India simplifies visa formalities
India has moved to simplify its visa application procedures for Bangladeshi nationals by revising the mandatory undertaking form and streamlining documentation requirements, in an apparent effort to make travel to the neighbouring country more convenient.
The Indian High Commission in Dhaka has introduced a revised one-page Visa Undertaking Form, making its submission compulsory for applicants across all visa categories, including tourist, medical, business, student and other visas.
The revised form is available on the website of the Indian Visa Application
Centre (IVAC).
Applicants must download the prescribed format, complete it, scan it and upload it with their online visa applications through the NIC Visa Application Portal.
The High Commission has warned that applications submitted using any format other than the designated form will not be accepted. Applicants have also been advised to follow the prescribed instructions when submitting their applications.
The undertaking requires applicants to provide five basic personal details: their full name as stated in their passports, passport number, nationality, date of birth and current residential address in Dhaka.
They must also specify the purpose of their proposed visit, such as tourism, business, medical treatment or conference attendance.
Under the declaration, applicants must undertake to travel to India only for the purpose stated in their applications and confirm that they reside within the jurisdiction of the Indian High Commission in Dhaka on the date of submission.
They must further pledge to return to Bangladesh after completing their visits without overstaying their visas.
The undertaking also requires them to comply with Indian laws, regulations and cultural norms and refrain from engaging in unlawful activities.
The form cautions that any violation of Indian laws could lead to visa cancellation and adversely affect an applicant’s eligibility for future Indian visas.
Applicants are required to sign the undertaking and mention the place and date of signing. For applications involving minors, both parents must sign the document.
The latest revision is part of a series of changes introduced by IVAC to simplify and improve the management of visa applications in Bangladesh.
On July 1 this year, IVAC introduced an automated appointment allocation system across its centres in the country, removing the need for applicants to select appointment slots manually.
Under the system, appointment times are allocated sequentially based on the daily application-handling capacity of individual centres.
According to IVAC’s appointment management guidelines, applicants must first complete their online visa applications through the official Indian Visa Online Portal before proceeding with appointment arrangements.
The system also requires applicants to register using their own mobile phone numbers and email addresses.
IVAC has advised applicants not to rely on agents, intermediaries or unauthorised third parties to secure appointments, warning that such practices could create complications in accessing accounts and managing applications.