Getting a visa for your travel from the UK to India is not too difficult. Here is a step wise guide based on my personal experience to help you in case you need a visa to visit India. The first step is to download the visa form from the website of High Commission of India. After carefully filling up the form, get two passport size photographs and visit one of the Indian consulates. In London, it is the India House, Aldwych. Before visiting the Consulate, check out the official holidays listed on the web site, lest you end up there on an off day. Be sure to carry the sum required for your Visa application in cash as credit cards or cheques are not accepted.
Be prepared for long queues. It is advisable not to visit right after a holiday as the queues can be longer than usual. To beat the queue, it is essential to arrive early. The later you arrive, the longer you will have to wait. In fact, being too late may mean that you will fail to get your visa on the same day. Altogether, you have to stand in three queues.
The first queue is right outside India House. When you reach your turn, you need to show the clerk that you have a valid passport. In return, the clerk gives you a queue number or numbers. This depends upon the number of visa or passport applications made by you.
Armed with your queue number, you need to join the second queue upstairs. Take the stairs and head to the main room. The current queue number is displayed in a corner of the room, along with an alphabet from A to E. The display panel flashes from A1 to E99. Go to a window, when your queue number is flashed. Hand over your passport, passport photos, application money and application. You will be provided with a receipt containing your queue number, which would be the same as before. Your passport won’t be returned as it would be required for visa processing.
Now, you will be asked to wait. If everything is in order, your number would be called out pretty soon. The moment you hear your number, go to window 1 and collect your passport. Your visa would be inside your passport. When they ask you to check the details, do it carefully. After all, you need to be absolutely certain that there are no discrepancies concerning your passport number and the dates of your planned trip.
Once you have acquired the visa, it is advisable to make few copies of it to help you in case you need them. You can now set on your search for some suitable flights to India.
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