Visa Information

All non-Indians travelling to India need to acquire a relevant VISA, with exceptions of OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) cardholders. The information on this page is provided as general guidance for securing a visa to travel to India to attend WCOG 2026 in New Delhi (India). The information provided cannot be constituted as legal advice. While the organizers make every effort to keep the information up to date, we cannot make any guarantees about the accuracy or validity of the information.

Nationals from over 170 countries are eligible to apply for an E-visa. Authorized Portal for Visa Application to India is indianvisaonline.gov.in.

Critical Information

Visitors entering India must possess a passport valid for at least 6 months after their date of entry into India. There should be at least two blank pages in the passport. An entry visa is essential for all those visiting India. There are several types of visas, including Conference, Tourist and Business Visas. Those traveling specifically for WCOG 2026 are required to apply for a CONFERENCE VISA.

All non-Indian passport holders attending WCOG 2026 are required to submit their passport & other details using the following form: https://forms.gle/12xdzNwmiY1By6517.

This information is necessary for obtaining clearance from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India. The clearance is a mandatory requirement for applying for a CONFERENCE VISA.

Once you submit the form, the WCOG 2026 Organizing Team will provide you with an official invitation letter and the MEA clearance document (once recd. from MEA), which will help you in your visa application process. Should you have any queries, please feel free to get in touch with us (secretariat@wcog2026india.com).

Passport Copies Required

Visa Applicants from (1) Afghanistan, (2) Iraq, (3) Pakistan (4) Sudan (5) Foreigners of Pakistani Origin and (6) Stateless persons will need a special political clearance from Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India.

For participants from Pakistan:

Entry into India should be Delhi, Mumbai, or Chennai only if travelling by Air.
Pakistani citizens holding two passports should apply for a visa on their Pakistan passport.

When to Apply

For most countries, the processing time for a conference visa is typically around one month, and in some cases it may take up to two months. We therefore advise you to complete the visa formalities & apply as early as possible.

Filling the eVisa Application Form

eVisa can be applied on the following portal: https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/. Please note that this website is operated by the Government of India and not by the WCOG 2026 organisers.

Here are some tips on using that website:

Make a note of your temporary reference number.
If the website gives error messages or freezes, you can try later using your temporary reference number to retrieve your partially filled form.
A visa application form will be generated with the High Commission Logo at the top. Print 2 copies (and another one for yourself) and sign. Save the document in case you need to reprint.
Get your Supporting Documents. The supporting documents required for a visa application are as listed below (will be provided by WCOG 2026 organizers).
- Clearance letter from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India, which is needed for all non-Indian nationals to travel to the conference.
- Invitation letter for the Conference WCOG 2026 secretariat will provide an invitation letter for VISA purposes, if required. However, it does not guarantee you a visa OR might not be required by the consulate to process the VISA too. Hence kindly reconfirm before applying for the VISA with the consulate or your local travel agent. The invitation letter will be issued ONLY after you have registered and full payment has been received, and if the above given Google Form for is filled by you.
- Please note that a clearance letter from Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India is only required for Visa Applicants from (1) Afghanistan, (2) Iraq, (3) Pakistan (4) Sudan (5) Foreigners of Pakistani Origin and (6) Stateless persons. If your visa application has a mandatory field for it, please submit this circular from the MHA (that explains the conditions in which MHA approval is needed) along with your application.

Local Contact Details

If you need to enter the details of a local contact in your visa application, please write to the secretariat requesting for the same.

Accompanying Persons

Accompanying Persons are not entitled to attend the conference technical sessions and should apply for a Tourist Visa. They can of course benefit from the events open to them and participate in the social events of the Conference. The application process for Tourist Visa is much simpler than Conference Visa. No letter of invitation is required. Accompanying persons can use the e-Tourist visa facility at the website: https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/tvoa.html.

Important Note

Please note that the WCOG 2026 organising team is not authorized to assist or have any control over the VISA process beyond providing an Invitation Letter, that too post completion of the online registration process. Should your application be denied, the WCOG 2026 team cannot change the decision of the Government Ministries, nor will any member from the committee be able to engage in discussion or correspondence with the visa issuing authorities on behalf of the applicant.

The registration fee cannot be refunded for the reason of VISA being denied – cancellation policy mentioned on the website will be followed. We request you to please register and apply for VISA as early as you can to make sure you have enough time to plan your trip.