Overview
All foreign nationals require a valid visa to enter India. To attend the World Congress on Itch, most delegates should obtain an Indian e-Conference Visa, applied for online before travel. Delegates whose nationality is not eligible for the e-Visa should apply for a Regular Conference Visa at their nearest Indian Embassy or Consulate.
Apply early. A conference visa requires political clearance from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and, in some cases, event clearance from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The WCI 2027 organising committee arranges these centrally. We strongly encourage you to begin your application at least 8–10 weeks before travel; applications may be submitted up to 120 days before arrival.
Which visa do you need?
Your route depends on your nationality. Before anything else, confirm whether your country is eligible for the Indian e-Visa on the official Government of India portal.
e-Conference Visa — recommended for most delegates
- Applied for entirely online — no embassy visit required.
- Available to nationals of 160+ eligible countries, including the USA, Canada, the UK, most of Europe, Japan, South Korea and many Asian nations.
- Single entry, up to 30 days' stay from arrival, with the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) delivered by email.
Apply / check eligibility: Indian e-Visa portal
Regular Conference Visa — if the e-Visa is unavailable
- Applied for through your nearest Indian Embassy or Consulate; issued as a sticker in your passport.
- Required if your nationality is not on the e-Visa list, or where prior government reference applies.
- Allow additional processing time compared with the online route.
Portal: Regular visa application
Documents provided by the organising committee
Once your congress registration is confirmed, the WCI 2027 travel desk provides the documents the visa authorities require. Request these early so they are ready before you apply:
- Invitation Letter — official letter on congress letterhead confirming your participation (mandatory for every conference visa). This invitation letter will be available in your login dashboard once you have registered for the conference.
- MEA Political Clearance — mandatory clearance from the Ministry of External Affairs, obtained centrally by the organisers. This clearance letter will be made available on the congress website 2–3 months before the conference.
- MHA Event Clearance — Ministry of Home Affairs event clearance where applicable, filed by the organisers.
- Registration confirmation & payment receipt — the registration confirmation email and the payment receipt will be available in your registration login dashboard after your registration, along with the invitation letter.
- Scientific programme & agenda — can be downloaded from the congress website.
For any other queries, please reach out to info@wci2027.com after registering.
How to apply — step by step (e-Conference Visa)
The entire process is completed online through the official Government of India portal.
- Check eligibility & passport validity. Confirm your nationality is eligible. Ensure your passport is valid for at least six months beyond arrival, has at least two blank pages, and is the passport you will travel on.
- Register for the Congress & gather documents. Complete WCI 2027 registration, then obtain your invitation letter from your login dashboard and the MEA clearance from the congress website. Have your passport bio-page scan and a passport-size photograph ready as digital files.
- Apply online & pay the fee. On the official portal, select e-Conference Visa. Complete the form with your passport details, travel itinerary, congress details and address of stay in India (The Ananta, Udaipur). Upload your photograph, passport bio-page, invitation letter and clearance documents, then pay online. Ensure your name, passport number and date of birth exactly match your passport — corrections after submission are difficult.
- Track your application & receive the ETA. Track status online. Once approved, your Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) arrives by email — typically within a few working days, though timing varies with clearances. Print the ETA and keep a digital copy.
- Travel to India. Carry your passport, printed ETA, invitation letter, hotel confirmation and (recommended) a return flight ticket. Biometric verification is completed on arrival. The e-Conference Visa is valid for entry through 28 designated airports and 5 seaports.
Documents to keep ready
Prepare clear digital scans before you begin the online form. The same documents support a regular embassy application.
Arriving in India & health notes
- At immigration: present your passport and printed ETA. Biometric data (fingerprints and photograph) is captured at the counter. Keep your invitation letter and hotel confirmation accessible.
- Getting to Udaipur: The Ananta is roughly 25 km from Maharana Pratap Airport (UDR), with direct connections from Delhi, Mumbai and Jaipur. See the congress travel page for transfer details.
- Yellow fever certificate: travellers arriving within 6 days of leaving a yellow-fever-endemic country must carry a valid vaccination certificate. Most delegates are unaffected — check if your route applies.
Official links
Frequently asked questions
This information is provided as general guidance for WCI 2027 delegates and is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of preparation. Indian visa rules, fees and eligibility can change. Always confirm the current requirements for your nationality on the official Government of India portal (indianvisaonline.gov.in) before applying, and contact the WCI 2027 travel desk with any questions.
