The Emergency Visa to Visit India
Individuals from foreign countries who have to visit India on an urgent crisis basis, based on the scenario they are permitted for the Emergency Indian Visa (or Emergency eVisa). So those individuals living outside the country and have to visit India for a crisis such as sudden death of a family member or someone dear, or someone in your family is suffering from serious illness or you have to visit the court for legal issues, travelers are allowed to apply for the Emergency Indian visa.
Highlights of the Emergency Indian Visa (or Emergency eVisa)
When you apply for a visa according to the standard application, the processing time is 3 days and it will be emailed to you. So individuals are requested to apply in advance, at least 4-7 days earlier, in this way you will not be in stress and you will be able to receive your visa on time.
But what if some crisis came up in India, and you need to fly immediately?
Travelers can apply for the emergency visa, in the nearest Indian Embassy, however it is not guaranteed that you will be able to receive the visa to India within 24 hours.Some of the popular countries like US, UK, Australia, Canada, Germany, France, Poland, UAE and Israel have availed the services of emergency visa.
The Emergency Indian eVisa application takes less time to be processed, compared to other eVisas for India like Indian Business Visa, Indian Tourist Visa, and Indian Medical Visa.
The Emergency Indian Visa cannot be used for reasons related to sightseeing, yoga retreat, visiting friends and family, or for attending complicated relationship issues, applicants are not eligible to apply for this crisis visa for such issues.
The highlight of the Emergency Indian Visa is that applications are processed even on weekends, for travelers who need to travel due to an emergency crisis or in case of unwanted circumstances. However, there are exceptions on processing visas on days during the National Holidays like Republic Day and Independence Day, the immigration officials are on leave.
Individuals who have an urgent and instant requirement for an Emergency Indian Visa can apply on this website, for any emergency reasons related to death of a family member, sickness of oneself or a family member or attending the court for legal issues.
Also, an urgent processing charge needs to be paid for the Emergency Visa to India, this is not required for other Indian eVisas like Business, Tourists, Conference, Medical, and Medical Attendant.
The processing time required for this visa is 24 hours and might sometimes extend up to 72 hours. This visa takes the stress away if you are short on time or have scheduled a last minute visit due to an emergency situation, this visa will work for you.
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If you wish to visit India to explore the breathtaking places, travelers kindly apply for the India e-Tourist Visa (or eVisa India or Indian Visa Online). For travelers visiting the country for business reasons, they need to check out the India e-Business Visa and in case they want to add some activities and sightseeing places in their itinerary, then the traveler should apply for Indian Visa Online (or India e-Visa). Simply apply online rather than visiting the Indian Embassy.
How is an Emergency e-Visa different from an Urgent e-Visa?
The emergency eVisa can be applied for reasons related to unforeseen situations like sudden death of someone in the family, serious illness of some in the family or serious circumstances requiring your presence in India.
Emergency eVisa Application Process
The Indian Immigration Authority facilitates the foreigners to apply for eVisas related to tourist, business, yoga retreat, medical treatment, and ayurvedic treatment, which is completely online, you don't have to visit physically, but in case of Emergency Visa applications, you might need to visit the Indian Embassy in person.
The immigration officials works even on weekends and beyond regular hours for such situations, except the National Holidays i.e. Independence Day and Republic Day, when the staff has off.
Processing Time
The processing time of an Emergency Indian Visa varies, from 18 hours to 48 hours, solely depending on the number of applications and the manpower available.
Fast-Track Option
There is a dedicated team available for 24/7 to fasten the processing time for emergency travel needs.
On-Arrival eVisa
Travelers visiting India on an emergency visa, submit the on-arrival eVisa before takeoff, it saves time and till the time you land, you will receive the eVisa in your mail. Once you reach, with internet connection back you can fetch the eVisa.
Even in emergency situations, fill the form with caution
Applications submitted in a hurry are usually prone to rejection, as trying to speeden up the submission leads to errors. While filling your form try to be patient, carefully read and fill the details, cross checking again and again. Any mistakes like entering your name, passport number, or date of birth, could ;lead to rejection. If something like this happens you will have to apply for a new visa and pay the fees again.
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Applying for Emergency Indian eVisa? What are the Cases for Processing your Application?
In case of a sudden death of a family member or a close relative you will be eligible to apply for an Emergency Indian Visa. Individuals requiring an Emergency Indian Visa, you will have to contact the Indian eVisa Help Desk first. The management will verify first internally before approving it. To avail this service you will have to pay an extra charge and you will have to visit the Indian Embassy in person to avail the same. After you have applied and paid your visa fees, you will be requested to provide the first page of your passport and a face photograph.
While filling the Emergency Indian Visa form, fill it correctly and completely. Also, fill only one form and submit, filling of more than one form might lead to rejection considering it to be needless.
The Indian Embassy official staff members work even on weekends for emergency visa cases except on National Holidays i.e. Independence Day and Republic Day.
Also, make sure to reach the Indian Embassy by 2.00 pm which is the standard time for appointments.
Individuals applying for Indian Visa Online (Indian eVisa) for Fast Track Processing or Urgent eVisa through this website https://www.indian-e-visa.org, your Indian eVisa will be sent via email, the traveler simply needs to cary the hard copy or soft copy of eVisa to the airport. All the Indian Authorized Immigration Check Posts accept the Emergency Indian Visa.
Individuals applying for the Emergency Indian Visa do have all the needed documents. Remember that providing false or misleading information regarding your requirement could lead to trustworthiness of your requirement during the interview process.
Types of Cases for which the individuals can apply for Indian Emergency eVisa include:
Number 1: Emergency medical treatment
The purpose of this trip should relate to immediate emergency medical treatment of oneself or to accompany a relative or employer who needs emergency medical treatment.
Documents required for this reason:
- Letter from a hospital in India or doctor stating that they will treat the patient.
- Letter from a doctor with a report mentioning the medical condition of the patient in detail and why they need to be treated in India.
- Evidence that they have money to afford the treatment.
Number 2: Family member's serious illness or injury
The purpose of this trip should relate to attending or accompanying close relatives (like mother, father, kid, brother, sister, grandparent, grandchild) who are seriously ill or injured in the United States.
Documents required for this purpose:
- A letter from the doctor or hospital, explaining the details of the disease or injury.
- Proof that you are a close relative of the person who is seriously ill or injured.
Number 3: To attend a funeral or death of a close relative
The purpose of this trip should relate to attending the funeral or death of a close relative (like mother, father, kid, brother, sister, grandparent, grandchild) in India.
Documents required for this purpose:
- A letter from the funeral office where the funeral will be held with the contact details, the deceased person’s details and the date of the funeral.
- Evidence that the deceased person is an immediate family member.
Number 4: For business reasons
The purpose of this trip is that you need to travel to India for immediate business reasons. However, in rare cases that an emergency visa is approved related to business, the traveler has to explain with proof as to why this business trip is an emergency and why he was unable to make travel arrangements in advance.
Documents required for this purpose:
The traveler has to submit a letter from a firm in India, a letter from the company in the country of your residence mentioning the importance of the scheduled visit, details about the business, potential loss if you do not get the emergency eVisa.
OR
Evidence that you have to attend a short term course or an important short training programme in India, a letter from the current employer and a letter from the Indian organization providing the training programme.
Both the letter should contain details about the training programme and a justification letter as to why the current firm and Indian organization providing the training programme will lose a huge amount of money if an emergency eVisa is not available.
Number 5: Exchanged temporary workers or students
The reason for this trip is for students to attend school or temporary workers to restart a job in India. Students or exchange temporary workers during their stay should keep on checking frequently their time-limit in the country they are staying, so that they don’t have emergency situations. The Indian Embassy will consider such cases only in restricted circumstances only.
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On-Arrival Indian Visa, lets citizens of eligible countries to get hassle-free visa on-arrival. The travelers are exempted from physically having to visit the Indian Embassy. Travelers hoping to visit India for reasons related to tourism can apply for Indian Tourist Visa, for business they can apply for Indian Business Visa and for medical purposes they can apply for Indian Medical Visa. If you are curious, learn more about Indian Visa On Arrival.
Under which set of conditions does it become urgent enough to be eligible for the Emergency eVisa to visit India?
Applications are considered urgent enough in case you need to provide evidence of citizenship, search for Indian citizens citizenship records, renewal, or application for citizenship, if you fulfill one of the following requirements:
- If the Minister of Immigration, Citizenship and Refugees has made the appeal.
- Due to the death of an immediate family member, the applicants are not able to get a passport in their current nationality (inclusive of the Indian passport).
- The applicants are Indian citizens who do not have proof that they are Indian citizens, so they are afraid that they might lose their jobs or any opportunity.
- If an applicant for Indian citizenship has successfully pleaded to the Federal Court after the applicant's application was delayed due to the government’s administration mistake.
- The applicant is in a situation where further delay of the citizenship application could be harmful or negative to them (for example, they have to decline their present foreign citizenship by a certain date).
- Requirement of Indian citizenship to get certain benefits like pension, healthcare or social security number.
What are the advantages or convenience of applying for the emergency Indian eVisa?
The benefits of using the Indian Visa Online (Indian eVisa) for Emergency Indian Visa is that it is a complete paperless process, you don't have to visit the Indian Embassy physically, its valid for both sea and air routes, you can make payments in around 135 currencies, and round the clock processing time. Also, you skip the requirement for passport stamps or visit the Indian Embassy.
When the application is submitted online with the needed documents, and the fee payment, the Emergency Indian eVisa takes around 1-3 working days to be issued.
The fee for Emergency Indian eVisa is comparatively more than the other types of Indian eVisa. Travelers traveling for tourism, business, medical, conference and as medical attendants can apply for the Urgent or Fast Track Visa Service.
What are some of the foremost points to watch out for when applying for an Emergency Indian Visa?
The Emergency Indian Visa is comparatively more difficult to get it approved as compared to other visas. For only situations like sudden death or serious illness of a family member (like mother, father, kid, brother, sister, grandparent, grandchild) with proper supporting documents of the reasons mentioned and how you are related. If you cannot verify the reasons with proof your application will be rejected.
The applicant should provide accurate information regarding his contact details like phone number, email address and social media accounts for further communication, if more information is required.
Remember that the Indian Embassy staff works even on weekends on emergency cases, except on National Holidays like Independence Day and Republic Day.
If an applicant has more than one original identity, a visa that has been misused, or an expired visa or a visa that is valid, kindly provide the visa details that is still valid, however with so many visas to verify, it may take up to 4 days for the Indian Embassy Immigration authorities to decide. Also, the decision depends entirely on the Immigration officials.
What are the main documents that you should have to apply for the Emergency Indian Visa?
Applicants needs to provide for the following to apply for Emergency Indian Visa:
- Evidence or proof of death or serious illness of a close relative (like mother, father, kid, brother, sister, grandparent, grandchild) in India.
- Passport that's valid, up to 6 months validity period and must have blank pages.
- Passport size photo
If you are confused, check the Visa Passport Requirements and Visa photo requirements for applying for the Emergency Indian Visa.
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Want to visit India as a tourist? The online Indian Tourist Visa is an electronic travel authorization allowing the citizens from eligible countries to apply for it. With the benefits of the India Tourist Visa (or Indian e-Tourist Visa), the traveler can visit India for all tourism reasons. To know more check out What is the Tourist eVisa to visit India?
Who are the citizens qualified to apply for the Emergency Indian Visa to visit India?
The applicants who are qualified or permitted to apply for the Emergency Indian Visa:
- Foreign citizens with a minor child, either the mother or father of the child, have Indian citizenship.
- An Indian citizen who is married to a foreign citizen
- A single foreign individual with small children who are holders of Indian passports.
- Students who are foreign citizens and one of their parents has Indian citizenship.
- Service passport holders working in government international organizations in India, authorized diplomatic missions, and consular offices.
- Foreign citizens of Indian origin who need to visit India for an emergency family crisis like sudden death of a close relative or serious illness. For such reasons, the foreign citizens with Indian origin are considered as someone who already has a passport and whose parents are or were of Indian origin.
- Foreign nationals who are trapped in neighboring countries and wish to get to some other destination through India.
- Foreign citizens who need to travel to India for medical treatment ( and along with the patient one attendant can apply to accompany the patient).
- Also, foreign citizens for business, employment and journalist purposes can apply. However such applicants are required to get approval in advance by sending the required documents.
Important notice: Applicants are advised to wait for the approval of the Emergency Indian Visa before booking their tickets. Although, you have a booked ticket does not mean your emergency visa will be approved and thus you might lose money booking the flight ticket in advance.
What are the procedures to follow to apply for the Emergency Indian Visa?
Step 1: Complete the details of the Regular Visa Application Form online through our website Kindly select the latest version of the browser so that it supports a secured site. Keep the Tracking ID as you have to complete the visa application. Once you have filled the application form, save it in PDF format and take the print out.
Step 2: Sign the filled print out application form in the required areas of the first and second page.
Step 3: To apply for the visa application, one passport size colored photo is required with a white plain background and full display of your frontside of the face. Kindly follow the photo requirement instructions.
Step 4: Provide evidence of your address like electricity bill, landline telephone bill, gas bill, Indian driver's license, owned house or rented house agreement.
Other important documents based on the purpose of visit:
To attend a funeral or death of a close relative:
If you need to attend the funeral or death of a close relative (like mother, father, kid, brother, sister, grandparent, grandchild) in India, the documents you need to provide includes a letter from the funeral office where the funeral will be held with the contact details, the deceased person’s details and the date of the funeral, proof that you are a close relative of the deceased person, passport number, contact details, etc.
In case of applying for a minor child:
Parents applying for the visa of their minor child should provide the documents like birth certificate of the minor with fathers and mothers name, Indian passport copies of the minors parents, marriage certificate of the minors parents, and consent form signed by the parents.
Self-administered medical visa:
In case of a medical emergency, the applicant needs to provide passport number, a photocopy of the Indian passport, contact details, a letter from the doctor detailing the medical condition and why seeking treatment in India and a letter from a doctor in India or hospital stating that they are going to treat the patient, etc.
In case of a medical attendant:
If you need an Indian eVisa as a medical attendant you need to provide a letter from the hospital in India detailing about the required treatment of the patient whom you are accompanying as an attendant, along with the attendants name, personal information, passport number, attendants relationship with the patient and the passport copy of the patient.
What are some other important information regarding the Emergency Indian Visa that the applicant must know?
Here are is a list of some of the important points that the applicant needs to know:
- Visas are mostly issued based on your passport and identity certificate.
- Passport must have a validity period of 190 days.
- Without providing any valid proof for your emergency trip, the Consulate of India has the right to delay or reject your visas. The applicants are eligible to get an approved visa only after thorough checks and verifications. Although your application might be accepted, a visa is not guaranteed as it will go through thorough verification. it does.
- Former Indian passport holders should provide their current passport, together with the Indian passport which they have given up or the surrendered certificate of their Indian passport. If they plan to stay for more than 3 months, they should hand over the passport of the current country of residence, in case they have not done so.
- Once you have paid your application fees, even if your visa is denied your fees will not be returned.
- In case of emergency visa, in addition to the legal fees you will have to pay a certain amount as a Consular surcharge.
- Also, travelers can check the Frequently Asked Questions related to COVID-19, before traveling to India.
- For traveling to India you do need a vaccination, but travelers traveling from or traveling through Yellow Fever affected areas, you need to have a valid vaccination certificate of Yellow Fever.
- Present your passport together with the visa application form as visas are issued and attached to the passport.
- Emergency Indian Visas are sometimes processed on the same day by the Consulate of India, provided you present all the necessary documents.
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What is the Emergency India ETA and what is its purpose?
The eTA for India is an official electronic travel authority that allows travelers to enter the country. Citizens from permitted countries can apply online for the emergency eTA, and it's not like the traditional visa, the applicants can apply online without visiting the Indian Embassy..
The processing time required for the online Emergency Indian Visa is around 24 hours, depending on the application and documents submitted. The approved Emergency Indian Visa is delivered to the applicants email address.
The whole process takes place online, the applicant has to fill the form online and submit the fees via debit/credit card. The whole application process will only take some time.
All the citizens who are eligible for the eTA for India are listed below, they must have the approved eTA if they are entering India by flight. Those nations who are not eligible for Indian eVisa, should visit the Indian Embassy and apply for a visa.
Which are the countries who are eligible or qualified to apply for the Emergency India eTA?
The following countries are eligible to apply for the India eTA:
Afghanistan
Albania
Andorra
Angola
Anguilla
Antigua & Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Barbados
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Benin
Bolivia
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Brunei
Bulgaria
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon Union Republic
Cape Verde
Cayman Island
Chile
Colombia
Comoros
Cook Islands
Costa Rica
Cote d'lvoire
Croatia
Cuba
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
East Timor
Ecuador
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Estonia
Fiji
Finland
France
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Grenada
Guatemala
Guinea
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kenya
Kiribati
Laos
Latvia
Lesotho
Liberia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Madagascar
Malawi
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Mauritius
Mexico
Micronesia
Moldova
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Montserrat
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nauru
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger Republic
Niue Island
Norway
Oman
Palau
Palestine
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Republic of Korea
Romania
Russia
Rwanda
Saint Christopher and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent & the Grenadines
Samoa
San Marino
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
South Africa
Spain
Suriname
Swaziland
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tanzania
Thailand
Togo
Tonga
Trinidad & Tobago
Turks & Caicos Island
Tuvalu
UAE
Uganda
Ukraine
Uruguay
USA
Vanuatu
Vatican City-Holy See
Venezuela
Vietnam
Zambia and Zimbabwe
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Citizens of many countries including United States, France, Denmark, Germany, Spain, Italy are eligible for India e-Visa(Indian Visa Online). You can apply for the Indian e-Visa Online Application right here.
Should you have any doubts or require assistance for your trip to India or India e-Visa,contact Indian Visa Help Desk for support and guidance.