Online process for Indian visas

All applications for visas to India will have to be filed online beginning in 2012, according to a decision made by that country's government.In the UAE, the online visa application service will be available from Tuesday, India's ambassador to the UAE M.K. Lokesh announced in Dubai Monday."Online application is however optional for now and will be mandatory only by January 1, 2012," he said.The online application service is being rolled out in a phased manner at all Indian embassies and consulates around the world.The visa application process cannot be completed online, however, and applicants will still have to visit the visa services centre in person to submit relevant documents."More than the applicants, it is the Indian government officials who will benefit from the introduction of this online procedure," Lokesh said.Annually about 80,000 visa applications are processed by Indian missions in the UAE, a majority of whom are Emiratis travelling to India for business purposes and as tourists, he said.Once the online application becomes compulsory, those who need help in filling the online form can seek the assistance of BLS International — the company outsourced to handle Indian passport and visa services — for a fee of Dh25.An applicant who completes an online form will receive a 12-digit alphanumeric file number which has to be presented to a BLS centre before supporting documents needed for Indian visa application can be submitted to the centre.While filling the online application, applicants may also note down a temporary application ID number on the application form that will help to retrieve it conveniently and follow it up at a later date.The BLS centres have recently begun offering a service called BLS Premier Lounge, in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, which offers customised and personal service to customers."The new service is for those who do not want to stand in queues. It costs Dh225," Andrew Gonsalves, BLS' regional head in the Middle East, said.