SOUTH African travellers to India will need to abide by a new biometrics requirement from Monday July 17.
From that date, biometric enrolment becomes a mandatory part of the India visa application process, as per a directive from the High Commission of India in Pretoria.
Biometric data, comprising fingerprints and facial image, can be submitted along with visa applications at any of VFS Global’s three Visa Application Centres in South Africa, located in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town.
VFS Global is an outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide.
India visa applicants will have to enrol biometrics in person while submitting applications at VFS Global centres in South Africa.
Applicants availing E-visas will be required to enrol biometrics upon landing in India, with the immigration authorities at the respective Indian airports. As this process may be time-consuming, applicants can instead enrol biometrics in South Africa itself at the India visa application centres mentioned above, which would ease out the travel process, VFS Global advises.
Process to enrol biometrics
- Once the online application form is filled, applicants can schedule an appointment at the India Visa Application Centre to enrol biometrics and submit applications
- Applicants can visit the centre at the allotted time and provide their biometrics.
- Biometrics data will remain valid for 59 months from the date of enrolment. Once an applicant has enrolled biometrics, he/she will be exempted from enrolling biometrics for the subsequent 59-month period.
The diplomatic mission, however, reserves the right to demand repeat enrolment on a case-to-case basis as part of their process.
