How to Apply for an India Visa in Orlando

UPDATED April 4, 2022

The city of Orlando, located in the Central Florida region of the United States and known as “the City Beautiful”, is ranked as America’s 23rd most-populous city.  The Orlando metropolitan area includes various cities and towns such as Kissimmee, Sanford, Winter Garden, Winter Park, Altamonte Springs, and Apopka.  The metro area has a population of 2.6 million people and is home to several theme parks including Walt Disney World, SeaWorld, and Universal Studios.  Orlando’s theme parks, natural attractions, and year-round warm weather make it one of the most-visited cities in the world.  The Orlando economy is expanding thanks to the internal migration of Americans from slow growth states along with the flow of immigrants from all over the world, including from India.  Indian immigrants are attracted to the region’s numerous business ownership opportunities within the restaurant and hospitality industry, along with strong job prospects in the medical and technology fields.  Orlando is home to several Indian cultural organizations like the Hindu Society of Central Florida, Gujarati Society of Central Florida, Telugu Association of Greater Orlando, and many others.  Orlando also has a diversity of religious organizations including churches, mosques, and Hindu and Sikh temples.

India is the second most populous country in the world and has a population approaching 1.4 billion people.  There are 122 major languages spoken in India, including 23 official languages, with Hindi and English being the most widely spoken.  India is one of the most diverse countries in the world with regard to language, culture, religion, land, climate, and wildlife, and it is also one of the oldest civilizations on the planet.  With such an ancient history and unique culture, this is a country that Americans could dedicate their entire lives to exploring.  But this is also a fast-moving nation whose people are very much living in the present and working vigorously to develop.  India’s geopolitical and economic relationship with the United States has grown much closer in recent years, and American people would do well to learn more about this endlessly fascinating land.  Locally in Orlando, the University of Central Florida is developing the India Center as a channel for strengthening cooperation between Americans and Indians in the areas of technology, medicine, government, culture, and business.  These cultural and business ties between our two countries will continue to grow as the Indian economy expands and more Indians have the means to make investments into U.S. cities like Orlando. 

Obtaining an India Visa from Orlando

Traditional sticker visas for India (the visas that are placed in one of the pages of your passport) are issued by the Indian government in the United States.  The government of India is represented by their embassy located in Washington, D.C. along with five consulates located in New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, and San Francisco. 

To apply for a traditional India visa sticker from Orlando, you will fill out the visa application and mail your original passport and supporting documents to VFS Global in Atlanta (this is the Indian government’s contractor that manages visa services).  VFS Global will examine your documents and get the application submitted to the consulate office in Atlanta for final approval of the visa.  Please review their website for more information: https://visa.vfsglobal.com/usa/en/ind/apply-visa

Visas are also issued electronically by the Bureau of Immigration in India.  To apply for the electronic visa from Orlando, applicants will compete the application online and pay the government fee using a credit card.  Here is the website to apply for the electronic visa: India Visa Online (indianvisaonline.gov.in)

Other things to consider:

  • Tourist visas issued before October 6, 2021 cannot be used for travel to India, however, tourists can easily apply for an electronic visas or a new traditional visa sticker as explained above.  Please review this link for more information regarding India tourist visas: https://www.indiainatlanta.gov.in/eoial_pages/MjM3
  • Please refer to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare website for information regarding the latest guidelines regarding travel to India during COVID-19: MoHFW | Home
  • Applicants applying for the traditional paper visa must provide a driver’s license, state-issued ID card, lease agreement, mortgage deed, or utility bill (water, gas, electric) to prove they live within the jurisdiction of the consulate in Atlanta, which includes the state of Florida along with Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, and U.S. territories of Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands.  The address listed on the paper application must match the address that shows proof of residence within the consulate’s jurisdiction. 
  • Applicants born in India who are applying for the traditional India visa sticker with their American passports must first renounce their Indian citizenship and provide a certificate of renunciation or a cancelled Indian passport that has an endorsement showing foreign nationality was acquired.  The certificate of renunciation can be obtained through VFS Global following the instructions on this link: https://visa.vfsglobal.com/usa/en/ind/apply-for-renunciation
  • Children under 18 years old require consent from both parents to obtain a visa and must provide a notarized parental authorization form, along with their birth certificate and copies of both parents’ identification and proof of status in the United States (for non-U.S. citizens).
  • For tips on how to complete the application for the paper visa, please consult the Visa Supply website for your visa category.  Here is the link to the tourist visa: India Tourist Visa : visasupply.com, then click on the “How to fill out the India visa application” button. 
  • It is recommended to purchase travel insurance before any international trip in case of medical emergencies.  We advise getting the Geo Blue Voyager Single Trip Plan.

Emergency Assistance for Citizens of India in Orlando

If you are a citizen of India living in the Orlando area with an emergency or require urgent assistance, you can reach the consulate in Atlanta by calling 404-910-7919.  The consulate’s telephone number for non-emergency inquiries is 404-963-5902.  Here is the link for the full list of contact information that includes telephone numbers and email addresses for inquiries regarding visas, passports, citizenship renunciation services, PIO, and OCI cards: Consulate General of India, Atlanta, United States of America (indiainatlanta.gov.in)

If you need to renew your Indian passport, you can renew by mail following the instructions on this link: Passport Services | vfsglobal   

We Can Help if You Need Assistance

If you live in the Orlando area or anywhere in the Central Florida region and have difficulty applying for an India visa or require assistance with any part of the visa process, please give our office a call at 404-682-5445 or schedule an appointment with our company.  We are a private agency in Atlanta providing India visa services for Americans and other U.S.-based residents.  Our number one goal is to ensure your application documents for a visa are submitted accurately to the Indian government.  Our services eliminate delays and give you the peace of mind to focus on your travel plans. 

We provide the following India visa services for our customers in Orlando:

  • India Tourist Visa
  • India Tourist e-Visa
  • India Business Visa
  • India Business e-Visa
  • India Conference Visa
  • India Conference e-Visa
  • India Student Visa
  • India Work Visa
  • India Journalist Visa
  • India Volunteer Visa
  • India Medical Treatment Visa
  • India Hotel Accommodations