International participants should apply for either a "business" or a "conference" visa at the appropriate Indian consulate/embassy. We emphasize that "e-tourist" or "entry" visas are not applicable. Our experience is that the processing times for business visas are significantly shorter than for conference visas, and we hence typically advise participants to apply for a business visa. However, this may depend on the country in which the visa application is being filed. We hence also advise participants to enquire with VFS Global or the local Indian consulate/embassy on the procedures for a "business" and a "conference" visa, before deciding. Finally, the invitation letter is different for the two types of visa, so be sure to specify the type of visa for which youll be applying, when requesting the invitation letter.

The Excel spreadsheet below lists the required information for the invitation letter. Please attach a filled version of this to your request for an invitation letter.