Visa Information

Types of Visa

An entry visa is essential for all foreigners visiting India. There are several types of visa available; those travelling specifically for the APSICON 2016 will need to apply for a Conference Visa.

Accompanying Persons are not entitled to attend the conference sessions and should apply for a Tourist Visa. 

Tourist Visa

Nationals of some countries are eligible for On Arrival Visa.

Documents supporting a Conference Visa

• Conference Visas are issued by the relevant Indian Embassy if the visa application is accompanied by:
• A letter of invitation to the conference/seminar/workshop in India. For personalized invitation letter 
• Copies of permissions from Indian Government Agencies for the staging of a particular conference. 
• These can be downloaded 
• These documents are not required by those applying for a Tourist Visa, i.e. those not entitled to attend the scientific sessions of the conference, such as accompanying persons. Letters of invitation can only be issued to delegates attending the Scientific Congress; not accompanying persons including spouses or others.

NOTE: Invitation Letter

Please note that the purpose of the Invitation Letter is only to help visa applicants to get a Conference Visa. The mentioned documents must be submitted by the applicant along with the visa application form, passport and any other documents as required by the local embassy.

Important: Citizens of Afghanistan, China, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Sudan and persons of Pakistan-origin currently holding citizenship of any country.

These participants must fill in their passport details on the online registration form, and apply for Conference Visa more than 60 days before the start of the Congress, i.e. latest by 20^th October 2016. The Congress organizers are required to send the passport details of these participants to the Ministry of Home Affairs for scrutiny, which takes minimum 60 days.

General Visa Information

It is advisable to apply for a visa well in advance, but not earlier than 3 months before the date of the APSICON 2016 Conference.

Foreign visitors entering India must possess a passport valid for at least 6 months after their date of entry into India, except in the case of nationals of Bhutan and Nepal, who need only carry suitable means of identification.

If approved, a single entry Conference Visa will be granted. Please note that the validity of a visa begins on the day it is issued. The date of entry into India does not affect the period of validity of a visa.

The list of Indian diplomatic missions overseas can be consulted at:

1. http://goidirectory.gov.in/country_wise_view.php?ct=I001
2. http://passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/mission/mission

Many Indian embassies and consulates have outsourced their visa processing services to VFS Global http://www.vfsglobal.com/  Visa application forms may be downloaded from this link.

Online Visa Application

Many Indian Embassies, Consulates and High Commissions, including the High Commission of India in London, now require visa applications to be made online. This can be done from the Indian Government website: https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/

Please note that this website is operated by the Indian Government, not the APSICON 2016 Conference.The website occasionally crashes, throws up error messages or freezes. Make a note of your temporary reference number. If you are having problems try later using your temporary reference number to retrieve your partially filled form.

Length of stay – Check whether the form asks you for your length of stay in months. If the form asks for months, it actually means days. So if you put 15 months in this box, it will print out as 15 days.

Do not upload your photo on page 3 – press next page, check details and confirm. A visa application form will be generated with the High Commission Logo at the top. Print off 2 copies (and another one for yourself) and sign. Save the document in case you need to reprint.

Photographs for Conference Visa

You will need to provide two 50mm x 50mm photos. Please ensure they present the full head from top of hair to bottom of chin, and that this distance measures between 25mm and 35mm. If this is not correct your application will be rejected.

Copy of Letter from your Institution

This is a simple letter from the Institution you are associated with, identifying you and their relationship with you, and confirming that they understand you intend to visit India for the APSICON 2016 in New Delhi , 24-27 November 2016 (plus any extra days stay for sightseeing).