What is the procedure for grant of Conference Visa?

• Indian Missions are authorized to issue Conference visas to delegates on production of an invitation to a conference/seminar/workshop being organized in India by a Ministry or Department of the Government of India, State Governments or UT Administrations, Public Sector Undertakings, Central Educational Institutions, Public Funded Universities (list of such institutions are available on the website www. education.nic.in and the websites of the University Grants Commission and Association of Indian Universities), or an organization owned and controlled by the Government of India or any State Government / UT, United Nations or its specialized agencies. Missions will process the cases for grant of visas and after satisfying themselves, grant visas to the participants of such events except in cases indicated below under sub para (iii).
• If the conference/ seminar/ workshop is sponsored by an NGO or a private institution, the Mission should scrutinize the background of the NGO/private institution and grant visa to the participants except in cases indicated in sub-para (iii) below. If the Mission concerned has any doubt about the background of the sponsoring NGO/private institution, the matter may be referred to MEA and MHA for verification of the background of the NGO/private institution concerned.

However, in respect of all international sports events, the organizer shall submit the proposal for holding the international sports event to the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports for prior clearance and the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports shall refer the proposal to the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of External Affairs with their recommendations. Visa for the participants of international sports event shall be issued by the Indian Missions/Posts subject to production of clearance of the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, political clearance from the Ministry of External Affairs and security clearance from the Ministry of Home Affairs.

• Missions will be required to make a prior reference to the Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Home Affairs before granting conference visas to foreigners participating in conferences/ seminars/ workshops etc. in India only in the following cases:-

a) Participants from Afghanistan, China, Pakistan, Iraq, Sudan, foreigners of Pakistani origin and Stateless persons; and

(b) Participants of conferences/seminars/workshops who are required to visit 'Restricted' or 'Protected' areas in India, or areas affected by terrorism, militancy and extremism etc. viz. Jammu & Kashmir and the North Eastern States(other than the States of Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland). In the above cases, Ministry of External Affairs will examine the proposal along with the Ministry of Home Affairs and grant clearance within four weeks. Clearance will be conveyed to the Missions and organizers of the conference.