How to contact a foreign mission in India
Embassies and high commissions receive many messages. A few habits get you an answer sooner.
1. Find the right mission
Every country page on Diplo shows the chancery address, telephone and email from the register of the Protocol Division, Ministry of External Affairs. Use those, and be careful with numbers found on social media or in advertisements.
2. Choose the right office
The embassy or high commission in New Delhi deals with the Government of India and, usually, with visas and passports. Some countries also have career consulates in other cities that serve nearby states; see consulates by city. Honorary consuls are private persons who help their country part time, and most cannot issue visas or passports.
3. For visas and consular services
Where Diplo has found the official visa or consular page (on the mission's website or a government visa portal), the country page links to it under Visas and consular services, with the page it was found on. Many missions use an outsourced visa centre. The mission's page is the authority on which centre is official and what it may charge.
4. Write a clear message
- Use a short subject line that says what you need, for example "Student visa: documents for a course starting in March".
- Ask one question per email, in English or in the language of the country.
- Give your full name and a telephone number. Send identity documents only when the mission asks for them.
- Write once and wait. Several messages to several addresses slow things down.
5. Allow time
Missions work office hours and are often closed on their national day (see the national days calendar) and on Indian public holidays. If there is no answer after a reasonable time, a polite call during office hours often helps.
Business, trade and culture
Many embassies have a commercial or trade section, and a cultural section. The country guides summarise India's trade, investment and cultural ties with each country, from MEA briefs. Where a mission manages its page on Diplo, you can send it an enquiry from its page.
Questions
Should I contact the embassy or a consulate?
Contact the embassy or high commission in New Delhi unless the mission tells you that a consulate covers your state. Career consulates handle passports and visas for their area; honorary consulates usually do not.
Can Diplo pass my message to an embassy?
No. Diplo is an independent directory, not an agent. A mission that manages its page on Diplo can add an enquiry form that goes to the mission directly.
Where do I apply for a visa?
Many missions take visa applications through an outsourced visa centre. Where a country page links a visa page, it is the mission's own page or an official government visa portal, and the page shows which; follow its instructions and check any visa centre against it.
Do embassies charge fees?
Fees apply to services such as visas and documents, and the mission lists them itself. Be wary of anyone who asks for a payment to pass on a question to an embassy.