1. Select Visa Type

2. Select Office/State

3a. Check Requirements

3b. Fill & Print Application

4. Fill Online Order Form


REQUIREMENTS FOR NON-U.S. CITIZENS TO OBTAIN A INDIAN TOURIST VISA




Passport

Please send TDS your current valid and signed passport. It must not expire within 6 months and must have at least Two blank visa pages.   If your passport expires within 6 months, you must renew your passport and then we will secure your visa with the new passport.

 

Photo

Please send 1 recent professional passport-type photograph.
Digital and non-passport photographs are not acceptable.
No eye glasses are to be worn for passport photo.
Passport Photo Guide - Click Here

 

 

Proof of Departure

Please send a copy of your round trip airline tickets, or itinerary or e-ticket, or letter of confirmation from a travel agent. The itinerary must show the applicant's name, date of arrival and departure from the country, and flight information. The Embassy does not recommend purchasing your ticket prior to a visa being issued.

 

 

Proof of US Status

Green Card Holders: Applicants who are not Citizens of USA, but hold Long Term US visa or a Green Card should submit a copy of the visa(along with the original visa in passport) or the Green Card. Do not send the original Permanent Residence Card/Green Card.

 

 

Proof of US Status

Short Term Visa Holders: Applicants who are not citizens/residents of the USA and hold a tourist or other short-term visa for the USA should normally apply for Indian visas in the country of their permanent residence.

In case of emergency or special circumstance, an application could be made at the Indian Embassy in Washington DC or Consulates General of India in the USA.

In addition to the relevant visa fee there is a reference fee of $20.00 for reference to be made to the country of their original residence. The processing time in such cases is usually 5-7 working days. (No. Rush processing is available).

 

 

Copy of Birth Certificate

Those not born in the US or India should submit a birth certificate or any government document from the country of origin that has parents name, date of birth and nationality. Must be translated into English and notarized.

If the name on the Birth Certificate does NOT match the name on the passport then the traveler will ALSO have to provide a Marriage Certificate or Court Documents to verify the name change.

 

 

Copy of Drivers License

Proof of residential address in the United States: Please submit a clear copy of applicant's Driver’s License, Major Utility Bill (Water, Gas, Electric. Sewage) or a copy of a valid/current lease containing both the landlord and tenant signatures must be submitted as proof of residence in the Consulate's area of jurisdiction, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas, Address on the document cannot include a P.O Box number and Must Match present address on the visa application form. The following items are NOT accepted: Cell Phone Bill, Phone Bill (Landline), Credit Card Statement, Bank Statement, Cable Bill.

 

Applicants of Indian Origin

Special Instructions: Persons of Indian Origin applying for a visa for the FIRST time on any passport must submit their Indian passport and a completed Renunciation Form. Persons of Indian Origin who have held an Indian visa in a previous passport must submit the expired/cancelled US passport.

 

 

Permit To Re-Enter within 2 months

Special Instructions: Click Here


Travelers on a tourist visa were previously required to have a gap of at least 2 months between two separate visits to India. The restriction has now been lifted except for nationals of China, Iran, Pakistan, Iraq, Sudan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, foreigners of Pakistan and Bangladesh origin and stateless persons.

No Permit is needed if the visa holder is traveling to multiple countries on the same itinerary and the trip follows the itinerary exactly. The visa holder must carry a copy of the itinerary to show the Immigration Officer.

If reentry to India is required for any other reason, this permit will be granted only under exceptional circumstances. Visa holders are expected to re-enter India after a gap of 2 months. If a permit is granted, registration is required within 14 days of arrival.

In order to apply for the Re-Entry permit you will need in addition to all requirement detailed above:

1. Visa application form:  (See Below)

2. Letter of Request: A letter addressed to the appropriate Indian Consulate seeking permission and highlighting the urgency of the visit. The letter should also provide a detailed explanation of the reason for visiting more than once within two months, the purpose of journey and the expected dates of travel. The specific purpose of visit must be clearly indicated, for example: for recreation/sight seeing, casual visit to meet friends and relatives/others (to be specified), and not for engagement in business activities, employment or pursuing studies, research, etc.

3. Reentry Permission Form: One copy of the reentry permission form. This form will generate automatically as a part of the application process. After printing, answer the questions not covered by the online application form, and then sign. A blank form is available here: Reentry Permission Form

Additional fees to apply for the Re-Entry Permit do apply, these fees are in addition to the Visa Fees. (See Below).


Note: Processing of this special permit can only begin after your visa has been issued.

 

 

TDS Service Fee

TypePriceProcessing Time
Regular $65.00 5-7 Business Days
Rush $115.00 Not Available
Permit to ReEnter $50.00 5 + Business Days

 

Consular Fees

TypeEntryPricePeriod of stayValidityProcessing Time
Regular Multiple $61.00 Up to 180 Days 6 Months 5-7 Business Days
           
Permit to Reenter Up to 3 $46.00 Determined by Immigration Officer   5 + Business Days

A postal money order is required by the Embassy of India. The money order will be obtained by TDS, the consular fee above includes a $5 postal money order fee.


 

Processing Times

Please Note: Non U.S Citizens who require a reference have a minimum processing time of one to two weeks and some cases may take longer.

 


 

Application Form

 

 

Please complete the Indian Governments online application form. (Note you are not applying online, only completing the application). When you have completed the application please print and sign before sending to TDS along with supporting documents.

IMPORTANT RULES TO FOLLOW:

COMMON ERROR (S) TO AVOID

SURNAME - IS YOUR LAST NAME.

GIVEN NAMES (s) - GIVEN NAMES (s) IS YOUR FIRST AND MIDDLE NAMES. YOU MUST LIST THEM ON YOUR VISA APPLICATION EXACTLY AS THEY ARE LISTED IN YOUR PASSPORT.

***Caution Errors on the visa application form CANNOT be fixed, an error of any type WILL result in the application being rejected by the Indian Consulate. If rejected you will be required to complete a new application and resend it to Travel Document Systems. Indian visa applications must be perfect, errors, omissions and mistakes cannot be edited or fixed by Travel Document Systems, please be careful when completing your application to avoid delays.

From the "Indian Mission" drop down list Select USA-Houston.

When filling in the section titled "Given Name" applicants MUST include their middle name.

Application forms must be printed on two separate pieces of paper. Application forms printed back to back on a single page are NOT accepted.

Applicants are required to sign the visa application in two places. On page 1, the applicant must sign COMPLETELY inside the box located under the photo area, if any part of the signature is outside of the box the application WILL be rejected. On page 2, the applicant must sign on the dotted line at the bottom of the page.

If the applicant is a minor both parents or legal guardians must sign the application along with copies of the information page of both parents passports, BOTH signatures must be COMPLETELY inside the box located under the photo.






TDS Order Form




You must complete the Online Order Form.

The order form gives TDS your name, address, shipping information and payment method. Multiple applicants can be entered using one order form. You only need to complete one TDS order form per request. Please print two copies of the confirmation page. Include one copy with the documents you ship to TDS and keep one copy for your records.

While completing the online order form in this step, you will be asked how you want to pay TDS fees. You may pay our fees online with a credit card or enclose a personal or business check or money order.




 

Shipping Address

Please forward the completed requirements detailed above to:

TRAVEL DOCUMENT SYSTEMS, INC.,
6201 Bonhomme Road, Suite 187 N
Houston, TX 77036

Urgent applications should be shipped to TDS using only the FedEx Company.
Please use FedEx Priority Overnight. Do NOT ship "First Overnight." This will delay the delivery of your package.

 

FedEx Fees

FedEx Return Shipping
Continental USA Only Price
Next Business Day - up to 3 passports $27.00
Next Business Day - 4 or more passports $30.00
Saturday Delivery $41.00
Alaska, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, USVI Price
Next Day Letter (No Saturday Delivery) $39.00
International Price
Call for a quote. Call.

 

Additional Helpful Information

Visas are usually valid for 6 months,

Important: Travelers must leave India on or before the expiration of their visa. Travelers who remain in India beyond the validity of their visa could face detention and significant penalties. If your intended length of stay in India exceeds the validity of your existing visa, you must apply for a new visa.

All Consular Fees and Processing Fees are NONREFUNDABLE, even if a visa is denied or if a visa is issued for a shorter period of time or otherwise issued or returned at a time or on terms and conditions that vary from those sought by the applicant.

Religious ministers applying for tourist visas must write a letter declaring they will not perform religious ceremonies while visiting India.

Note that for citizens of Czech Republic and Slovak Republic, processing time is a minimum of 21 working days.

Special Pakistan Application: In addition to the requirements above, Special Visa application form is required, please contact TDS.

Special Bangladesh Application: In addition to the requirements above, Special Visa application form is required, please contact TDS.

Embassy requirements and fees are subject to change without prior notice.