Visa Application Centre
online visa form guides
hotel addresses help
For any other further questions please post on this thread.

EDIT TO ADD(JAN7TH 2010)
VERY IMPORTANT- READ TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS IF PLANNING A SECOND STAY IN INDIA WITHIN 2 MONTHS OF ORIGINAL/ ALSO IMPORTANT FOR THOSE WHO PLAN TO VISIT ANOTHER COUNTRY AND RE-ENTER INDIA BEFORE END OF ITINERY.
http://in.vfsglobal.co.uk/notices.aspx

EDINBURGH VISAS

Visited today and got the lowdown VERY CLEARLY from the receptionist.

Here's how you make an application to hand in/collect your passport with visa.

Apply online at http://in.vfsglobal.co.uk

File in the APPLY ONLINE NOT THE DOWNLOADABLE PDF

On completion, note down your web reference number displayed by the system AND take a print out of your form and sign it.

Visit the application centre (66 Rose Street, Edinburgh).

Supply two passport photos, there is a booth at the application centre. Pay £39.50 and collect in 2 days.

You can also mail your passport if you can't visit.

I was given this info' on a handout so it is 100% correct so no need to ask anymore.

I forgot to add DO NOT PAY ANYTHING UNTIL YOU GO TO THE OFFICE/VISA CENTRE.

OK Here's the deal when filling in the online form.

If you don't fill in any of the details with RED asterisks you cannot go any further.

You MUST provide 2 references in INDIA along with ADDRESSES, POSTCODES, TEL NUMBERS

You MUST provide 2 references in UK along with ADDRESSES, POSTCODES, TEL NUMBERS

You MUST provide your address, postcode, tel in India, it recognises Indian towns so if you get it wrong you will not be able to proceed. I had to search the internet for the EXACT address and postcode of my destination.

If you make mistakes you cannot proceed to the next page.

YOU ARE REMINDED AT THE START TO HAVE ALL INFO BEFOREHAND.

I think this has been made tricky to detract 'the dregs' that they dont want from UK.

I work in IT and even I found this tricky

I have some Goan business cards that contain addresses and postcodes. These might be useful for "Indian referees". Please feel free to PM me and I will send them to you. I have just gone through the application form in principle and they seemed to be accepted. To be honest I think you could put anything and it would work. A typical postcode seems to be 403114 (appropriate for Candolim, Nerul and Bardez).

Candybabe

hi all can anybody tell me what do i put for restricted area and permitted place on visa form,also any suggestions for referees in india it,s my first trip and i,m a bit confused many thanks

As stated NA (do not use slash between) during filling out the forms you can get an info help box by clicking help link at the top, the contents of the help box info I have pasted below:-

1. Please complete all the information on this screen or enter 'NA' (Not Applicable) as applicable.
2. Select your Current Passport from the Drop down available. The Current Passport Nationality needs to be of the Passport Number entered in the earlier screen.
3. If you hold valid Dual Passports; pls select Yes for the Dual Passport option and select the applicable Dual Passport from the Other Passport drop down option.
4. Please declare both passports as your Visa Fee and Form are determined on your Country of origin. Any hiding of facts may affect the outcome of your Visa Application/s.
5. Select only No for the question "if your Spouse or Parents were/are Pakistani Nationals or of Pakistani descent?"
6. In the UK Immigration Status drop down, select the type of permission/status you have that allows you to live/stay in The UK.
7. Select the time frame that you have lived/are living for in The UK for next query.
8. Select an option from the Visa Category drop down; this needs to indicate why you would like to travel to India.
9. Select a time frame from the Duration option; this should indicate how long you would like your visa to be valid for.
10. Select either Yes or No if you intend to travel to Andaman-Nicobar Islands or Sikkim region specifically in India. There will be an additional fee for charged for this option.
11. Kindly select the type of entry you would like to apply for from the drop down on the basis of your travel. Options available on the screen will be based on the type applicant profile created by your earlier selections.
o If you select Single then you will be allowed to enter & exit India only once on that particular Visa.
o If you select Double then you will be allowed to enter & exit India only twice on that particular Visa.
o If you select Triple then you will be allowed to enter & exit India only thrice on that particular Visa.
o If you select Multiple then you can enter and exit India as many times as you like within the validity of your Visa.
12. Based on the choices you make, your Visa and Additional Fee swill be applicable.
13. Enter the correct Issue Date of your passport from the drop down in the format as DD/MON/YYYY.
14. Please specify the Place of Issue of your Passport as mentioned in the Passport.
To conclude:
1. In this screen, the Visa category and Passport Number & Expiry will not be available for amendments/ modifications at any stage of your Online Application completion.
2. Please select an option between the Back button for the previous page and the Continue button for the next page.

Also FAQ link here reference Referees see question 18
FAQ Clicky

Mids

Just back from picking up our visas in Edinburgh, some thoughts on it. As a computer illiterate, and a one finger typer, if found the online form very time consuming, it did'nt help as at the end of my application, the lot disappeared, and I has to start again. After making my appointment, I lost all of it again before I could print it off, so I phoned the helpline no. (95 pence per min.) It was answered immediatley and a charming Indian lady led me through retreiving the completed forms and printing them out. On arrival at the visa office in central Edinburgh (very plush) the chap who gives you the queue no. is a middle aged Group4 security employee, he couldnt be more helpfull, checks your forms fills in, or delates as required, all your wrong answers, so when you get to the desk, staffed by consular staff, it should be plain sailing. Total time in office, about 20 mins. When I returned today, the returning of passports starts at 1.00pm, but as I was trying to catch a connection then, I went back at 12.30. Again, the same Group4 chap immediatley went off behind the scenes and got the passports for me, time there about 5.00mins. I can't praise too highly this chap, he's likely on a pittance, but he's worth ten of the consular staff, that are swanning about. All in all it seemed to work well, however the addresses I gave were not the ones I,m using, no referees were given, and the questions regarding parents seemed a bit needless as my parents would now be 108 and 106 years old had they still been alive. I suppose it keeps a regiment of formfillers happy . Alan

Can I ask did you fill in two adresses in india?
still getting all that together myself and i only have one...
my parner and I are carers, at home, (for a disabled family member) i'm not sure if we should state that or unemployed does anyone have any thoughts please?
I've just put new ink in my printer, and I'm nearly ready for the online form filling!

Hi
yes we put the manager at our hotel in Goa
and the name and address and phone number of the holiday company
you also need name address and phone no of you hotel
there is a list of hotels on this forum that you will find helpfull
Pat

Both my parents have died but I just filled in their details, no problems.

Anyone got any idea how you can go back and make an amendment- just done mine and paid and now spotted spelling mistakes on something!!

go to vfs global you can click track online then ammend
good luck

All I get is the status and no option to amend it

hi,
if you click onto link below you should get back to the ammend stage. good luck
smudger2
https://www.visaservices.co.in/IHC-UK/

If anybodys interested this is what the letters say. If you get it wrong they circle the number.

Dear Sir/Madam,

Kindly find your application being returned because of the following reasons.

01. Incorrect visa fees.
02. Incorrect additional service charges of £9.04 (inclusive VAT) per application.
03. Flight itinerary not attached.
04. PO must be in favour of VS servic.es (uk) Ltd - Birmingham.
05. No original passport attached.
06. Wrong form used.
07. Incorrect center submission. Please submit as per your jurisdiction
08. To include return courier £7.40 (inclusive VAT) for two applicants
09. Photographs do not meet requirement
10 Passport validity for 190 days minimum.
11 Previous passport required
12 signatures on application
13 Further documents required.

hi guys - finally filling in the visa form and asks question - Please select the type of entry you would like to apply for:*
The types of entry are S-Single Entry, D-Double Entry, T-Triple Entry and M-Multi Entry:

is it single entry? going for 2weeks hol and wont be back again in the same year

niptuckfan

You would normally choose 6 month tourist multiple entry

Sent sons, daughters and partners visas away last Tuesday. Received a call from Edinburgh office on Friday that i had only enclosed one special delivery envelope. Explained that i had sent the 4 of them in the 1 envelope but the lady said that they only send 2 per envelope ! I had to pay over the phone for the extra postage. She said they would be precessed tomorrow, Monday, so hopefully i will have them back by Wednesday.
I read Gemma saying that the Rutland office isnt the one to go to anymore but thats where i sent my stuff away too ? Must have got forwarded onto the new office. Does anyone have the address for the new office as ive still to send mine and the wifes.

BBN

Hi billy the new correct address is:

Indian Visa Centre
66 Handover Buildings
Rose Street,
Edinburgh EH2 2NN

Good luck