Reference Name requirement for Indian eVisa
If you are planning to visit India, then the easiest type of visa for India to apply amongst all the India Visa Types that are available is the Online Indian Visa Online, also known as Indian e-Visa. The Indian Visa Application Form requires an answer in the second part to a question which cannot be left blank, regarding Reference in India, in other words it is a mandatory question. In this topic we would like to clarify a number of doubts that Indian travellers have during the visa filing and application process.
Why is reference name required on India Visa Application Form?
The Immigration Office of Indian Government has a mandatory requirement for their internal controls to know where you may stay or with whom you have connections. Each country has its own internal policies; as such these are not subject to change. Indian Visa Application Form is relatively more elaborate compared to electronic Visa application of other countries and thus requires more information.
What does reference name mean on India Visa Application Form?
Reference means someone you know or someone who may vouch for you while you are in India. It is a mandatory field..
Is there any other reference required in Indian Visa Application?
Yes, you are also required to provide the name of a reference in your home country as described in India Visa Home Country Reference besides the reference in India.
What reference name is required on Indian eVisa?
If you are arriving in India for the following purposes, then you can apply for an India Tourist Visa online.
- Coming to India for recreation.
- Primary purpose is sight-seeing.
- The main object is to meet family members and relatives.
- Visiting India to meet friends.
- Attending a Yoga institute course or a Yoga Programme.
- Any other short course in India not exceeding 6 months in duration and a course that does not provide a degree or diploma certificate.
- Short visit for up to 1 month for volunteer work. It must be unpaid, else India Work Visa will be required.
A reference name can be anyone in the above category who knows you in India or with whom you may have exchanged correspondence in India. You should know the phone number and address of your reference. For example, if you are visiting to meet friends and family members, then any 1 of your family members or friends in India can be nominated as a reference in your Indian Visa Application. Likewise, a course teacher, admin staff, faculty or place of lodging, hotel, place of stay can also be used a reference in India.
What reference name is required on Indian Business Visa?
If you are intending to visit India for 1 of the below mentioned purposes, then you can apply for an India Businss Visa online (eVisa India for Business).
- Sale of goods and / or services to and from India.
- For procurement or purchase of goods and / or service from India.
- Joining technical workshops, business meetings or workshops.
- Setting up industry, plant, building, machinery.
- To conduct tours on Indian soil.
- For lecture delivery.
- For recruitment purposes.
- Attending trade fairs related to your industry.
- Visiting and participating in exhibitions.
- Attending any business fair.
- Acting as an expert and specialist.
- Any other commercial venture legally allowed in India.
- Acting as an expert in any other commercial venture.
If you are intending to come for any of the above business reasons, then you would have exchanged correspondence, or made some bookings. Any person that you contacted can act as your reference for the purposes of India Visa Application for business such as a representative in Indian company, seminar administrator, exhibition event manager, your lawyer or advisor in India, business fair organising company, colleague in India, business partner in India or commercial partner in India.
What India visa reference name is required on electronic Indian Medical Visa (India eVisa)?
If you are visiting India as a patient meaning, you are applying for India Medical Visa online (eVisa India for Medical purpose), or coming as an aide or nurse to the patient, meaning, applying for India Medical Attendant Visa online (eVisa India for Medical Attendant), then you are required to provide a reference in India.
This most straightforward reference can be your doctor or surgeon or the hospital administration staff.
You are required to also provide a letter from the hospital for the India Medical Visa. This letter should contain all the information required for reference name in India.
What If I am coming by Cruise to Mumbai and / or Goa and I will not stay in India, what reference name can I provide on my Indian Visa?
Indian Visa Online (eVisa India) is valid for entry in Airport as well as Seaports as mentioned in the list of India Visa Entry Ports so you may be arriving on a cruise ship.
In this case, you may provide the Indian office address of either the travel agent from whom you booked your tour package or the Cruise Ship company’s India Office address. You can contact your Cruise Ship company and request them for this information requirement in the Indian Visa Application Form.
What reference name to put in India Visa Application Form if I do not know anyone?
If you belong to 1 of the categories mentioned above and still do not know anyone above, then you can mention the name of the manager of the hotel as a last resort in your Indian Visa Online.
Can I enter the name of the Hotel as the reference for Indian Visa Online (eVisa India)?
Yes, it is perfectly fine to enter the name of the hotel manager / staff in the Indian Visa Online application.
What other details are required for Reference in India?
Besides the name, the address and phone number of the reference is also required during the application form completion for all categories.
Is Phone Number and Address of Indian Reference required besides the reference name for Indian Visa?
Yes, Phone Number and Physical Address of your Indian reference.
Will my reference in Indian be contacted that I provide in Indian Visa Application Form?
We cannot say for certain whether your reference will be contacted during the application process. As per the historical data gathered, only a very small percentage of references in India are contacted, if required under exceptional circumstances.
Can I provide the name of the Yoga institute for my reference in India?
If you are coming for Yoga course on the India Tourist Visa, then you can provide any staff, teacher, trainer, administration person’s contact details to act as a referee for the Indian Visa Online.
Can I enter name of my friend or relative for my reference in India in the Indian Visa Application Form?
Yes, you are allowed to enter name of your friend or relative as a reference in India.
What if I have made an internet booking and do not know anyone in India?
If you have made an online booking, then you can mention Manager name of the Hotel you will be staying in as a reference.
What if I my situation is not described above for reference name required in Indian Visa?
In case you have further doubts or your situation is not described in 1 of the scenarios above, then you can contact our Help Desk through the Contact Us form for assistance and clarification on this matter. We look forward to assisting you and making the application filing experience simple and straightforward.
Ensure that you have checked the eligibility for your India eVisa.
United States citizens, United Kingdom citizens, Spanish citizens, French citizens, German citizens, Israeli citizens and Australian citizens can apply online for India eVisa.
Please apply for a India Visa 4-7 days in advance of your flight.