Would you love to travel to India and you don’t know how to go about it? Well, you’re certainly on the right page.
There are some peculiarities with the Indian Visa Application and you’ll need the right information in order to understand the process before applying.
The processing of the India Visa is usually done at the India High Commission with locations in Lagos and Abuja. The Lagos office is at 8A Walter Carrington, Victoria Island while the Abuja office is at 15, Rio Negro, Close, Off Yedseram Street, Maitama.
As a potential visitor to India, the first step is to visit the Indian High Commision website to find out which visa category relates to you in terms of your purpose of travel. Some of the categories include: tourist visa, business visa, medical visa and many others. All of these categories have been highlighted below:
Types of Visa to India
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Business Visa
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Conference Visa
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Employment Visa
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Entry Visa
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Journalist Visa
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Medical Visa
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Project Visa
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Research Visa
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Student Visa
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Tourist visa
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Visitor’s visa
You shouldn’t conclude your travel arrangement if your visa application is yet to be approved. Usually, the time taken to process is unspecified since it is the High Commission that determines how long it will take. Also, you’ll need to apply in person. You’re not expected to send someone on your behalf except for very peculiar reasons.
Also, there are some protected or controlled areas in India that you may need to obtain special permits to visit. You should contact the High Commission of India in Lagos to confirm if any of your travel destinations fall in to this group before you apply.
Another important to note is if you’re not a Nigerian, you’ll have to seek clearance from the Indian Mission in your country before you can apply through the Nigerian office. In this case, you’ll have to wait for the necessary visa clearance from the Indian Missions in your country.
If you are a Nigerian applying from Nigeria, here’s how to apply below;
You are to write to the Indian High Commission requesting the application form. You can send this visa request letter via post. The letter should be addressed to the India Consulate and should be stamped with your name and address on it. You can also obtain the form by placing a call through to the official Indian consulate number.
Some of the most popular visa categories are the tourist visa which is for travelling and leisure purpose while the visitor’s visa is another common visa category. As the name implies, this visa is for the purpose of visiting close friends and relatives.
Once you’ve obtained and filled the form, you’re to visit the visa office closest to you and pay the fee which is usually at the Sterling Bank Plc Extension counter of the Indian High Commission. You can also pay at any other branch of Sterling Bank. The account details are dependent on which of the centres you’re applying from. They are provided below.
HCI Abuja
Name of Account: High Commission of India Consular Services
Sterling Bank Account Number: 3123241441590
HCI Lagos
Name of Account: High Commission of India Consular Services
Sterling Bank Account Number: 240/165498/1/1/0
Below is a list of the general requirement for all visa applicants. Additionally, you can obtain a checklist of the documents you’re expected to bring by including photocopies of the main pages of your passport in your visa request letter.
- Return flight tickets.
- Yellow Fever Certificate.
- Bank statement for the last three months. This should be an official account statement stamped by your bank.
- If applicable, another letter indicating your earlier visits to India, including periods of stay
- Your CV/biodata
- Also a letter showing your current job and the purpose of your visit to India.
- If you are being sponsored, you’ll need to include the statement of account of your sponsor, the affidavit of the sponsor with a copy of his/her photo identity card with signature.
- If you have any other enquiries or clarifications, you can visit their website.
On a final note, you should remember that the application fee is non-refundable. You should also take note of the terms and conditions of the application process. It is important you provide the necessary documents. Any mistakes on your part may lead to your application being tagged as fraudulent which can lead to the cancellation of your visa.