Consulate General of India, Sydney

MEDIA RELEASE

OUTSOURCING OF VISA, PASSPORT AND OCI SERVICES

In order to ensure that the visa, passport and OCI application process is as convenient, fast and customer friendly as possible, the High Commission of India and the Consulate Generals of India have decided to outsource these services in Australia to M/s VFS Services Australia Pty Ltd.

2. Our commitment to offering efficient visa, passport and OCI services will be reflected in customer friendly and easily accessible Visa, passport and OCI Application Centres. The Centres will also offer prompt and efficient responses to all queries including telephone and e-mail queries relating to these services. In addition, the Centres would accept fees in cash, drafts/ money orders, and starting from May, through credit card/ debit card. They would also be open without break for longer consular hours – from 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM, on all working days.

3. M/s VFS will set up Visa & Passport Services Centres (V&PSC) in the following cities:

Centre	Date of Opening
Canberra	30 January
Sydney	21 February
Melbourne	04 March
Brisbane	14 March
Perth	28 March
Adelaide	18 April

[Note: (i) Passport and OCI applications in respect of the areas covered by Consulate General of India in Melbourne, i.e., Victoria and Tasmania, will continue to be received by the High Commission of India, Canberra till the opening of V&PSC in Melbourne.

(ii) Passport, Visa and OCI applications in respect of South Australia will continue to be received by the Consulate General of India in Sydney until 20 February, 2008. From 21 February, 2008, applications from South Australia will have to be forwarded to the V&PSC Centre in Sydney, until the opening of a separate V&PSC Centre in Adelaide on 18 April, 2008. Thereafter, applications from South Australia will be dealt with by the V&PSC Centre in Adelaide].

4. The V&PSCs would accept applications for the following services:

1. Issue of visa for travel to India (except for Diplomatic and Official passports);
2. Issue of passports;
3. Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) Cards.

5. Application forms can be collected from the V&PSCs and also downloaded from the High Commission and Consulates General websites. A service charge of A$ 16.36 plus GST per applicant will apply in addition to regular fees, details of which are available on the websites of the High Commission and the Consulates General.

6. In case the applicant wishes the Passport to be sent through courier/express post etc., separate postal charges will be required to be paid.

7. Once the V&PSCs are operational, the High Commission of India in Canberra, Consulates General of India in Sydney & Melbourne and Honorary Consulates of India in Perth and Brisbane, will not accept applications for issue of visas (except for diplomatic & official passports), passports and OCI Cards. Applications received after opening of V&PSCs will be processed subject to additional service charge being paid by the applicant.

8. The High Commission and the Consulates General in Sydney & Melbourne will, however, continue to receive applications for other Consular Services as follows:
• Consular Attestations
• Miscellaneous Consular Services like Police Clearance Certificate, Birth Certificates, Life Certificates etc.

9. In case of requirement of urgent travel to India on extreme compassionate grounds (death in the family), the High Commission or the Consulates General may be approached directly. Additional charges are applicable for processing such applications outside office hours.

10. The Honorary Consulates in Perth and Brisbane would continue to accept applications for attestation of documents and Life Certificate.

11. Details regarding locations and telephone number of the V&PSCs will be intimated shortly.

12. For further details, please visit the website of the High Commission of India, Canberra (http://www.hcindia-au.org), Consulate General of India, Sydney (http://www.indianconsulatesydney.org), and Consulate General of India, Melbourne (http://www.cgindiamel-au.org).

Canberra
1 January, 2008