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Consul General's Message

Welcome to the new website of the Consulate General of India in San Francisco.

We have made every effort to make the website user friendly. We have tried to provide the information you are actually looking for, rather than displaying the information easily available with the Consulate. Special efforts have been made to ensure that all documentary requirements for each specific service can be seen at one location.

We hope this website would also serve as a gateway to India for those who are trying to access information relating to tourism, trade, economy, etc. The relevant information has been made available through various links to important websites.

I hope you would find the website useful. However, improvements are always possible and we look forward to receiving your feedback containing comments, ideas and suggestions to make the website more user friendly and useful.

Your comments/suggestion may be sent to email
With Best Wishes.
N. Parthasarathi

Passport Application Dispatch

The Consulate General of India, San Francisco has outsourced the handling of Passport applications to M/s. VFS Global with effect from May 03, 2012. Detailed guidelines on submitting the applications, documentation requirements and fee etc., are all available at the following link: www.vfsglobal.com/india/usa

Important Notice:

The processing time of passport is 5 to 6 weeks. Passport issued from Passport Issuing Authorities other than San Francisco could take much longer.

All queries relating to passport services needs to be address to VFS Global at info.inus.sfo@vfshelpline.com and phone no (202)800-7212.

This Consulate would not respond to queries regarding status of passport application.

Your Passport - Helpful Tips

Your passport is a very important document. Make a photocopy of your passport and keep it in a safe place away from the original passport. In the event your original passport is lost/damaged/stolen, the photocopy will help in faster processing for issuing a duplicate passport.
If you are travelling to another country, the passport travels with you. You should, therefore, not ship your passport to any other country from the country you are resident in.
Passport is valid for ten years. It is in your interest to ensure your passport is valid at least for 6 months at any given time.
Check the validity of your passport from time to time to ensure its validity for travel.
Your passport can be renewed up to twelve months prior to its expiry date.
It is advisable to apply for renewal well in advance so that your travel, etc., are not distrupted in case there is a delay in getting renewal of your passport.
When you apply for fresh passport / renewal of passport you will be issued a new passport. However in case of renewal, your old passport will be cancelled and returned to you so that you can still use the valid visas in that passport.
If you obtain citizenship/passport of any other country (For example: US passport), you need to surrender your Indian Passport to the Indian Consulate through its outsourcing agency 'Travisa Outsourcing' Failure to do so will involve payment of penalty at a later stage.
B1/B2 visa holders are temporary visitors to U.S. and should, in normal course, apply for passport services at their place of residence in India. However, in case of any emergency requirement thay may contact the Consulate for issue of short validity passports.
No need to specially request for ECNR. ECNR(Emigration Clearance Not Required) is now given by default.
Immediately after receiving your passport check if all entries are correct. If there is any clerical error/oversight, send the passport alongwith a note describing the error within 30 days of receipt of passport. The error will be corrected without any fee. if the error is, however, because of incorrect entries made by the applicant in the application form, fresh fee will need to be paid.