Notice Board Notice Board

Consular Notice Board www.pmindiaun.gov.in

  1. The Symbiosis International University, India is offering scholarships for foreign students

    The Symbiosis International University, India is offering scholarships for foreign students in undergraduate as well as post graduate programs. These are offered to deserving and meritorious students from African, Asian and Middle Eastern countries. Such scholarships are funded by Symbiosis Society Foundation and administered by Symbiosis Centre for International Education (SCIE). Interested students may visit following websites of Symbiosis or contact Prof. Anita Patankar, Deputy Director, SCIE on +91-9823275963/email:deputydirector@scie.ac.in for further details:

    http://www.scie.ac.in/admissions/under-graduate/ug-basic-eligibility and

    http://www.scie.ac.in/admissions/post-graduate/pg-basic-eligibility.

  2. Be careful about passports/valuables

    The Government of the State of Haryana, India, as part of its Golden Jubilee Celebrations, is organizing Pravasi Haryana Divas on 10th and 11th January 2017 at Kingdom of Dreams, Gurugram, Haryana. The programme will start in the evening of 10th January with Cultural evening followed by dinner while main Conference will be held on 11th January 2017. Participants from amongst the Indian Diaspora may visit the following website for registration: www.pravasiharyanadivas.in

  3. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) invites applications from Indian as well as Overseas nationals, having Master’s Degree in Agriculture and Allied Sciences for the "Netaji Subhas-ICAR International Fellowships (NS-ICAR IFs)" for the year 2016-17. The NS-ICAR IFs are available for pursuing doctoral degree in agriculture and allied sciences, in the identified priority areas, to i) Indian candidates for study abroad in identified overseas Universities/Institutions having strong research and teaching capabilities and ii) to overseas candidates for study in the Indian Agricultural Universities (AUs) in the ICAR-AUs system. Thirty fellowships for duration of three years will be available. All interested and eligible candidates may visit ICAR’s website www.icar.org.infor further guidelines and details, including the application form,


  4. Indian nationals visiting Switzerland are advised to be extremely careful about their passports/valuables, as there has been a considerable increase in reports of passports/valuables being stolen in trains/trams/stations/airports. This not only puts them in great difficulty, but is also a security risk.



  5. 1. THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA HAS DECIDED TO EXTEND THE FACILITY OF E-TOURIST VISA (E-TV) SCHEME TO THE HOLDERS OF PASSPORTS OF THE FOLLOWING 37 MORE COUNTIRES/TERRITORIES W.E.F. 26TH FEBRUARY, 2016, THUS BRINGING THE TALLY OF THE COUNTRIES/TERRITORIES COVERED UNDER THE E-TV SCHEME TO 150:


    ALBANIA, AUSTRIA, BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA, BOTSWANA, BRUINEI, BULGARIA, CAPE VERDE, COMOROS, COTE D’IVOIRE, CROATIA, CZECH REPUBLIC, DENMARK, ERITREA, GABON, GAMBIA, GHANA, BREECE, GUINEA, ICELAND, LESOTHO, LIBERIA, MADAGASCAR, MALAWI, MOLDOVA, NAMIBIA, ROMANIA, SAN MARINO, SENEGAL, SLOVAKIA, SOUTH AFRICA, SWAZILAND, SWITZERLAND , TAJIKISTAN, TRINIDAD & TOBAGO, ZAMBIA AND ZIMBABWE.

    2. CARRYING OF SATELLITE PHONES BY FOREIGNERS WHILE VISITING INDIA ON TOURIST VISA IS BANNED REPEAT BANNED. AS SUCH, ANY BODY FOUND CARRYING SATELLITE PHONES, IN VIOLATION OF THE BAN, IS LIKELY TO BE INTERCEPTED BY THE AUTHORITIES CONCERNED AND THEIR SATELLITE PHONES WILL BE SEIZED.


    3. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has launched an on line Consular Grievances Monitoring System Portal tiled- "MADAD" (MEA in Aid of Diaspora in Distress). Any Indian citizen living in the jurisdictional area of the Consulate General of India can log in to register his/her Consular grievance for its redressal. MADAD portal can be accessed through Passport Seva web link- www.passportindia.gov.in.


    4. Govt of Switzerland has its representations in India at - New Delhi (Embassy) and Consulates at Chennai, Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Kolkata. Indians desirous of visiting Switzerland for Tourism, Education, Business purposes etc. may visit the respective sites of the Embassy and Consulates of the Govt of Switzerland in India to find out requirements of respective visas. Web site of the Swiss Govt in India i.e. www.swiss-cooperation.admin.ch/india may be visited for further relevant information.


  6. Overseas Indian Facilitation Centre (OIFC) set up by Ministry of External Affairs in partnership with Confederation of Industry (CII) to strengthen economic engagement of Overseas Indians (OCIs and NRIs with India, has launched several new initiatives. Click here for more information


  7. For Commercial Enquiries the Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM)/Commercial Representative (CR) of the Government of India at the Embassy of India, Bern may be contacted. The Contact details are - Telephone no. 00-41-31-3680680 and E.mail ID-political@indembassybern.ch


  8. "PIO Card holders are advised to get their card replaced by OCI card. Valid PIO Card holders, staying in the jurisdictional area of the Consulate General of India, Geneva are advised to visit our website www.pmindiaun.gov.in and go to OCI link or may visit web site http://www.mha.nic.in directly to fill-up the form for registration of OCI card in place of PIO Card, without any registration fee. Properly filled up form may be deposited with CGI, Geneva with CHF 2/- as Consular surcharge. On line payment should be made in Permanent Mission of India account no. 0240-401506.03D (IBAN No. CH160024024040150603D). By 30th September conversion of PIO Card into OCI is mandatory for travelling to India"


  9. OCI card is like smart card and has several advantages. All PIO card holders are therefore, advised to get their PIO cards replaced by OCI card by 31.03.2016.


  10. REGISTRATION OF INDIAN NATIONALS STAYING IN JURISDICTIONAL AREA OF THE CGI, GENEVA

    The Consulate General of India, Geneva advises all Indian nationals staying under the French speaking cantons of Switzerland to register themselves with CGI, Geneva. The idea behind this effort is to ‘Know Your Citizens’ by the Consulate General of India to be aware of their presence in its jurisdiction. It would also facilitate extending assistance/support whenever the Consulate is approached. Indian nationals are therefore requested to fill in the proforma attached and forward it to the Consulate by e.mail to- cg.geneva@mea.gov.in or post it to – The Consulate General of India, E-floor, 9 Rue Du Valais, 1202, Geneva.


  11. PUBLIC ADVISORY

    The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has set a deadline of the 24th November, 2015 for globally phasing out of all non-Machine Readable Passports (MRPs). From the 25th November, 2015 onwards, foreign Governments may deny Visa or entry to any person travelling on a non-Machine Readable Passport.


    Indian citizens residing in India and abroad and holding such passports (hand written Passports) with validity beyond the 24th November, 2015 are advised to apply for re-issue of their passports well before the deadline in order to avoid any inconvenience in obtaining valid visa or international travel.


    Indian nationals, staying under the jurisdictional area of Consulate General of India, Geneva are advised to contact the Consulate at 9 Rue Du Valais, E Floor, Geneva 1202 and get their hand written passports renewed and obtain Machine Readable Passport. For further detail of renewal of Passport visit our web site - www.pmindiaun.gov.in.


  12. Government of India has launched "JEEVAN PRAMAAN" (Life Certificate) Portal to facilitate the Pensioners to submit remotely an 'Aadhar based Digital Life Certificate'. Further detail may be obtained from URL/Web-site: https://jeevanpramaan.gov.in


  13. Government of India has started providing eTourist visa(eTV) on arrival in India for nationals of several countries from 27.11.2014. For details log in our site- https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/tvoa.html . for completing online formalities for eTV before travelling to India


    ELIGIBILITY:


    1.VALID FOR ENTRY TO INDIA THROUGH THE FOLLOWING 9 AIRPORTS ONLY-


    1. Bengaluru 2. Chennai 3. Cochin 4. Delhi 5. Goa 6. Hyderabad 7. Kolkata 8. Mumbai 9. Trivandrum. However, the foreigner can take exit from any of the authorized Immigration Check Posts (ICPs) in India.


    2.NOT VALID FOR ENTRY FROM SEA PORTS IN INDIA (IF ARRIVING ON BOARD CRUISE SHIPS)


    3.VALID ONLY FOR SINGLE ENTRY TO INDIA


    4.MAXIMUM STAY PERMITTED 30 DAYS ONLY


    5.ALLOWED FOR ONLY TWO VISITS IN ONE CALENDER YEAR


  14. 1.Indian visa outsourcing with effect from 27 June 2014


    2. All visa applicants are further advised to contact India Visa Application centre located at 70 Rue Du Lausanne 1202 Geneva or visit its website http://in.vfsglobal.ch/geneva or our website http://pmindiaun.gov.in/ for details on submitting of visa applications and mode of payment of visa fees"


  15. "Further, fee consular services like – Passport, OCI, PIO, Attestation, and Renunciation etc. should only be transferred online to UBS Account no. 240-401506.03D (IBAN NO. CH16 0024 0240 4015 0603 D) of Permanent Mission India, Geneva. It is clarified that any fee with effect from 21.07.2014 deposited in post office account of consulate general of India, Geneva would be non-refundable and no services would be rendered against such postal receipts."


  16. It has been decided by Govt of India that while submitting Passport applications, self attested copies of all required documents i.e. birth certificate, educational documents, address proof etc. would suffice, instead of attested copies of the documents by a gazetted officer. It has also been decided that “Duly registered rent agreement, under Section 17 of the Registration Act, 1908 and executed in favour of the tenant by the landlord, for a period of more than one year, will be accepted as a valid proof of address” for the purpose of the submission of passport application.


  17. Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Flyer


  18. PRAVASI BHARATIYA DIVAS


  19. For the first time in PBD, an Online B2B /B2G Meeting Platform for Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention 2017 has been made live. The objective of this web platform is to provide delegates with an interactive web application which enables them to pre-schedule appointments online with Registered Delegates, Exhibitors, Govt. Officials and Foreign Dignitaries. The platform can be accessed via the official Pravasi Bharatiya Divas website https://pbdindia.gov.in and also it can be accessed directly at


  20. The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, has introduced a 24x7 Toll Free Multi-Lingual Help Line in 12 International Languages namely French, German, Arabic, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish besides Hindi and English to provide information relating to travel and tourism in India for domestic as well as International tourists. Helpline would also be advising callers during times of distress. This service is available on toll free number: 1800111363 or on a short code 1363 and will be operational 365 days a year.


  21. eMIGRATE(For online Emigration Clearance)

  22. 3rd edition of the Global Exhibition on Services (GES), April 17-20, 2017 at the India Expo Centre & Mart, Greater Noida Click here for BROCHURE

  23. Clarification on Aadhar for IT return in case of NRIs

    As per Section 139AA of the Income-tax Act, 1961, every person who is eligible to obtain Aadhaar number shall, on or after the 1st day of July, 2017, quote Aadhaar number— (i) in the application form for allotment of permanent account number; (ii) in the return of income. The above provisions apply to persons who are eligible to get Aadhaar. Under section 3 of the Aadhaar Act, 2016, only a resident is entitled to get Aadhaar. Therefore, the provisions of Section 139AA quoted above regarding linking of Aadhaar to PAN or the requirement of quoting the Aadhaar number in the return shall not apply to a non-resident, who is not eligible to get Aadhaar. Click here for Press Release


  24. ''KNOW INDIA PROGRAM''  :

    41st, 42nd, 43rd and 44th KIPs that will be held in 2017: 

    No.               Date                                 State Partner

    41st KIP        3-27 September 2017        Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh

    42nd KIP       1-25 October 2017             Jharkhand & Chhattisgarh

    43rd KIP       1-25 November 2017         Meghalaya & Assam

    44th KIP       29 Nov -23 Dec 2017         Andhra Pradesh & Telangana 

    KIPs will continue to be a 25-day programme. This year we have included 2-3 States in the programme of each KIP. 

    KIP portal www.kip.gov.in


  25. On Consular Section, at right side of page below Customs & Baggage guide for travelers, please add in BOLD Consular helpline and Tourist helpline :
    24/7 EMERGENCY CONSULAR HELPLINE NUMBER +41789043873
    24x7 Toll Free Tourist Help line number 1800 11 1363 :Click here


  26. Visiting Advanced Joint Research (VAJRA) scheme by Department of Science and Technology.
    For details and registration click here


  27. EIMA Agrimach2017- An International Exhibition & Conference on Agricultural Machineries & Equipment (7-9 December, 2017) at New Delhi. Click here for Brochure.


  28. Indian Institute of Mass COmmunication (IIMC) invites bids - Click here for details (http://iimc.gov.in/WhatsNews_Description.aspx?News_id=40319) /
    https://eprocure.gov.in/cppp/latestactivetenders/..

  29. RAILWAY RESERVATION FOR FOREIGN TOURISTS & NRIs

    Promoting Rail Tourism – New Policy of Reservation for Foreign Tourists

    Foreign Tourist Quota booking at present is not available on IRCTC e-ticketing website www.irctc.co.in. At present, international users can book e-ticket on IRCTC website as a normal user and book normal tickets with a maximum advance reservation period (ARP) of 120 days.

    Facility of making payment through International Debit & Credit cards is available on website to such users was launched by Hon’ble MR in 2016 (29.04.2016) to facilitate online booking of tickets using international debit/credit cards.

    Now, Indian Railways has decided to provide the facility of Foreign Tourist Quota booking to International users on IRCTC website also. Till now this facility could be availed abroad only through General Service Agents appointed by Railways (available only at Sharjah, Nepal, United Kingdom, Muscat and Bangladesh) or in India in person at International Tourist Bureau at limited stations.

    From 14th July 2107 Indian Railway has provided facility for booking reserved accommodation upto 365 days in advance for Foreign Tourists and NRIs.  The following accommodation (per coach) will be available for booking :

    Eight berths (two cabins) in First Class Air-conditioned Coach

    Four berths (one cabin) in composite First Class Air-conditioned(AC) cum Second AC sleeper coach

    Eight berths per Second AC coach (two inside berth cabins)

    Ten berths in Air-conditioned Executive Class coach

    Features of the Scheme:

    1.International mobile no of user will be captured at the time of user registration/updation profile. To verify mobile no, an OTP will be sent to International user at his registered mobile no. Another OTP will be sent on his e-mail to verify e-mail ID.

    2.Passport number of all Foreign Tourist will be captured at the time of booking e-tickets.

    3.If the user has not got verified his mobile number prior to booking his e-ticket, he will be asked to update his profile through profile update with new mobile number with ISD code. This updated profile will be verified through an OTP or SMS to International Mobile number.

    4.User has the option to make payment through International Debit/Credit card through following payment gateway:

    (i)AMEX(for American Express International cards)

    (ii)ATOM(for all International cards)

    5.User can book tickets under FT Quota upto 365 days in advance. They will also be able to book normal ARP/Tatkal tickets (earmarked berths open for reservation 24 hours in advance).

    6.After a ticket is successfully booked, ticket booking information will be sent on SMS to the user through International SMS facility.

    7.Ticket booking information will also be sent to user on his registered e-mail ID.

    8.In case berths booked are more than the above earmarked berths berth allocation SMS will be sent to the FT Quota users at the time of opening of ARP (120 days) as soon as berths are allotted by the PRS system.

    9.Users can also download ERS (Electronic Reservation Slip) from website for booked tickets after berths are allotted by PRS system.

    10.If berth is not allotted to FT Quota users for any reason, Cancellation SMS/Email informing the user about booking having been dropped and refund being processed will be sent. Refund will be sent back to the same International Debit/Credit card and through same Payment Gateway which was used at the time of booking.

    11.In case of cancellation of the tickets booked under this facility by the passenger flat 50% of the fare shall be deducted in addition of the cancellation charges applicable while refunding the amount. The time limit for granting 50% refund will be as per extant rules i.e. upto 4 hours before scheduled departure of train, through website only.