Applying for an Indian tourist visa in Turkey (with a US passport)

I just tried to apply for an Indian tourist visa in Istanbul, Turkey and failed. Americans need to go to Ankara to get a visa. The following information is posted here on my blog:

www.nathanshipley.com/blawg/index.php/2009/02/17/indian-tourist-visa-in-turkey-for-americans-in-istanbul/

...but I wanted to share it here also because it would have been useful for me to read before trying this process.

In this post:

• Go to Ankara, Yankee.
• Details of obtaining an Indian Tourist Visa in Ankara, Turkey.
  
• Required documents to apply for Indian Visa
  
• Location of Indian Embassy in Ankara
  
• Why the Indian consulate is a no-go in Istanbul.
  
• Location of Indian Consulate in Istanbul, for Americans looking to waste time.

Quick Answer:

If you're an American, don't try to get a tourist visa for India at the Indian consulate in Istanbul. I tried it a week ago without success and have read about others that failed with the same issues as me. (Dave's blog post is a useful read and jives with my experience.) You need to go to the embassy in Ankara, you need to bring some specific stuff with you, and you need four business days to get it done.

Citizens of other countries should have relatively few problems in Istanbul as long as they can go to their respective embassies and obtain the "Note Verbal" letter required by the Indian consulate to issue the visa. The "note verbal," as explained to me, is an official letter from one's government confirming the validity of their passport, that they are free to travel to India, and that the government is requesting a visa for it's citizen.

Go to Ankara:

The hours to apply for the visa at the Indian Embassy in Ankara are 10:00 AM until 11:30 AM, Monday through Friday. I would advise getting there a little before 10 in the morning and waiting so you're the first in line to go in - that way you might have time to go deal with anything unexpected that comes up before they close. You can only pick up your documents from 5:00 to 5:30 PM. It takes 4 business days to get your visa. I applied on Monday morning, I get my visa on Friday at 5:00.

Required documents to bring with you to apply in Ankara:

• Your passport, which you will leave at the Indian embassy.
  
• 2 passport-sized photos.
  
• A bank statement (I just printed out the balance and account activity pages from two of my checking accounts online because I have no access to a proper statement from Turkey. The guy didn't seem to mind.)
  
• Your flight information for arrival AND DEPARTURE from India. You need to show proof of onward travel. I haven't reserved my outgoing ticket yet because I travel with no plan and don't know how long I'll be in India. I now have to find a refundable ticket and just book it to show him.
  
• $75 US Dollars in exact change. Despite the fact that the guy has a drawer full of $5 bills, he will send you packing if you try to give him four 20s. It is not his job to make this in any way convenient for you. There is a money-changing place past the mall / space needle south of the Embassy in Ankara, should you need it.

The application form will also ask you for details about proposed entry/exit dates and where you plan to go in India. There is no express option to get the visa quicker.

Location of the Embassy in Ankara:

77 A Chinnah Caddesi
Cankaya, Ankara
Phone: 90 312 4382195
Fax: 90 312 4403429

Putting the above address in Google Maps/Earth doesn't return exactly the right location. The pointer on this map is the exact location; I just walked to it yesterday.

Here's a link to the Indian Embassy in Ankara.

Bus to Anakara

I wanted to get my visa as quickly as possible and wasn't interested in spending time in Ankara, so I took a night bus from Istanbul. The company "Metro Turizm" has buses from Istanbul to Ankara for only 25 Lira. Useful Turkish bus details are here on the Turkey Travel Planner site. It's about 5 or 6 hours by bus to Ankara from Istanbul depending on which part of Istanbul you leave from.

I took a night bus (Varan Bus) that left at 2:30 and arrived at the station in Ankara at 7:30. Varan is a bit more expensive than Metro, but you can book tickets online. Varan's website is here.

From the bus station in Ankara (called ASTI, pronounced "Ahsh-tee"), follow all the people leaving the bus terminal to take the metro to the "Kizilay" station. From here you can get a cab to the embassy with the above address. It should be about 8 or 10 Lira for the cab.

Why Americans can't get the visa in Istanbul - Don't bother with going to the US Consulate.

According to the Indian consulate, they need the aforementioned "note verbal" from one's government to process a visa request because they are not equipped to check the validity of one's passport at their office in Istanbul.

The United States consulate in Istanbul will refuse to write this letter and the result is bureaucratic gridlock.

Upon speaking with the visa application desk person at the Indian Consulate, they will ask you for the note verbal, show you an example of one, and then cheerily suggest that you go to the American embassy to obtain the note, even though they know full-well that the American embassy won't give it to you. Despite the fact that they know the embassy won't give the letter, the send you that way anyway. Don't waste your time with this. The American embassy is very far away and will charge you $30 for an official paper written in 1995 that says they won't write the letter and that your passport itself is all you should need to travel.

Before visiting the consulate, I was fortunate to have read the blog entries posted by Dave the Nomad, Ben Sellon, and "akroadweed." and expected this. Here are the links if you'd like to read more:

Consulate Conundrum, December 2008

Hell Gets Hotter, December 2007

The Indian Visa Saga, May 2007

Apparently Ben and Alaska Person were able to get schedule an interview to get their visa, but this took 3 weeks. I asked for an interview and they wouldn't even give it to me. Perhaps they've stopped doing this over the last year?

For me, no amount of pleading, charming, reasoning, waiting after they told me to leave, and even talking to the big boss with squinty eyes and glasses against the visa lady's permission were any good. Quoth squinty-eyed big boss, "I am sorry, sir, I can do nothing. I cannot help you. As one man to another, of course I want you to come visit my country, but we are not equipped to grant you a visa without a letter from your consulate, which they will not give. A thousand apologies, sir. You do realize, though, that when Indians attempt to go to your country perhaps 2 out of 10 are allowed. They must pay 8 or 9,000 rupees to enter."

"Yes, sir, I understand this. It is very lamentable."

"Perhaps you don't understand," he continued, "this is enough food for a family of four to eat for two months. The money is not returned if they are not allowed."

"I do understand. It is the same everywhere I go. I have friends that can't visit me for the same reason."

"Of course. I am not trying to reciprocate this behavior, but I am simply helpless."

After a few more minutes of platitudes and condolences, his phone rang and after more than an hour waiting and being given the general run-around, I finally left.

Finding the Indian Consulate in Istanbul:

If you're not American or you do decide to go to the Indian Consulate anyway, it can be difficult to find. It's half a mile (.7 KM) north of Taksim square. The location of this pointer on this Google map is the rough location of the building. I walked around for a long time trying to find number 18 on the main Cumhuriyet avenue without luck - it isn't where it seems like it should be based on the numbers you see on the street. If you ask people for "Dortler," a few of them should know where it is.

The building is one of the big, free-standing ones on the east side of Cumhuriyet and the entrance door is on the south side of the building -- in other words, you need to go around the side of the building. Here's the map link. Check out the satellite view:

This is the address:

Consulate General of India, Istanbul
Cumhuriyet Caddesi No. 18
Dortler Apartments
7th Floor, Elmadag
Istanbul, Turkey
Telephone: +90 212 2962131, +90 212 2962132
Fax: +90 212 2962130

Good luck! Enjoy the red tape.

- Nathan

A very useful post, many thanks Nathan!

You are lucky you got a visa I wonder how the Brazilian consulate in IST handles US passport holders

Certainly Brazilian Consulate in NYC only handles a few nearby states and are as strict as Indians. Same agruement - Its reciprocity to how US consulate/embassy treats brazilians applying for a visa.

Thanks, Aishah.

Nycank: Well, I don't technically have the visa yet. I'll believe it when it's actually in my hand on Friday... It all seemed promising, but I have complete faith that if there's any sort of bureaucratic hurdle they can throw at me between now and then, they won't hesitate.

In general, though, you're right: it's frustrating to me how strict the US is in allowing tourist visas. I'd love for my friends throughout South America to be able to easily come visit me, but my government makes it such a pain in the a-- for them that it usually isn't worth it. Bah. Can't we all just get along?

Tell me about it. My peruano friends tell me of the third degree that they subject at Lima - If you are single woman, and applying for tourist visa with little or no assets, your chances for a US visa are next to nada. I was under the impression that both Brazil and Argentina would come under visa waiver program; but W in the last moment balked; he did the same to the Poles.

BTW Enjoyed your blog entries on IST. I love the city, the food and the atmosphere. I usually stay in the Taxim Sq. area.

This was completely shocking and astounding to me. I had no idea that getting an India Visa could ever be that difficult anywhere if you had a US passport.

I will never again reply flippantly that it's easy to get an India visa in another country with a US passport.

I am so happy I have a 10 year visa (7 years left on it)!!! I guess anyone with a US passport should definitely go for the 10 year Visa. It seems to be the best possible deal if there is any chance that you will need an India visa within any 10 year time period!

Hi Nathan, welcome to IndiaMike!

You have certainly made a grand entrance! That sort of detailed information is pure gold, I know it will prove extremely useful in the future.

I have made this thread a sticky, so that it always stays at the top of the Forum's list of threads.

Thanks, Haylo and Aishah!

Glad to help.

Just a quick follow-up on this --

I went to Ankara after buying a flight out of India that I planned to change/cancel. The guy said I would be required to show this to collect my visa. However, he didn't ask for it. Just handed me my passport with visa inside and that was that.

Also - be sure to bring the receipt with you that they give you when you apply for the visa. They'll want to see that to let you back into the building.

And now I'm in India! Success!

Good news all round! Enjoy India and your travels, Nathan.

As an American, I just applied for this visa in Ankara. This thread helped me tremendously - thanks Nathan!!

Just a quick follow up and my experience:

One guy asked me why I was going to India and I said for meditation resorts, etc. and he asked that I get a letter from the resort I was going to. I said that there is no reservation and I am just going to travel and show up at these resorts. He was insistent but I kept on insisting this was impossible. He finally said ok, just give me your documentation..

Also, I was never asked to get documentation from the American Embassy - perhaps this protocol has changed.

Also, if you need an internet cafe (like I did to book my tickets) because I didnt know when I would actually get my visa, if you go out of the Indian Embassy, up the hill, to the main road and take a right. And, about a block up, there is an internet cafe on the right hand...

Cheers!!

Glad you were successful, Michelle.

One point of clarification, though -- the protocol hasn't changed, it's just that at the embassy in Ankara you don't need anything from the American Embassy. That's the point of going to Anakara. Had you tried in Istanbul, they'd have given you the run-around.

Have a great trip! I sure enjoyed India.

Thanks for clarifying and I have not tried Istanbul after reading this blog - wasnt worth my time and I am so happy to have followed this...

I am so looking forward to India - thanks!