ASC 2025 Visa Policy

What Indian visa should I apply for?

Delegates have the option of applying for either a Business Visa or a Conference Visa to India. Applications for both visa types can be done online at the Indian e-Visa Application web portal at https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html.

What is the difference between a business visa and a conference visa?

A business visa is a multi-entry visa with a validity of 1 year and a maximum stay of no more than 180 days per visit. Indian business visa application can be done entirely online, but some applications may require physical and multiple appointments at the Indian embassy, specifically for delegates coming from sensitive countries such as China, Bangladesh, and others.

An Indian e-Conference Visa allows a single entry and a maximum stay of 30 days from the date of arrival in India. This visa is specifically for attending international conferences, seminars, or workshops. You are allowed to stay in India for the duration of the conference and any pre or post-event tourism activities, as long as your total stay doesn't exceed 30 days. To obtain an Indian e-Conference visa, no physical appointment at an Indian Embassy is required for citizens of most countries, with some exceptions. Furthermore, the turnaround time to obtain this type of visa is usually shorter.

If I choose to apply for a business visa, when can I start my application?

You can apply for a business visa immediately after you have paid your congress registration fees, filled out the ASC 2025 INVITATION LETTER FORM and received the letter issued by APSA and the National Organizing Committee, which will be one of the documents required to upload during your application process. Once you’ve submitted all the required documents and application, the entire process for visa approval typically takes up to 3 – 5 days to confirm.

If I choose to apply for a conference visa, when can I start my application?

APSA will upload the delegate list to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) conference portal on the following three dates; July 1, August 1 and September 1. The MEA will take 30–45 days to process the application and issue the clearance letter.

For those whose name was submitted on July 1, the clearance letter will be issued in mid-August.
For those submitted on August 1, the clearance letter will be issued mid-September.
For those submitted on September 1, the clearance letter will be issued in mid-October.

Once the clearance letters have been issued, APSA will inform delegates whose names have been approved and provide them with all documents needed for the application. Once received, delegates can then apply for a conference visa, which normally takes up to 3 – 5 days to confirm.

Please CLICK HERE to view list of all countries that will require Indian Conference Visa.

1. Register for the 2025 Asian Seed Congress
2. Make payment for your 2025 Asian Seed Congress registration
3. Confirmation will be sent to the email address of the registered voting representative and delegates, confirming receipt of their congress registration payment. This email will contain a link to the ASC 2025 Visa Invitation Letter Form.
4. Fill out the ASC 2025 INVITATION LETTER FORM on behalf of every prospective delegate registered under your company who plans to attend the congress. To access the form, please sign-in using your APSA Membership account username & Password. Be advised that access to the form is strictly ONLY for paid congress delegates. So, if you cannot access the form, please ensure that your congress registration has been paid.
5. Once the form is filled out, you will be emailed the ASC 2025 Visa Invitation Letter, which can also be viewed and downloaded from your APSA Membership Dashboard.
6. Apply for your Indian e-Visa at https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html
7. Select business visa type and for the purpose of attending technical / business meetings.
8. Fill out the necessary details and upload the required documents
   • Passport
   • Photo
   • Invitation Letter (use ASC 2025 Invitation Letter)
9. Once you have completed your Business e-Visa application and made payment, please allow a couple of days for your application to be processed.
10. You will be emailed a response regarding your business visa application, if it was approved, denied or requires additional steps and details. Be advised that some applications may require physical and multiple appointments at an Indian embassy or authorized consulate.

See Flowchart

1. Register for the 2025 Asian Seed Congress
2. Make payment for your 2025 Asian Seed Congress registration
3. Confirmation will be sent to the email address of the registered voting representative and delegates, confirming receipt of their congress registration payment. This email will contain a link to the ASC 2025 Visa Invitation Letter Form.
4. Please ensure to fill out the ASC 2025 INVITATION LETTER FORM on behalf of every prospective delegate registered under your company who plans to attend the congress, as these are the details required and must be submitted to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for approval and issuance of an official Clearance Letter.
   
   To access the form, please sign-in using your APSA Membership account username & Password. Be advised that access to the form is strictly ONLY for paid congress delegates. So, if you cannot access the form, please ensure that your congress registration has been paid.
5. APSA will submit and upload the delegate details to MEA conference portal
   • 1 July 2025 - First upload
   • 1 August 2025 – Second upload
   • 1 September 2025 – Last upload
6. It will take 30 - 45 days for MEA to issue the official clearance letter with a list of all approved delegates
   • Mid-August – first MEA clearance letter
   • Mid-September – second MEA clearance letter
   • Mid-October – final MEA clearance letter

   Please be advised that the MEA may ask for additional details and documents from some of the congress delegates. If so, then APSA will email the delegate directly regarding the MEA’s request for additional documents.

7. Once the ASC 2025 MEA Clearance Letter is received, APSA will share all official clearance letters with the delegates that have been approved and inform them they can now apply for conference visa via online portal.

   If you require the actual physical hardcopy of any document posted to you, please inform APSA Secretariat at mike@apsaseed.org

   Please be advised that some delegates may not be allowed to register online but would have to make a physical appointment at the Indian Embassy / Consulate within their country.

8. Apply for your Indian e-Visa at https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html

9. Select conference visa type

10. Fill out the necessary details and upload the required documents

    • Passport
    • Photo
    • Invitation Letter (use ASC 2025 Invitation Letter)
    • Clearance letter from the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)
    • Clearance Letter from the Indian Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare (MAFW)
    • Clearance letter from the State of Maharashtra
    • Clearance letter from the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)
11. Once you have completed your Conference e-Visa application and made payment, please allow a couple of days for your application to be processed and approved.
12. Please note that as the final upload to the MEA conference portal is on September 1, so any delegates confirmed after September 1, we recommend applying for a business visa.

See Flowchart

Citizens of Bhutan and Nepal do not require a visa to enter India and can stay in India for an indefinite period. Also, OCI Cardholders: Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) cardholders do not need a visa to enter India.

• Applying for an Indian conference visa can be complex, so please make sure to start the process early and as soon as possible.
• The organizing committee is not responsible for any travel disruptions or expenses incurred by attendees, including failure to comply with the prevailing visa and entry requirements and/or change of travel regulations imposed by India or your home country.
• If you require any additional documents and/or assistance, please contact :
  1. APSA's Membership Coordination Manager, Mr. Komsak (Bobbie) Kamjing at komsak@apsaseed.org or
  2. APSA's Events Manager, Mr. Mike Kingpayom at mike@apsaseed.org