The first year they started the new system we applied on line and went to Victoria with our passports and back again a week later to collect them. We were lucky to be gived a 1 year visa. This was ok but rather time consuming.
Since then we have applied on line and posted out passports using special delivery to Hayes. We pay for them to return them to us by courier, it usually takes a maximum of two weeks and for the past two years we have again been given 12 month visas.
This works a lot better for us as we dont have to go in person any more.

Good luck!

Hi All,
a bit of help required please


Currently applying for three tourist visas' by post to Hayes, Middlesex.
Now do i have to to include a separate postal order for each application or
will one postal order do to cover all three(all from the same family)?

Have scanned through the website but can't seem to find anything on this also checked through FAQs but no joy. Surely one postal order will suffice, will it???

Regards,
Remy

PS. I know you can pay online but have had bad experiences with this sort of thing before online and would rather send postal order with postal applications, thanks.

Hi - I've just applied through Hayes and I have included all on one postal order.

Thanks Heidigirl,

Have you done this before (one postal order for all)?
I usually go to Indian Embassy Dublin but its working out way too expensive to do it this way now.
Also Phoned the India Consulate Office Belfast to see if i could submit applications through their office......but the girl i was talking to didn't even know what day it was.

Hi,
We sent one postal order each for £39.05 Just to be safe you know how fussy they are. Use the VFS postal appliction, we used the HCI one and it was apparently out of date. Life is never easy - Good luck -

Oh god - I've never done a postal app before - worried sick now as I done a postal for the two of us together.

!!!!!!!!!

Noni what do you mean VFS POSTAL APPLICATION????

Do you not just send off Passports, photos, fee and visa form???

AHHHHH Help????

Remy - I sent, yesterday.....my passorts, completed app, photos and a postal order for 78.10 to VFS Hayes. I'm sure I've sent everything.

We paid for our visa's online, filled out the visa application form on the VSF website for each of us, printed it off, sent passports, return special delivery envelope etc to Hayes last Saturday and tracked them all the way online. They were returned the following Friday and we got a six month, multiple visit visa each. Sending postal orders increases the cost which would buy your first meal in Goa! Our previous postal application only took five days to send and receive also!

Just Back from Town and visas applied for by post!!!
Printed out the visa form x3 from VFS website.
Got 3 postal orders.....was just going to get one but the lady at the PO Counter said the fee for a postal order was 10% of the amount it was for. Therefore it was the same cost for three as it was for one, so to be on the safe side we opted for three.
Also Special Delivery Envelopes x3. A large one to send all off in and two for the return of passports because it says on the VFS site that they will only return a max of two passports in one SDE .

Anyway total cost for three tourist visas £145.00 incl the 3 postal orders and 3 SDEs.
Counting photos its working out at approx £50 per application doing it this way.

Will keep you all posted as to the time it takes for the complete turn around.

Regards,
Remy

Arrived at VFS Victoria this morning at 0820. Not such a long queue. Was Ticket No 16 for those without appointments. Doors opened promptly at 0830, and I was back outside by 0905.

When I think of the days when there were hundreds queueing outside the HCI in the Aldwych. I used to aim to get there for 7a.m. and there was still a massive queue already formed.

Good luck to the postal applicants - hope all goes well with your applications.

I go up to Victoria as it is just as cheap as posting (7 applications) and I get a day out but I go up after 9.30 to get the train ticket cheaper. I do have to wait but have never waited very long and I go with something to read and a bottle of water. Afterwards I usually meet a friend and go shopping or go to a gallery and if we can get some cheap theatre tickets we go to a show. Then I do the same again when I collect the passports.

Help!!!

My partner and kids passports have been returned today from VFS Hayes with no visas as they require the following because the children are under 16 (this is their 6th time to Goa and never had to provide this info before)

the letter from them requests the following;

1)Provide your detailed intinerary

2)In case of visa application for a child less than 16 years of age submitted with or without both the parents applications,following additional documentation required. Consent letter signed by both the parents even if mother and father is travelling along with the child.Photocopy of mother and fathers passports along with the copy their current India visa if already holding one. A copy of the childs full length birth certificate. In divorced cases Child Custody Letter from court in respect of the child is required. In case of a Single parent- Birth Certificate and solicitors letter, council benefit letter will be required.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now we think we have the child custody thingy all covered but whats a detailed Intinerary???....is this a hand written intinerary from us or would a copy of the flight & accomodation details suffice.
We have never had to supply this info any time before although this is our first time using VFS Global (usually went through Indian Embassy Dublin but mistakenly thought this would be easier as all passports are UK ones)

Unbelievable! How long are you going for Remy?