PLEASE NOTE

 

 

The applicants can contact our Service Provider, VFS Global for queries/details regarding Visa/Passport/OCI/PIO Card services at their email id info.innl@vfshelpline.com and the toll free number 0800 0030 [Queries through Toll Free Number will be answered between 0900-1100 hours and 1230-1700 hours on working days].

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING CHANGE IN VISA PROCEDURE

 

Dear Friends of India in the Netherlands

 

You would be happy to note that the Embassy of India in the Netherlands is among the few Indian Embassies in the world which has been chosen for implementation of on-line visa applications. The procedure will take effect from 23rd May, 2011. The Embassy will no longer accept handwritten/hand typed visa applications from 23rd May, 2011, onwards.

 

All applicants are requested to kindly apply only through on-line procedure for all types of visa requirements. Click here to apply.

 

Applicants are requested to use photos of specification 2"x2" (51mm x 51mm) only. It has been brought to the notice of the Embassy that there is some difficulty in obtaining photos of this specification. We give below a few names of places where such photographs can be made:

 

1.  VFS Global, 51 Laan van Meerdervoort, Den Haag.

2.  Foto Americaine, 41 Wagenstraat, 2512 AP Den Haag (Tel: 070-3639714)

 

The Embassy of India has received an anonymous letter from a travel agency in the Netherlands regarding the quality of service being provided by M/s VFS Global, the designated service provider for Indian Visa and Consular Services.

A response to the letter provided by M/s VFS Global and the copy of the anonymous letter received by the Embassy can be seen at the links given above.

Since we do not know who the author of the anonymous letter is, we have decided to post both the letters on the website in the hope that the author will be able to see the response.

 

EMBASSY OF INDIA

Buitenrustweg 2

2517 KD The Hague

 

Dear Friends,

 

         The Embassy of India is pleased to announce that the India Visa and Consular Service Centres in The Hague, Amsterdam and Rotterdam have become fully operational with effect from 24  February 2011. For more details, please visit their website at  www.vfsglobal.com/india/netherlands.  

 

These new Service Centres will function from the following addresses:-

 

 

2.     The India Visa and Consular Service centre at The Hague will provide the following facilities to the service seekers:-  

 

(i)      Collection of visa applications

 

(ii)     Collection of urgent/emergency visa applications

 

(iii)    Collection of OCI/PIO/Passport applications

 

(iv)     Delivery of processed passport with visa to the applicants

 

(v)     Delivery of New OCI/PIO/Passport to the applicants.

 

3.     It may kindly be noted that the service provider will accept urgent (for business purposes)/emergency (in case of death or emergent medical reasons in the family) visa applications upon submission of necessary documentations only at their India Visa and Consular Service centre at The Hague between 0830 – 1200 hrs and the processed passport with visa can be collected between 1430 – 1630 hrs on all working days. During weekends and other scheduled holidays, emergency visas in case of death or emergent medical reasons in the family upon submission of necessary documentations would continue to be provided directly at the Embassy.   

 

4.     The India Visa and Consular Service centre at Amsterdam will provide the following facilities to the service seekers:-  

 

(i)      Collection of visa applications

 

(ii)     Collection of OCI/PIO/Passport applications

 

(iii)     Delivery of processed passport with visa to the applicants

 

(iv)     Delivery of New OCI/PIO/Passport to the applicants.

 

5.     The India Visa and Consular Service centre at Rotterdam will provide the following facilities to the service seekers:-  

 

(i)      Collection of visa applications

 

(ii)     Collection of OCI/PIO/Passport applications

 

(iii)     Delivery of processed passport with visa to the applicants

 

(iv)     Delivery of New OCI/PIO/Passport to the applicants.

 

6.     While applicants are welcome to send legitimate complaints/grievances by way of email messages to Ambassador and the undersigned to the respective email ids, they should note that the visa/passport/OCI/PIO services are being provided by the service provider (email id info.innl@vfshelpline.com). The service provider can also be contacted for queries at the toll free number 0800 0030 which will be operational with effect from 1st March 2011 [Queries will be answered between 0900-1100 and 1230-1700 hours on working days].

 

7.     I take this opportunity to express our sincere thanks to all of you for having wholeheartedly supported us during the transition period. 

 

Yours sincerely,

 

sd/-

 

(Pankaj Sharma)

Minister

Embassy of India
The Hague

The Embassy of India is pleased to announce the introduction of The Indian Fast Track Business Visa Scheme. The aim of this scheme is to facilitate quicker processing of business visas for Dutch Companies whose officials need to travel frequently to India for business purposes. To start with, the following companies, have been included in the scheme. Other companies who wish to avail of this facility may kindly indicate the name of the authorized representative with whom we can communicate to expedite the visa. You may like to contact us at the following email IDs:  ambassador@indianembassy.nl; markoff@bart.nl or
commerce@indianembassy.nl

 

Ambassador's letter on the Indian Fast Track Business Visa Scheme

Notice

The Embassy of India, The Hague, will remain closed on Friday, 10th February, 2012.  Please see here for list of holidays on which the Embassy of India, The Hague will remain closed.

IMPORTANT NOTICE

Under Indian legal provisions, Persons of Indian origin (PIO) who have acquired Foreign citizenship on or after 01-06-2010 are required to submit declaration of renunciation of Indian citizenship and surrender their Indian Passports to the nearest Indian Mission/Post immediately after acquisition of foreign citizenship. Those PIOs who became foreign nationals before 01-06-2010 are required only to surrender their Indian Passports to the nearest Indian Mission/Post and obtain a surrender certificate.  Those PIOs who became foreign nationals before 01-06-2010 are not required to apply for renunciation of Indian citizenship.  The Indian Citizenship Act does not allow dual citizenship. Holding Indian passport/acquiring Indian passport/traveling on Indian passport after acquisition of foreign citizenship constitutes an offence under the Passport Act and attracts penalties. The schedule of penalties can be seen at this link  and the frequently asked questions on imposition of penalties can be seen at this link. The prescribed form for declaration of renunciation is attached below.

In view of this legal provision all concerned foreign nationals of Indian origin applying for Indian visa, OCI/PIO card or other consular services are required to immediately surrender their Indian passports (valid/Expired) to the Embassy of India, The Hague. They would be issued an acknowledgement/surrender certificate in lieu of depositing their Indian passports.

A fee of Euro 185 is charged from applicants for applying renunciation of Indian citizenship and issue of renunciation certificate. The required service fee for surrender certificate is Euro 12 and the certificate will be issued in 5 working days. Penalty cases would take more time.

Applicants are requested to keep in tact the renunciation/surrender certificate issued by the Embassy in their personal custody as a copy of the same has to be produced every time for availing any kind of visa/consular service.

The full details of the above can be seen at the website of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, at the URL: http://mha.nic.in/pdfs/Citi_Rule-2009.pdf    

The form for renunciation of the Indian nationality can be downloaded from here.

The form for surrender of Indian Passport can be downloaded from here.

 

The list of persons whose passports, OCI Cards and PIO Cards are ready for collection can now be checked online. Please click here to see if your document is ready for collection.

PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE FROM 13 JUNE 2011 FOR COLLECTION OF PASSPORT/OCI CARD/PIO CARD

Passport/OCI Card/PIO Card Applicants who applied through our service providers, VFS Global w.e.f March 01, 2011 onwards are requested to collect new passports, OCI, PIO Cards only from VFS Global located at

Laan van Meerdervoort 51, 2517 AE Den Haag

Passport/OCI Card/PIO Card Applicants who applied till 28 February 2011 are requested to directly collect from the Embassy between 1530 – 1700 hrs on all working days of the Consular Section.  They are requested to bring the receipt along with current Indian passport, Dutch Passport as the case may be.

PASSPORT APPLICANTS are requested to submit their current passport along with receipt to the service provider between 0900 - 1200 hrs on all working days.  The current passport would be cancelled and returned with new passport to the service provider by the Embassy.  This can be collected by the applicant on the same day between 1630 – 1730 hrs from the service provider.

FOR THOSE WHO HAVE APPLIED FOR FRESH PASSPORTS FOR NEWBORNS : These persons are requested to directly collect passports from VFS Global, Den Haag, between 1630 - 1730 hours, on finding the names on the list of passports that are ready for collection. 

OCI CARD APPLICANTS are requested to submit their Dutch passport along with receipt to the service provider between 0900 - 1200 hrs on all working days.  The Dutch passport provided with OCI visa sticker would be returned along with OCI booklet to the service provider by the Embassy.  This can be collected by the applicant on the same day between 1630 – 1730 hrs from the service provider.  

PIO CARD APPLICANTS are requested to submit their Dutch passport along with receipt to the service provider between 0900 - 1200 hrs on all working days.  The Dutch passport along with PIO booklet would be returned to the service provider by the Embassy.  This can be collected by the applicant on the same day between 1630 – 1730 hrs from the service provider.  

This would be implemented w.e.f. 13 June 2011.   

In accordance with the guidelines of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) this Mission has started issuing machine readable printed passports. In accordance with the same guidelines most countries will not allow entry of persons with handwritten passports except when they possess emergency documents after 2014. Issuances of these passports takes two-three weeks of processing time. Members of the Indian Community are advised to apply well in advance for new passport to give the Embassy necessary processing time. All Indian passport holders are also advised to convert their passports to machine readable passports before the due date of 2014.

The Consular Section of the Embassy is open from Monday to Friday except public holidays in the morning from 1000 hrs to 1200 hrs. The address details of the Consular Section are given below:

Consular Wing

Embassy of India

Buitenrustweg 2

2517 KD The Hague

The Netherlands

Telephone: 070- 3469771 Extension: 208/213

Fax: 070-3617072/3462594/3562523

Telephone enquiries by the Consular Wing are entertained between 1600 hrs to 1700 hrs only. Callers are requested to first dial the main number, 070-3469771, and then the extension number after the recorded message.

Applicants are advised not to send any kind of documents/applications for any kind of Consular service by post/courier to the Embassy as the same would not be entertained.

PLEASE NOTE

The Indian Passports are being printed in India and not in the Embassy. As such the entire process of issuing a fresh Passport can take up to three months from the date of receipt in the Embassy; if, for an applicant a clearance from original Passport issuing authority is necessitated for any reasons, then an additional duration of at least six weeks may be taken for processing. Hence applicants are requested to apply well in advance to avoid any travel or other inconvenience for them.

Applicants are requested to submit printed forms along with requisite documents and photographs to the Service Providers after filling these online. The interview date and time allotment to applicant which is automatically generated can be ignored  It may be please noted that applications will be accepted only upon registering the details online at the link given above.

Travellers may kindly note that use of any satellite phone without prior approval of Department of Telecommunictions, Government of India, is not permitted.  The use/operation of any telegraph services/devices including wireless in India is regulated by the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885.  As per the existing guidelines issued by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India, Inmarsat Satphones excluding BGAN system can be used by the Government, Corporate Houses, Members of the Mountaineering Expedition and other such categories with prior permission from DoT.  Thuraya Satphone service is not permitted in India. Anyone using any telegraphic devices including Satphone without authorization violates Section 4 of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 and he/she can be penalized under Section 20 and 21 of the said Act. 

 

In case satellite phones are brought to India in baggage/hand baggage, those satellite phones without licence from DoT would be detained/confiscated by the Customs authorities as per the existing procedures till the time the holder of the satellite phone is able to produce a licence issued by DoT.  In case of import of cargo, a declaration is to be given by the person importing the goods about details of goods.