Visa: General Instructions

Before you apply

1. All foreign nationals need a visa to travel to India; there is no visa on arrival (except for nationals of Japan, South Korea and the UAE: see Visa on Arrival). Obtain the appropriate visa before entering India by air, sea or land. For ideas for your trip, see Incredible India.
2. The Government of India has not authorised any agent or intermediary to charge a fee for emergency or express visas or e-Visas. Beware of fraudulent links on the internet. A regular visa or e-Visa with a passport is mandatory for travel to India; only categories exempted under bilateral arrangements may not need a visa. For persons of Indian origin (all categories), an OCI card is mandatory. The Embassy is not responsible for any online fraud.
3. Read this page carefully to make sure your application is complete. An incomplete application is liable to be rejected. Visas are valid from the date of issue, so apply closer to your travel date.

How to apply

a) Regular paper visa

Go to India Visa Online and select “For Regular/Paper Visa by Indian Mission/Post, Apply here”. Regular visas are processed at the Embassy of India, Santiago. Print the online form, sign it on page 1 and page 2 (declaration) and submit it to the Embassy in person or by post. See the step-by-step process.

Biometrics are mandatory for all visa types. Applicants above 70 or below 12 years of age are exempt. Biometrics are valid for 5 years from enrolment. Applicants with no or poor fingerprints give facial traits only; applicants with fewer fingers give fingerprints of existing fingers. If you cannot visit the Embassy for biometric enrolment, submit a notarised letter explaining why; the Embassy may reject the letter and the application if the reason is not convincing.

b) e-Visa

Go to India Visa Online and select “For eVisa by Bureau of Immigration, Apply here”. e-Visas are processed by the Ministry of Home Affairs; the Embassy has no control over their processing. The helpline number and email are on the e-Visa page. Chilean nationals are eligible for e-Visas in these categories: e-Tourist, e-Business, e-Conference, e-Medical, e-Medical Attendant, e-Ayush, e-Ayush Attendant, e-Student, e-Student Dependent, e-Transit, e-Mountaineering, e-Film, e-Entry and e-Production Investment.

Regular visa application processed by the Embassy

• Select “Chile-Santiago” as the mission. Use an up-to-date desktop browser; the online form may not work on mobile phone browsers.
• Fill in every field of the form. Give your permanent address in your native country.
• Upload your photo vertically. Save or submit and print the application only after uploading the photograph; otherwise you will have to fill in the form again. See the photo guidelines.
• After you submit, an application ID starting with CHLSV is generated. Note it and quote it in all correspondence with the Embassy.
• Print the form, sign it on page 1 and page 2 (declaration) and submit it to the Embassy with two recent photographs (2 × 2 inches, the same as uploaded), the visa fee, the original passport and the documents for your visa type.
• Give your latest and complete contact details. Suppressing facts or giving false, incomplete or inaccurate information can lead to delay or refusal and may debar you from future visas. The Embassy may accept, modify or refuse an application, and its decision is final. It may withhold an application for in-depth examination, and may call applicants for a personal interview.
• A regular visa is valid from the date of issue, not the date of travel. Visas are not issued from a future date.

Travel to India

• e-Arrival Card: from 1 October 2025, foreigners and OCI cardholders arriving in India must submit an e-Arrival Card (digital disembarkation card) online within 72 hours before arrival, on boi.gov.in, indianvisaonline.gov.in or the Indian Visa Su-Swagatam mobile app (iOS and Android).
• See the Guide to Travellers to India.
• Persons from yellow fever endemic countries, or who have visited one in the past 6 days, need a valid yellow fever vaccination certificate. Check the list of countries on the WHO website.
• Persons arriving from a country with a public health emergency of international concern (declared by the WHO) may have to undergo medical screening or other measures decided by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• Foreigners on any visa and OCI cardholders may not preach religious ideologies, make speeches in religious places, distribute material on religious ideologies or engage in conversion.
• On a Tourist Visa, each continuous stay may not exceed 90 days, and the total stay in a calendar year (1 January–31 December) is limited to 180 days.
• Immigration clearance is required on arrival and departure. A visa does not confer the right of entry, which is at the discretion of the immigration authorities.
• Foreigners travelling on documents other than a national passport, or a Certificate of Identity, also need a valid visa. Enter India only through authorised Immigration Check Posts.
• Make sure your passport is stamped on arrival and departure; if not, contact the nearest FRRO or Immigration Check Post.
• Foreign nationals (including OCI cardholders) must always have a valid passport and valid visa for entry into, stay in and exit from India.
• Keep to the purpose of visit declared in your application. Tourism is permitted on all visa types.

Submission, payment and queries

• Visa applications can be submitted at the reception counter from 10:00 to 12:30 hrs on working days, except official holidays.
• See the fee schedule. If you are not a Chilean national, look for your nationality in the fee schedule; Part I is for Chilean nationals.
• Send queries to cons1[dot]santiago[at]mea[dot]gov[dot]in.
• A Minor Consent Form PDF is mandatory for all minor applicants.
• This information is indicative and not exhaustive. The Embassy may ask for additional documents or information.

How to pay

Only electronic transfers are accepted. Cheques, money orders, credit cards, debit cards and cash are not accepted.

A/C Number

102784

Bank name

Banco Santander

A/C Type

Cuenta Corriente

RUT

69.903.100-3

A/C Name

Embajada de la India

Destination email

cons1[dot]santiago[at]mea[dot]gov[dot]in

Please attach a copy or screenshot of the payment to your application. Fees once received will not be refunded under any circumstances, even if the application is withdrawn or the case does not qualify for the service.

Where to submit

The Embassy of India will not accept any responsibility if a courier is lost, misplaced, damaged or delayed.