The e-Conference visa for India
The e-Business visa is suitable to carry out a series of activities in India. If you are planning to attend a conference, seminar or workshop in India, you will need an e-Conference visa instead. The application procedure takes place entirely online.
Requirements
British travellers are eligible for the e-Conference visa. Applications must always be submitted outside India. If you are already on Indian soil, you are not entitled to apply for an e-Conference visa. You will need to leave the country for this. The purpose of your trip must always be to take part in an event, conference or workshop. You may also carry out tourist activities in India, before or after the event. You are not allowed to perform other activities with this visa. If you are travelling to India on business, you will need an e-Business visa. The e-Conference visa does not allow to combine business activities with a conference. Contact the Indian embassy if you want to both attend a conference and also undertake business activities.
You must also fulfill the following requirements:
- You must arrive at one of the 32 authorised airports or 5 seaports.
- Your passport must still be valid for at least 6 months on the day you leave India.
- You need to know on which day you will arrive in India and which event you will attend.
Period of validity and maximum length of stay
The e-Conference visa allows a maximum, non-extendable stay of 30 days. The visa allows you to enter India only once, which means that you may not leave India and travel back to the country with the same e-Conference visa. If you need to travel to India twice for a conference or a workshop, you must apply for two different e-Conference visas.
Which documents do I need to submit?
As opposed to the e-Tourist visa or to the e-Business visa, for the e-Conference visa you will need to submit additional documents. It is therefore advisable to prepare your application as early as possible.
You must submit the following documents:
- A photo or scan of your passport
- A passport photo or a selfie
- Invitation letter from the conference organisers
For some conferences, events or workshops, the following documents are also required:
- A political clearance provided by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs
- An event clearance issued by the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs
When do I need to submit a political or event clearance?
A clearance must be provided by nationals of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and Sudan, among others. This also applies to stateless persons. If you are not a Pakistani national but are of Pakistani descent, you must also arrange for a clearance. If you are going to visit a restricted area or a protected area during your stay in India, you must also apply for a political clearance or an event clearance.
The restricted areas are:
- The Andaman islands, the Nicobar islands and part of Sikkim
The protected areas are:
- All of Arunachal Pradesh
- Parts of Himachal Pradesh
- Parts of Jammu and Kasjmir
- All of Manipur
- All of Mizoram
- All of Nagaland
- Parts of Rajasthan
- All of Sikkim (partially Protected Area and partially Restricted Area)
- Parts of Uttarakhand
Step-by-step guide to applying for an e-Conference visa:
- First, fill in an online form on the Indian government website.
- You can then submit the required documents digitally, such as a copy of your passport, a passport photo and an invitation letter.
- The next step is payment.
- Once your application has been approved, you will receive an email containing your visa. You must print this document and take it with you on your trip to India.
Delivery times
The average processing time for an e-Conference visa for India is 3 to 4 days. However, an application may take longer to process. The price of the e-Conference visa depends on the nationality of the applicant. British and EU nationals pay £99 per application. The visa has a validity period of 30 days and you may enter India once with the visa.
