Visa Information

Types of Visa

An entry visa is essential for all foreigners visiting India. There are several types of visa, including Conference, Tourist and Business Visas. Those travelling specifically for the 14th World Congress on Public Health (14th WCPH) should apply for a Conference Visa. A Conference Visa allows tourism, but a Tourist Visa does not allow the holder to attend a conference. Conference Visas are not issued “on arrival” application must be made well before the Congress. Note that many private visa-assistance companies are not familiar with the Indian Conference Visa application process, and may recommend that you apply for a Business Visa, which is incorrect.

Accompanying Persons are not entitled to attend the conference sessions and should apply for a Tourist Visa.

 
Documents supporting a Conference Visa

Documents required by the Indian Embassy or Consulate in your country may vary slightly from country to country. It is the responsibility of the participant to check the website of the local Embassy to see what documents are required for a Conference Visa.. Documents for a Conference Visa should include Visa Application Form, Identification Letter from your Institution, and Photographs, as well as:

  • A Letter of Invitation to the conference/seminar/workshop in India
  • Copies of Permissions from four Indian Government Agencies for the staging of a particular conference

The above two types of documents are not required by those applying for a Tourist Visa, i.e. those not entitled to attend the scientific sessions of the conference, such as accompanying persons. Letters of invitation can only be issued to delegates attending the Scientific Congress; not accompanying family persons including spouses or others. For a Tourist Visa, the purpose of visit should be stated as Tourism. Mentioning “Conference” on a tourist visa application is incorrect and will lead to the visa application being rejected.

 
Invitation Letter website

Please note that Invitation Letter website created by 14 WCPH is only to help visa applicants by providing the Letter of Invitation and the copies of Permissions. These documents must be submitted by the applicant along with any other documents required by the local embassy.

The responsibility of getting a visa lies with the applicant, and neither the 14th WCPH nor the Professional Conference Organiser KW Conferences can influence the embassy to grant a visa. Please do not request the conference authorities for visa assistance, as the only help that can be given is the information on this page.

To use the website, participants of the 14th WCPH should have filled in their passport details on the online registration form.
Participants will be then able to generate and print personalised letters of invitation and download the four Indian Government permissions by clicking on the Invitation Letter website. Logon by using the personal access key emailed to you after registration. Please note that a letter of invitation is only for facilitating your visa, it should not be considered as an invitation covering fees and other expenses.

Important: Citizens of Afghanistan, China, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Sudan, and persons of Pakistan-origin currently holding citizenship of any country
These participants must fill in their passport details on the online registration form, and apply for Conference Visa more than 60 days before the start of the Congress. The recommended latest date is 1 Dec 2014. The Congress organisers are required to send the passport details of these participants to the Ministry of Home Affairs for scrutiny, which takes 60 days.

For participants from Pakistan:

  • The “Port-of-Entry” into India should be via Delhi, Mumbai or Chennai only. Kolkata is not an allowed Port-of-Entry into India for Pakistan citizens.
  • Pakistan citizens holding two passports should apply for visa on their Pakistan passport

 
General Visa Information

It is advisable to apply for a visa well in advance, but not earlier than 3 months before the end date of Congress – 15 February, 2015. If approved, a single entry Conference Visa will be granted. Please note that the validity of a visa begins on the day it is issued. The date of entry into India does not affect the period of validity of a visa. The duration is usually 3 months.

Processing time for a conference visa is usually 15 days. For participants from Afghanistan, China, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Sudan, and persons of Pakistan-origin the processing time is 60 days.

Foreign visitors entering India must possess a passport valid for at least 6 months after their date of entry into India, except in the case of nationals of Bhutan and Nepal, who need only carry suitable means of identification. There should be at least two blank pages in the passport.

The list of Indian diplomatic missions overseas can be consulted at:

Some Indian embassies and consulates have outsourced their visa processing services to VFS Global http://www.vfsglobal.com Visa application forms may be downloaded from this link.

 
Online Visa Application

Indian Embassies, Consulates and High Commissions now require
visa applications to be made online. This can be done from the Indian Government
website: https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/
Please note that this website is operated by the Indian Government, not the 14th WCPH. Here are some tips on using that website

  • Make a note of your temporary reference number. If the website crashes, throws up error messages or freezes, you can try later using your temporary reference number to retrieve your partially filled form.
  • Length of stay – Check whether the form asks you for your length of stay in months. If the form asks for months, it actually means days. So if you put 15 months in this box, it will print out as 15 days.
  • Do not upload your photo on page 3 – press “next page”, check details and confirm. A visa application form will be generated with the High Commission Logo at the top. Print off 2 copies (and another one for yourself) and sign. Save the document in case you need to reprint.

 
Photographs

You will need to provide two 50mm x 50mm photos. Please ensure they present the full head from top of hair to bottom of chin, and that this distance measures between 25mm and 35mm. If this is not correct your application will be rejected.

 
Copy of Letter from your Institution

This is a simple letter from the Institution you are associated with, identifying you and their relationship with you, and confirming that they understand you intend to visit India for the 14th World Congress on Public Health (plus any extra days stay for tourism).

 
Other Documents required by Indian Embassies for Conference Visa

Please check the website of the Indian Embassy in your country for “Conference Visa”.