. But it is already 10:30. Yes, bus leaves at 9. And, I can't wait!!!

Dec 10th, 2005, 21:26	#5
jam_mac_jam Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: ireland Posts: 4	well, I am glad you had such an easy time. I was unlucky, went to the Embassy in Dublin and it wasnt as easy. I went on Wedenesday morning, I took the morning off work and I am glad i did the length of time it took. because i have a child who I am not married to this seemed to cause a huge problem, the man behind the counter repeatedly sent me to the back of the queue because i didnt have spouce filled in, then after explaining to him for the third time that I wasnt married he accepted it. He had also told me to fill in spouce on the child's form when I did and went back he again gave out to me for filling it in wrong. He practically threw it at me. I was actually shaking I was so angry at the treatment there. It was only that the people in queue could see what was going on and kept letting me back in that I wasnt there all day. I am dreading going back to collect it in case it is refused or I have to speak to that man again. He turned me away 5 times, I am not stupid, I work in bank so I am well able to deal with forms all I needed was a small bit of help or clarification, not that.

Dec 10th, 2005, 22:03	#7
Yildiz Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Fethiye, Turkey Posts: 36	I just downloaded application form from (Ankara)Embassy website, filled it in and sent it off with return courier costs included and covering letter, and have received back my passport with visa inside no problem ...........no travel to city or queuing needed!

Dec 28th, 2005, 23:32	#8
Andy & Anne Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: South Yorkshire, England Posts: 11	We've never had a problem with a postal application in the UK. Downloaded the form in "word" version, types in the answers and used from year to year. Only problem will be when we run out of pages in the passport for new visas

Dec 28th, 2005, 23:46	#10
Nick-H Loud-mouthed, Noisy Bird Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 26,829	When it happens in UK you buy another passport

Dec 29th, 2005, 05:02	#11
guerik Maha Guru Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Australia Posts: 1,038	It's so much easier in Australia - I just drop my form, cash and photo in and they give me a call a couple of days later to drop by and pick it up. I jump in the car, drive 5 minutes, park right in front of the embassy, walk up to the reception desk and the receptionist gives my passport back to me with the visa all fixed up You have to get a new passport when your old one runs out of pages here too - but if you know you're going to be travelling a lot you can get one with twice the pages already in it!

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