Applying for an Indian Visa

Excited as you may be to come to India, all excitement wanes when you visit the Indian embassy in your country to apply for the Indian Visa. That is your first experience with bureaucracy – Indian style!

As you will find out, there is a dearth of articles and information on the internet on how to apply for an Indian Visa. Checking the embassy website for information does not help either! The most common complaint from expats is that the Indian Embassy website is not updated with correct and and up-to-date information. So naturally it leads to several amendments to your visa application and more than necessary to and fro trips to the embassy. More often than not – as an expat – you are already tired of India – and this is just the first step of your journey!

To help make this process a little simpler, I have put together a few simple points that can help you with your visa application.

Step 1: Know which visa you need to apply for

At present the Indian Government issues thirteen different types of visas. Naturally the documentation for your visa application is dependent on the the type of visa that you apply for. The most commonly sourced visas are the Employment Visa and Tourist Visa.

If you are staying in India for maximum 6 months, you can apply for a tourist visa. The only constraint with the tourist visa is that you cannot re-enter India within 2 months of leaving the country. If you need to return to India within 2 months then you need to get a permit to re-enter the country.

Employment Visas are handed out to those foreign nationals who are being employed by an Indian company in India. If you are coming to work with an NGO, then you can still apply for this visa. An employment visa is generally granted for 1 year at a time, irrespective of the duration of your contract with the Indian company.

Step 2: Prepare your visa application

Your first stop to preparing your visa application should be the Indian embassy website. The standard set of documents for each visa type are generally listed on the website itself.

Once you have these documents in place, call up the embassy and speak to the visa section to confirm if your documents are in order. Most often, the embassy will confirm the standard document list. But when you arrive at the embassy hoping to sail through, you are given a totally different check list with several additional documents. Why embassies never publish the updated checklist is something I cannot fathom yet, but c’est la vie, I guess!

Prepare to visit the embassy at least twice. If you happen to have all the documents in place, consider yourself blessed!. More likely than not, you may have to come back with an additional document.

Step 3: Follow a document check list and submit your application

Prepare your own document check list from references found on the net and through conversations with the embassy.

Standard documents include

• Copies of your passport valid for a minimum of 6 months (provide copies of your entire passport including blank pages)
• 2 passport size photographs (light background)
• Proof of address – major utility bill (gas, water, electricity), driver’s license or copy of lease agreement
• Invitation Letter – from school or company
• Contract of employment  / Letter of Appointment (should indicate your designation, period of employment and  the salary paid to you must be more than USD 25,000)
• Financial documents to support your stay in India

Except for the Employment Visa, all other visa’s have a finite list of documents which are generally listed on the website. However if applying for an Employment Visa, then it is advisable to include

• Proof of registration of the Indian organisation i.e. Memorandum of Association and Certificate of Incorporation of the company
• Tax Liability Letter – which states that the company is responsible for paying taxes on behalf of the applicant
• Letter of Undertaking – stating that if anything adverse happens to the applicant, the company undertakes to repatriate him at their own cost.
• Justification Letter – justifies the skills and expertise for which the applicant is hired by the company and also confirming that his expertise is not available in India. Hence the need to employ an external resource.
• Employment Details Form – click on the link to download the form.

In the case of a Student Visa, you need to provide a letter of appointment which clearly indicates your acceptance to the course of study and duration. In addition you (the institute) need to provide proof that the course is valid under the relevant Indian Government Ministry. If in case this is not available, then the school needs to show proof that the course is governed and registered with a relevant body of study and the certificate awarded on completion of the course is recognized globally. This is mainly to safeguard against fly by night courses and institutes which operate in India.

Visa processing time generally differs from country to country but ideally take into account 7 working days.

Good Luck!!

Opening a bank account in Mumbai

Like everything else in India, opening a bank account requires a certain amount of internet research and oodles of patience. Expats arriving in

Mumbai on an employment visa face the least amount of difficulties. Why, you ask? The only reason is that the company opens a bank account for them! But for all others, the plethora of choices coupled with exceptionally long waiting times can be an overwhelming experience.

Here’s explaining the process and requirements in a few simple steps.

When can you open a bank account?

Tto open a bank account you would need to provide a “Proof of Address” in India and your FRRO registration,  in addition to your passport and visa.  So you can only apply for a bank account once you have your rent agreement and FRRO registration with you.

What type of bank account to open?

You are probably thinking, “Why should this be difficult?” Well, it is only when you are standing in front of a bank executive, who is  asking you several poignant questions – Savings bank account or Current bank account? NRE or NRO?  What is your monthly salary? What is your occupation? Where are your current funds coming from? Would you like to open a Women’s Account? No Frills Account? Many Frills Account?  – that you realise this is not as simple as it seems! Retail banking customers in India are spoiled for choice – check any bank’s website and you will see why. For expats who are not in India on an employment visa, this last  question is the deciding factor – If you are not earning money in India then where are your funds coming from? Very often, this could lead to “I am sorry but you will not be able to open a bank account with us.” It leaves you wondering, so I can only open a bank account if I earn money in India. What happens to the many students, researchers etc who come to India?

The common assumption by most banks is that if you are opening a bank account, you are earning a salary here in India. So most accounts are opened as Expat Accounts, which require anywhere between INR 150,000 to INR 300,000 deposit just to open the account. In addition you need to keep a quarterly balance of INR 100,000 to 150,0000 failing which you will be charged a penalty. These accounts, as with most accounts offered to retail customers, irrespective of nationality, offer the basic facilities of Internet and Mobile banking, foreign remittances, ATM and cheque books with the additional benefit of a personal Relationship Manager! What does a personal relationship manager do? Well they take care of just about every banking requirement that you may have right at your doorstep!! All you need to do is contact them and they will help you out. The downside of this arrangement is that you are easy pray for being coerced into buying other banking products. But of course, you can decline. The advantage is that you do not have to visit the bank personally to get your work done.

Most banks offer a similar account under the guise of different names – Advanced Account, Expatriate Account, NRI account and the list goes on. What is important to remember is that irrespective of the name, the account must have the same benefits for you.

Should I opt for an account with an International Bank or an Indian bank?

To open a bank account with international banks like HSBC or Citibank, you would need to deposit an initial amount of INR 100,000 and above. Moreover the average quarterly balance requirement would be higher. In addition, the surcharges for accounts with international banks are also higher. The advantage is that the bank has a global presence, so yes, you will probably have less difficulties accessing your money when overseas. I say ‘probably’ because there have been cases where expats travelling overseas have not been able to access their bank accounts even though it was with an ‘international’ bank. The other dilemma that I faced when trying to open bank accounts for expats with international banks is that if the expat is in India on a visa other than an Employment Visa, then the bank is not sure which account is suitable and in some cases they refuse to open the account at all.

Indian banks like HDFC, on the other hand, have simpler procedures to open an account. Moreover, the inital deposit amount is only INR 10,000 and they provide all the same facilities that you would get with an international bank – ATM, Cheque book, internet and mobile banking etc. Depending on the account you open, you could also get a dedicated Relationship Manager.

So to summarize, all banks, whether international or Indian, offer similar levels of service and products, so it is only YOUR requirement which should be the deciding factor.

How to open a bank account?

Here are a few simple steps to open a bank account in India.

• Step 1: Decide YOUR banking requirements – What do you want from a bank account? Is it just to act as a depository for cash? Will you be doing outward remittances frequently or have frequent inward remittances? Will your salary be credited to this account directly? Do you require internet or phone banking facilities? The questions are endless! It is important to be clear with your requirements so you can sift through the multitude of choices and choose what is right for you.
• Step 2: Research – Once you have decided on what you want out of a bank account, you then need to do a little research. The extent of your research is dependent on your requirements. If you have an Employment Visa then you can open a salary account as you will be earning an income in India. The company employing you will most likely complete this formality. If you have any other visa, then you would need to open a standard Expat / Non Resident Indian (NRI) account and you will need to maintain an average quarterly balance in your account. Depending on the account you open, the amount varies and so does the penalty for not maintaining this balance. So if you are a person who does not follow your account status closely, then preferably look for an account with the least quarterly balance you can find. Secondly, read the terms and conditions when opening your account and BE AWARE of penalties and surcharges applicable. Some banks, in trying to advocate online transactions, charge for cash payment of credit cards. Some banks charge for cheque books, duplicate accounts statements and so on, so you need to keep yourself informed.
• Step 3: Select the most appropriate bank and account for your requirements. You can visit the bank to complete the account opening formalities or you can even apply online for the account. If applying online, you will be contacted by the bank’s representative, they will collect the required documentation from you and your account will be opened. Irrespective of the bank, accounts generally take 7-10 working days to be opened. You will receive a welcome kit from the bank with your cheque books and account details. This will be followed by your ATM card and ATM pin in separate couriers. If you have opted for internet banking you will receive you Net Banking User ID separately. Do note that once you receive your ATM card and pin, you must activate the card at the bank’s ATM. Similarly, you would need to register for net banking as soon as you receive the user ID to activate your account.

Having completed these three simple steps, you will now have a fully operational bank account!

Demystifying the FRRO!

Most expats get their first glimpse of what to expect in India when they apply for the Indian visa in their home country. No matter how prepared you think you are, “they” will insist some document is missing or more proof is needed to explain why you want an Indian visa. It all comes down to additional paperwork and repeated visits!

The FRRO, whether in Mumbai or anywhere else in India for that matter, is no different. For the uninitiated, FRRO stands for Foreigners Regional Registration Office. All expats intending to stay in India for longer than 180 days have to register themselves with the FRRO in their city of residence within 14 days of arrival in India. This is your first hurdle!

The next one is in trying to understand what documents are required for the registration. I say “trying” because it is not as easy as most people think it should be. In this internet age, we believe we have the world at our finger tips –  So your first thought would be to check the FRRO official website. Rest assured, the FRRO does not want you to feel secure in that assumption.  What you see is a short list of standard documents – Photographs, passport, visa, proof of address in India and proof of identification. “No problem there” is what you are thinking, smug in the knowledge that you have most of the documents that they want. All that remains is the proof of address – which you need to arrange for. If only it were so simple!

So you go to the FRRO, with your list of documents neatly filed, fill out the application form at the computer terminals and wait your turn to meet the Officer. When it’s you turn, you hand in your documents to the officer, who could be really polite and friendly or in many cases, stern and unhelpful. A quick run through of your documents and you are told it is unsatisfactory! The officer then proceeds to enumerate what is missing, while you frown and try to figure our how you could have missed all that!! So you leave the FRRO, organise all the documents that you now have to get, return to the FRRO, only to get a new Officer and be told that your contract letter is not clear or your cover letter needs to also incorporate the other cities where you will be working. So after having wasted 3-4 working days, 4 hours of to and fro travel everyday and many many exasperated expletives later can you say that your registration process is complete.

Unfortunately, unless the Indian company that you are employed with has many expat employees and therefore does this registration frequently, most Indians are equally clueless about the requirements for registration, so you may not get much help from them. I encountered similar problems when I had to prepare the FRRO documents for the expats working in my company. With no real guideline, I did not quite know where to begin. So I started reading several blogs, websites and even calling up the FRRO to clarify my doubts. I took a while to gather the correct information and in the mean time, some of the expats in my company did have to make several trips to the FRRO, however I soon got it right! Now it’s just a trip down to South Mumbai which takes a few hours and the registration is complete.

So to simplify things for you, firstly you need to understand the documents required for registration. This can be generalised for all visas however I am referring more to those expats who are coming to India on Employment Visas.

• Passport copy
• Copy of your Indian Visa
• 4 passport size photographs
• Proof of address in India – The best document to provide for this requirement is a copy of your leave and license agreement.
• Contract of Employment from the employer in India – the contract must state your name, designation, duration of contract in addition to the general terms and conditions of your employment. The contract must be printed on the company’s letterhead, duly signed by the authorised signatory with the company stamp on each page, with the authorised signatory’s initials.
• Covering Letter from the employer requesting your registration.
• Letter of Undertaking – The FRRO has their own format and it is available on the Mumbai Police website . However to be on the safe side I recommend that you provide this undertaking in several formats – 1. the form downloaded directly from their website. 2. The same format should also be printed on your company letterhead and submitted. This letter states that an Indian individual takes responsibility for you while in India. This person is generally the authorised signatory of your company.  If in case it is someone other than the authorsied signatory then you should also include a letter from the authorised signatory stating that he has appointed a person to undertake the responsibility of your stay in India. The letter must be accompanied with a proof of address and identification of the person undertaking responsibility – generally a passport copy is sufficient. 3. I also submit a letter of undertaking from the company on company letterhead. The reason for three different format is because I never know which one they will accept. Sometimes, they take all three formats!
• Police Clearance Certificate – This certificate is generally arranged for by the real estate broker who has helped you rent your apartment. It is certificate duly signed by you and the licensor. This certificate proves that you have been authorised and approved by the police to rent the apartment.

These are the standard set of documents that need to be submitted to the FRRO. If you have dependants on ‘X’ Visas, they too would have to have a similiar set of documents. In the case of other types of visas, like Student Visa, you would need to replace the Contract of Employment with an Appointment letter from the university or college where you applied or a Research Visa, you would need to include the invitation you received to participate in the research project or conference or seminar. The letter of undertaking is required only in the case of an Employment Visa.

 

Tips for a smooth registration process at the FRRO

• Ensure to make at least 3 sets of all the above documents with several photocopies of any and every document you can think of.
• The FRRO office timings are from 9.30am to 2pm. Ensure to reach the office at least half an hour before to avoid the crowd and chaos that soon follows. An early start enables you to finish earlier and avoid missing the entire day at work. Furthermore, you avoid the peak hour morning traffic and are able to return in the afternoon when traffic is not so bad.
• No matter how exasperating and unprofessional the FRRO officers seem, do not lose your temper. It will make the situation worse. You definitely need loads of patience for this.
• You (and your dependants, if any) need to go personally to the FRRO office. So no matter what some guides may tell you, you cannot send a substitute or an agent on your behalf. This holds good even when you have to renew your registration.
• Suggest to call up the FRRO office a day before to ensure that they are firstly open. As it is a government office, all public holidays, for any and every festival, religious or not, is a holiday. In addition, you can check with them in case you have any query regarding your documents. However ensure to note down the person’s name so that you can quote them when you are sitting in front of the officer. But you may not always get an answer to your query; more often than not you will be told to come to the office and speak to an officer since it is not possible to provide assistance over the phone. But it does not hurt to try!
• Have someone standby at your office who can prepare any documentation required at the last minute. So rather than returning and making subsequent trips, if you can get the document faxed to the FRRO, it would save you a lot of time. They are open to this so do not refrain from giving them this option.

Visa Extensions

The FRRO office in Mumbai is now authorised to extend visa’s as well. Previously you had to renew your visa in your home country and then return to India for registration. This process is now simplified and both activities can be accomplished simultaneously. The same process and documents as mentioned above applies. However suggest to visit the FRRO 15 days before your visa is to expire. This is what they recommend and they do not attend requests earlier than this.

You can visit the Bureau of Immigration, India  website to get addresses and contact details of the FRRO office relevant to your city.

With this post, I hope some of your questions are answered. Do write in if you have any unanswered questions and expatguidemumbai will help resolve them.