Advisory Regarding Visa
Visa Requirements
1. The Government of India has bilateral Visa Exemption Agreements for holders of diplomatic / official / service passports with a number of countries. The details can be found at https://mea.gov.in/bvwa.htm. As on date we have 95 countries with whom we have Visa Waiver agreement on Diplomatic & Official Passport holders and 33 Countries with whom we have Visa Waiver agreement on Diplomatic passports only. Holders of diplomatic / official passports of the aforementioned countries are exempted from visa requirements for short stays (30/60 days as applicable).
2. All other delegates (from countries with which India does not have a bilateral visa exemption agreement for holders of diplomatic/official/service passports) and intending to travel using diplomatic/official/service passports will be issued appropriate visas on gratis basis, to attend the event which will be made available on the basis of confirmed invitation of the delegate. Delegates may submit copy of the invitation along with the visa form to the concerned Indian Mission or Consulate, for affixing the appropriate Indian visa. In such cases application for diplomatic/official Visas may be made at GoI's website https://indianvisaonline.gov.in. (It may be noted that e-Visa cannot be applied on Diplomatic / Official Passports).
3. Delegates traveling on ordinary passports are to apply for conference/Business visa, (Regular/Paper visa) from the Indian Missions or Consulates accredited in their respective countries of residence or nearest Indian Missions or Consulates. This Visa will also be issued on Gratis basis.
4. ordinary passport holders from eligible countries can also apply for e-Conference or e-business Visa (as applicable) at https://indianvisaonline.gov.in (list of eligible countries for e-visa can be found at https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html ). It may however be noted that e-Visa is not available on Gratis basis.
5. Delegates from UN/ Other International Organizations holding Diplomatic/Official Passports or UNLP may apply to the nearest Indian Mission for getting the appropriate Visa. It may be noted that e-Visa facility is not available for International travel document holders like UN Passport etc. These Visas will also be issued on Gratis basis. All delegates to ensure that their passports have at least six months validity, minimum of two blank passport pages for validation, and identical information between the country represented and the holder’s nationality.
Frequently Asked Questions
- For delegates - They may apply for Conference Visas
- For Business - Can apply in Business Visa or Conference Visa, as applicable.
Except for Nepal, there are no visa exemption for any Nationals on Ordinary Passports in the List provided.
India has Visa-free travel arrangement for holders of Official/Diplomatic Passports for 128
countries. Full list of countries eligible for visa exemption on Diplomatic/Official Passports
for short visits maybe found in the link below:
https://mea.gov.in/bvwa-menu.htm
Details maybe found in the link below:
https://www.mea.gov.in/indian-missions-abroad-new.htm (It is advised to check the
consular services provided in the nearest Indian Mission/Post by visiting the website of the
respective Mission/Posts. In some stations, consular services are done through Outsourced
Agencies like BLS/VFS, etc.)
India has introduced e-Visa facility for nationals of 166 countries. Applicants may apply for e-Visa which is granted usually within 72 hours after submission of the application online. The website for applying e-Visa is https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html . If a country is not in the list of e-visa countries, then the applicant has to apply for the Visa in the nearest Embassy or Consulate. Details of how to apply can be checked from the Embassy / Consulate website.
Yes.E-Visa is applicable for Nationals of 166 countries to attend Conferences, Seminar, Business, Tourism, etc. Details maybe found in the link shared above. However, it may be noted that e-Visa facility is not available to Diplomatic / Official Passport holders. Gratis Visa facility is not available if an applicant applies for e-Visa.
