Appointments Required to Obtain Indian Visas, Passports, OCI Cards

Starting March 16, applicants for Indian visas, passports, OCI cards and other consular services in the United Kingdom must make an online appointment to submit their application and biometrics at the visa application center with jurisdiction over their place of residence in the United Kingdom. Those without appointments will not be accepted after this date. The new procedure is part of a program to introduce biometrics collection for all Indian visa holders. 

Children under five will not have to attend an appointment. Instead, parents can attend the principal applicant's appointment and file an application on the child's behalf then. If the main applicant is already in India and the spouse is applying for an entry visa together with the minor child, a parental authorization document is advisable. 

Diplomatic and Official passport holders on official trips are exempt from the requirement to apply at a visa application center and may submit their applications to the High Commission of India in London or Indian Consulates General in Birmingham or Edinburgh. 

What This Means for Foreign Nationals 

Foreign nationals applying for Indian visas, passports, OCI cards and other consular services in the United Kingdom should contact their immigration professional for information about making an online appointment to submit their visa application and biometric data at the application center with jurisdiction over their place of residence in the United Kingdom. 

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].

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