1. Passport in original valid for a minimum of six months should accompany visa applications.

2. Paste/staple TWO 2”x2” passport size photograph at the space provided on the front page (right top corner).

3. Foreigners holding other than United States passports should submit proof of long- term (at least three years)/ permanent residence (copy of green card) in the United States. For citizens of other countries, who do not normally stay in U. S. , a reference has to be made to their country of residence for which an additional $20 fee is applicable and will involve five to seven days processing time (see also (a) to (e)). Please refrain from making inquiries about the status of application during this time.

4. For citizens of other countries, who are visitors in USA please also submit the Clearance form.

5. Payment of Fees: All fees should be paid either in cash (accepted only at the counter) or through money orders, bank drafts or cashier checks (by Mail) drawn in favor of Consulate General of India, San Francisco, WE DO NOT ACCEPT PERSONAL CHECKS, COMPANY CHECKS AND CREDIT CARDS. If such payments are sent the application cannot be processed and it will only delay the service. Please do not send any cash by mail as cash is accepted only at the counter. It must be noted that fees once received cannot be refunded under any circumstances, even if the application is withdrawn by the applicant or services are not provided to the individual as his case does not qualify for that particular service. This amount may be combined with the fees and only one draft/money order/cashier check could be sent.

6. Submission of the visa application does not guarantee that the applicant will receive a visa. There is no entitlement or right to a visa. It is up to the Indian Consulate to determine the eligibility for issue of visa, its type and duration, on an individual basis on the merits of each case.

RECEIPT AND DELIVERY OF PASSPORTS THROUGH MAIL:

For return of passports by mail, please add the under mentioned charges to the fees, depending on your choice:

i) By Overnight Mail (Recommended): The best option is to send a self-addressed stamped Express Mail envelope of the US Postal Service OR include $15.00 with the fees (total of fees + mail back charges can be paid together through a single money order or cashier’s check in favour of Consulate General of India, San Francisco).

ii) By Certified Mail: include $5.00 in case of a single passport and an extra $1 for every additional passport with a self addressed envelope without stamps (no stamps to be affixed). (total of fees + mail back charges can be paid together through a single money order or cashier’s check in favor of Consulate General of India, San Francisco). Consulate will not take any responsibility for late delivery or loss of mail sent by Certified Mail. Hence sending of passports etc. by certified mail or requesting for return of passports by certified mail is not recommended.

Applications sent through Certified mail may take 2-3 weeks for processing and return of the passports after grant of visa. Hence enquires regarding visa applications sent by Certified mail may be made only after 3 weeks from the date of mailing.

Note: It is not advised to use FedEx as a return service, since FedEx is not picking up any mail from this office. The Consulate shall not be responsible for any delay on this account.

Processing Duration: Applications received at the counter between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. will be processed the same day and serviced passports can be collected at the counter between 4:00 p.m. and 4:45 p.m. Applications sent by mail will take 5 to 10 working days to process. This time schedule does not apply to services where prior approval is required from the authorities in India, or embassies in case of applicants not residing in US. Applicants are advised to refrain from making telephonic / written /e-mail inquires about status of application. Applicants would be informed if additional documents are required. The Embassy/Consulate is not responsible for documents lost in mail.

TYPES OF VISAS:

Tourist Visa: Is issued for 6 months, 1 year and 10 years. The period of stay in India (for each visit) is 6 months only.

Entry Visa: Entry visas are issued only to people of Indian origin. Such visas are valid for 6 months, 1 year or 5 years.

Business Visa:
Valid for 6 months/one year with multiple entries. A letter (on company letterhead) from Sponsoring Organization indicating the nature of applicant's business, probable duration of stay, places and organizations to be visited incorporating therein a guarantee to meet maintenance expenses, etc. should accompany the application. ii) Long term Business visas for ten years (multiple entries) in case of US Citizens and five years (multiple entries) for other nationals are available only to those who have set up industrial/business joint ventures in India. This fact, along with the details of joint venture in India must be mentioned in the sponsorship letter.

Student Visa:
Valid for six months to one year with multiple entries for bona fide students to pursue regular studies at recognized institutions in India. A letter confirming admission from such an institution along with evidence of financial arrangements for stay in India should accompany application. In case of admission in medical or para-medical courses in India, a letter of Approval or "No Objection Certificate" from Indian Ministry of Health is also required. Likewise, for admission in graduate or post -graduate courses in Engineering or Technical institutions in India, a letter of approval or a No Objection Certificate from Ministry of Human Resources Development (Department of Education) should be submitted. For research purposes detail synopsis of the research project, countersigned by the sponsoring institution in India should be submitted.

Transit Visa (IN PERSON ONLY):
Valid for single/double entry for maximum stay of 15 days for bona fide transit purposes only.

Missionaries:
Valid for single entry and duration as permitted by Government of India. A letter, in triplicate, from sponsoring organization indicating intended destination in India, probable length of stay, and nature of duties to be discharged should be submitted along with guarantee for applicant’s maintenance while in India.
NOTE: Processing of applications for research and missionaries may take up to three months.

Journalist Visa:
Journalist visas are issued to professional journalists and photographers for a maximum of three months only. “Journalists, who are not accredited to India, irrespective of their origin, are given only 3 months single entry visa, irrespective of their origin. Accordingly, journalists who wish to visit India for tourism/ sightseeing or any other purpose are advised to apply for 3 months visa only. Please note that it will not be possible to refund the excess fees in case a journalist applies for a long-term visa .”

Conference Visa: Conference visas are issued for a period of 1 month, or for the duration of the conference only. A letter of invitation from the organizer of the conference is to be submitted along with the visa application.

Transfer of Valid Visa:
Valid visa can either be transferred from the expired passport to the new passport by submitting the visa application form, both the passports and required fee (see below) OR the passport holder could travel with both the expired passport containing the valid visa and the new passport keeping them together.

Special forms have to be filled by citizens of Pakistan (4 copies with 5 photos) and Bangladesh (2 copies with 3 photos).

FEES: (Effective from 1st October, 2000 revised visa fees for various types of visas are given below (in US$).

VISA FEES :
Type of Visa
For US Nationals*
For Other Nationals

Transit Visa (15 days – single/double entry) $30
$10

Six months Tourist(T) / Entry(X) /Business (B) Visa - Multiple Entry $60
$40

One Year Tourist(T) / Entry(X) /Business(B) Visa - Multiple Entry $85
$65

Student Visa (valid for the duration of the course or for a period of five years, whichever is less- Multiple Entry) $95
$75

Five Years Entry(X) Visa (Only Issued to People of Indian Origin) - Multiple Entry $150
$130

Ten Years Tourist(T) /Business(B) Visa -Multiple Entry [Not available for Non-US passport holders] $150
N/A

Five Years Tourist (T) Visa -- Multiple Entry [Not available for US Passport holders] N/A $130

Transfer of Five Years / Ten Years visa to new passport
(Application should be made on regular visa application form and it should be accompanied with both the passports.) $25
$25

List of Restricted/Protected Areas

(The fee structure is based on reciprocity between the two countries)

Visa fees revised for various types of visas, Effective 1st October, 2000

* Including Processing Fee
a. A charge of US$ 40.00 is payable by the Russian nationals for visa services and of US$6.00 (Equivalent to Rs. 250.00) by Romanian nationals.

b. The visa fees for Pakistani nationals is US$1.00. In addition, they are required to pay additional charges of US$20.00 for fax/telex charges.

c. The visa fees for Sri Lankan nationals is US$3.00 for a single entry visa and US$6.00 for double entry. They are also required to pay a charge of US$20.00 for fax/telex charges.

d. In accordance with bilateral arrangements, visas are issued gratis to the nationals of Afghanistan, Argentina, Bangladesh, Jamaica, Maldives, Mongolia, Mauritius, Poland, Slovak Republic, South Africa and Uruguay. However, Bangladeshi nationals are required to pay US$20.00 for fax/telex charges.

e. Nationals of Nepal and Bhutan do not require visa to enter India.

For visit to Restricted/Protected Areas, a separate application on plain paper, giving details of the places to be visited, should accompany the visa application (For all foreign nationals, except those mentioned in (b) to (e) above, are required to obtain permits for each visit to a restricted/protected area for each such area.)

Emergency Service: (At Counter only) An amount of $35 is charged over and above the normal fee for rendering emergency service.

EMERGENCY VISA SERVICE ON HOLIDAYS: In cases of emergency such as death in the family or serious illness of a near relative, visas can be issued on holidays in the Consulate only strictly between 11 AM and 1 PM. Applicants should bring the completed visa application form, 2 photographs, proof of emergency, copy of confirmed air ticket indicating travel within the holiday period and the visa fee (an extra charge of $ 35 is charged for visas issued on holidays).