India visas now processed at embassy

All those wishing to visit India from Korea are required make their visa applications at the Indian Embassy until further notice.

Applications for every category of visa will have to be conducted in person or with related documents sent through a travel agent.

No visa applications sent by mail, courier or online will be accepted by the embassy.

The change is because of the completion of a contract between the Embassy of India and the visa outsourcing service provider TT Services Korea.

Visa applications that were accepted before Aug. 19 will be processed as usual and passports with the visa stickers may be collected from TT Services.

Any relevant information concerning the visa application process is available from the Indian Embassy's website located at www.indembassy.or.kr.

Applicants should visit the embassy at 37-3 Hannam-dong, a map is posted on their website, with relevant and completed documents or have them sent through a travel agent.

The consular office is open between 10 a.m. to noon, from Monday to Friday.

It generally takes three days for completion of the visas for Korean passport holders and seven days for other nationalities applying at the Indian Embassy in Seoul.

Fees to purchase Indian visas need to be paid for at any KEB bank under the Indian Embassy account number 081-11-00240-1 only after the visa application is accepted by the Indian Embassy.

(yoav@heraldm.com)