FAQ
A visa is a travel document, which conditionally allows a person to enter or leave the region for which it is issued. If you are travelling to a foreign land, you always need a visa to ensure that you are entering the country legally. A visa application in advance of arrival gives the country a chance to consider the applicant's circumstance, such as financial security, reason for applying, and details of previous visits to the country.
Transit visa- for passing through the country to a destination outside that country
Tourist visa - for a limited period of leisure travel, no business activities allowed
Visa for medical reasons- for undertaking diagnostics or a course of treatment in the host country's hospitals
Business visa - for engaging in commerce in the country
On-arrival visa (also known as Visa On Arrival, VOA), granted at a port of entry
Electronic visa - The visa is stored in a computer and is electronically tied to the passport number; no label, sticker or stamp is placed in the passport before travel
Any other specific category of visa defined by the country based on the common nature of applicants (For e.g.: Seamen Visa, Religious Worker Visa, Cast and Crew Visa etc.)
A visa on arrival is issued once you enter the respective country. For Indians, it is usually issued for tourism purpose for countries like Thailand, Bhutan, Cambodia, Maldives, Macau, Indonesia, Iraq, Nepal, Laos, Jordon, Mauritius, Seychelles, Kenya, Tanzania, Madagascar, Cook Islands, Fiji and many more . please visit our Visa on Arrival Section on this website for detailed list
There are many countries who allow Indian citizens to travel without a Visa on gratis. Some countries allow Indian nationals to obtain Visa On Arrival (VOA) either with a fee or at times without a fee. The remaining countries would need Indian nationals to obtain Visa before their stipulated travel.
An embassy is a permanent diplomatic mission (read: a delegation of diplomats) led by an ambassador. The term is often also used for the physical building they occupy, predominantly in the capital cities (New Delhi in India). A consulate or consulate general is generally a representative of the embassy in locales outside of the capital city. Consulates are extended offices of Embassies and the applications are taken as per the jurisdictions defined.
The jurisdictional limits defined by consulates are as per the geographical area where consulates responsibility is divided to issue visas pertaining to applicant’s residence in the respective areas. Some consulates have strict enforcement of jurisdiction for all visa categories, some consulates’ jurisdiction is limited to certain types of visas and others do not have any jurisdictional limits.
There are certain embassies where bio-metrics is required. In such cases applicant has to appear personally at the defined counters. There are instances when applicants or any specific applicant are required to appear in person at the consulate after the visa application. In such cases, the applicant will have to appear before the Consulate personally, however there are some consulates which allow third parties to collect the passports on the applicant’s behalf after the visa process is completed.