Visa processing centers in India

While you were busy planning your study abroad, did you give a thought about the visa processing and where it will be held? Will you have to travel to a different city? Visa processing might involve visa interviews or document submissions or enrolling your biometrics. In any case, a visit to the visa processing centre might be unavoidable. You don’t have to stress about it; our experts have experience guiding thousands of international students abroad and they’ll be able to plan the whole study abroad process for you so that you can navigate it smoothly. Just get in touch with them and take the first step towards realizing your study abroad dream!

What’s the difference between an embassy and a consulate?

Student visas, just like any other form of visas, are processed at the embassies or the consulates. Naturally, you’ll wonder, what the difference between the two is.

An embassy is the office of the diplomatic representatives to another country. In simpler words, the embassy represents one country in another country. Embassies are generally located in the country’s capital city – that would be Delhi for India. An embassy is also the main office. Embassies of Commonwealth countries in another Commonwealth country is called a High Commission. You might have heard of the British High Commission.

A consulate on the other hand is a subordinate of the embassy. It serves as an additional diplomatic representation, mainly serving in larger countries with key cities around that country. Consulates handle several administrative services like processing visas.

There will be only one embassy per country in a host country. However, there can be more than one consulates. Also note that, embassies might also have a consular section.

Was that confusing? As an international student planning their trip abroad, you just need to know that your visa might be processed at the embassy, high commission, or the consulate.

Where are the U.S. Embassy and consulate located?

The U.S. embassy in India is located in New Delhi. They have consulates in Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai.

Where are the British embassy and consulate general located?

The British High Commission is located in Chanakyapuri in New Delhi. The High Commission has several deputy high commissions.

The British National Assistance Office in Goa is to provide services to British nationals in India.

Where are the Canadian embassy and consulate generals located?

Apart from these, there are private companies who serve as Visa Application Centres (VACs). They have formal contracts with the Government of Canada. There are VACs in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Jalandhar, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune and New Delhi. The interest for migrating to Canada and study in Canada are so high which might be a reason why there are more Canadian visa application centres in India.

Where are the Australian embassy and consulates located?

Note that the Australian Consulate General in Chennai does not support with visa applications. These are processed in New Delhi. There are also Australian Visa Application Centres which are in partnership with VFS Global. There are VACs in Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Jalandhar, New Delhi and Pune.

Now that you have a fairly good idea about the location of different embassies and consulates of some of the popular study abroad destinations, you’ll be in a better position to make informed decisions. Always check the designated sites for the latest updates. We wish you all the best for your study abroad journey!