Can somebody else pick up an Indian tourist visa in London?

Question

Me and my wife are heading to India for a holiday and need visas. However we are going to struggle to find the time to queue up outside the embassy in London for half the day.

My brother has offered to go and queue up for us and get our visas. It doesn't say anywhere on the Indian embassy website that you have to be there.

I just like to know if anybody else has collected an Indian visa for a friend / family member or done it for someone themselves.

Also, there is a space on the form for two contacts in case of emergency in the UK and India. We have the UK ones sorted but have never been to India and don't know anybody there. Can we still get visas without that or do we need to try and find somebody who's address we can use?

Answer 1

No you will have to pick up the visa yourself Why not apply by post I find the High Commision in Birmingham most helpful The only snag is you will have to pay by Postal Order they will not take a cheque. You can get the application form online.  If you need an address in India give the Hotel you are staying ats address  that will be fine Have a good trip

Consulate General of India 20 Augusta Street Jewellery Quarter Hockley Heath Birmingham B18 6JL

Answer 2

www.incredibleindia.org

Answer 3

Most embassies including the Indian embassy allow someone else to collect the visa on your behalf. I have had my dad go to the Indian embassy for my visa on our last trip to India. Similarly, I have had a colleague go to the Russian embassy to collect my business visa. If embassies did not allow this, a lot of visa courier companies would go out of business. I wouldn't worry too much about not having an emergency contact in India. Your visa application won't be rejected on that basis.

Answer 4

No, he can't. They take photos and fingerprints.

Answer 5

Hi

Anybody can collect your visa's for you. No fingerprints are taken. You do not have to be there in person. Make sure you get there early, from about 6am and queue if you want them processed same day, alternatively you can leave them and collect at a later date. ( I work in travel industry and had to get 12 visas for colleagues)

You do not need a contact address in India for the visa application, but I used the hotel that I was staying at.

I hope this helps and have a wonderful time. It's a fascinating country.

Answer 6

pretty sure you have to be there in person.

my mate keeps going to australia and he has to get a day off to pick up his paperwork every time.

i think they'll probably want fingerprints and dna these days as well...

Answer 7

Yes someone else can go to the London ofice as I did for my Mum and Dad.

Yes you do need 2 contacts but I can not rememeber if you ned both to be uk or 1 in uk and 1 in India.

The London ofice is very busy and the ques are very long. You have to get there VERY early.

The que takes you all the way upstairs and even when you get in there may not be room to find a seat anywhere.

Try and not find a seat as when your number comes up you need to get to the window QUICKLY. If you do not then someone else with the next number gets in and says that that number person has gone. Then you are left without a window to get to and you may find that they will not except your number as they have now moved onto another number. So you end up trying to find some nice person behind a window to take your ticket next time they are free.

So do not think you can relax just because you are in the building or even in the room.

Also when you have to pick the passport in the aafternoon you wil find that most of the people in the que are not even waiting for a passport to pick they are there for some other reason. They won't even move when you tell them that I have to pick up my passport. so you have BARGE right up to the window to get somone to hear the name and give you your passport.

Trust me I have done it.

Answer 8

Use a visa bureau service, they are authorised to collect visas on your behalf, they also manage to cut the queue massively and get the visas rushed through. I've used them several times in London, there are lots of them around, check for one that specialises in Indian visas, you simply give them the passports (or send them via registered post) and some photos and they'll get the passports back to you. The cost isn't extraordinarily high.

Answer 9

soooo many indians in u.k