US Citizens: Get your India Journalist visa with the TDS Washington DC Office

Journalists traveling to India will need to apply for a Journalist visa regardless of the purpose of the trip. If a journalists is traveling for tourist purposes he/she will be issued a J-visa with the an endorsement - for tourism only, not valid for professional work/reporting. An Undertaking Letter must be submitted with the visa application stating the applicant will not engage in any journalist activities. To download the Undertaking Letter Click Here.

Journalist visa will be issued to:
A professional journalist.
A columnist, cartoonist or editor.
A photographer.
A film producer or director ( other than of commercial films.)
A representative of radio and/or television organization.
A travel writer/travel promotion photographer.
A professional journalist /owner working for an association or a company engaged in the production or broadcast of audio visual news or current affairs programs through the print, electronic or any other electronic form or any other mode of mass communication.

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. Foreign Embassies cannot issue a visa on a page not labeled as a Visa page. Ammendment and Endorsement pages in the back of the passport cannot be used for issuance of a visa.
A visa cannot be stamped on a page even if only one Small Stamp is on the visa page. If you do not have at least two blank visa pages in your passport, TDS can assist you in applying for additional pages. If your passport expires within 6 months, you must renew your passport and then we will secure your visa with the new passport.

Please send 2 recent professional passport-type photographs.
Digital and non-passport photographs are not acceptable.
No eye glasses are to worn for passport photo.
Passport Photo Guide - Click Here

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).
Copy of a valid / current lease containing both the landlord and tenant signatures.

One of the items above must be submitted as proof of residence in the Embassy's area of jurisdiction DC, DE, KY, MD, NC, VA and WV.

The address on the document cannot include a P.O. Box and Must Match "present address" on the visa application form. The Present Address will be used as the return shipping address by the Indian Embassy.

The following items are NOT accepted as proof of residence: Cell Phone Bill, Phone Bill (landline), Credit Card Statement, Bank Statement, Cable Bill.

Journalists affiliated with a media company going to India for journalist or tourism purposes are required to submit a letter from their company stating whether or not the applicant will be going for journalism or tourism only.

If you intend to make a documentary in India please contact the Press and Information wing of the Embassy. Telephone number for the Press and Information wing is 202 939 7048.

Due to recent changes by CKGS India, applicants must first complete the Indian Citizenship Renunciation Application process before sending any visa application documents to Travel Document Systems.

Additional Particulars Form

Please Complete and Sign One Additional Particulars Form.

Click Here for a guide to filling in the Online Indian Application, TDS strongly recommends printing this guide and refer to it as you fill in the Online Application.

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.

Please Note: The application must be printed on TWO sheets of paper, the Embassy/Consulate will NOT except applications on a single sheet back to back.

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