Services for U.S Citizens Applying for a Visa For Travel to India

U.S. citizens require a valid passport and valid Indian visa to enter and exit India for any purpose. Those arriving without a valid passport and valid visa are subject to immediate deportation. Visitors should carry photocopies of the bio-data page of the traveler's U.S. passport and the page containing the Indian visa in order to facilitate obtaining an exit visa from the Indian government in the event of theft or loss of the passport.

Americans wishing to visit India are responsible for requesting the correct type of visa from the Indian Embassy or Consulate, as there generally are no provisions for changing one's immigration category (e.g., from tourist to work visa) once admitted.

As of October 1, 2007, the Indian Embassy and Consulates in the U.S. outsourced the visa application process to Travisa Visa. Outsourcing: http://indiavisa.travisaoutsourcing.com. Diplomatic and Official visa applications, however, are still accepted directly at the Indian Embassy and Consulates. Foreign citizens whose primary purpose of travel is to participate in religious activities should obtain a missionary visa rather than a tourist visa. Indian immigration authorities have deported American citizens who entered India with a tourist visa and conducted religious activities.

Consulate General of India at Chicago

455 North City Front Plaza Drive

NBC Tower Bldg, Suite#850

Chicago, IL 60611

Tel.: 312-595-0405 to 0410

The Consulate has jurisdiction over Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

The following link provides application requirements, processing time and consular fee for each Visa type: https://indiavisa.travisaoutsourcing.com/guidelines

For information on the Overseas Citizenship of India Scheme, click on the following link: http://www.indianconsulate.com/Overseas%20Citizenship%20of%20India.htm