Important notice:
VFS recommends that you do not purchase tickets or make bookings which cannot be cancelled without cost prior to the issuance of a visa, except where it is a specific requirement stated as part of the visa application.
These terms contain a disclaimer which limits our liability to our refund policy stated below. Except where covered by our refund policy below, fees are not refundable and are payable whether or not a visa is ultimately granted.
You are responsible for the accuracy of your application form and in checking your application form we do not guarantee that we will find any errors, and we do not verify information you have provided.
VFS recommends that you keep copies of all documents submitted with your application and of your receipts.
Service provider
The India Visa Application Centre is a service provided by VF Services (UK) Limited (referred to below as “VFS”). Our corporate head office is located at 77 boulevard Vauban, 59000 Lille, France.
We are authorized by the Embassy of India in France to operate the India Visa Application Centres, both through our web-site and through our visa application centres in Paris, Lyon, and Marseille. We have sub-contracted elements of our service (collection points in Bordeaux, Nice and Strasbourg) to our authorized sub-contract partner, Regus.
Application of these terms
These terms and conditions govern your use of the services of the India Visa Application Centre, all visa applications you make, and all enquiries you make for advice or information concerning Indian visas. Each applicant for a visa hereby accepts and confirms that, prior to submitting a visa application; they have read, understood and agreed to be bound by, without limitation or qualification, all of these terms and conditions. No employee of VFS has any authority whatsoever to change, amend, amplify or withdraw any or all of these terms and conditions without prior written approval from VFS.
No cancellation rights
Once you have submitted your application you will be taken to have agreed that we may immediately commence processing you application and providing any services. As a result you will not have any right to cancel your application.
THE VISA APPLICATION SERVICE
Scope of the service
The India Visa Application Centre of VFS is the outsourced partner of the Embassy of India in France. In this capacity, the India Visa Application Centre is responsible for receipt of visa applications for travel to India and visa fees, submission of applications at the Embassy of India in Paris, collecting the processed passports from the Embassy of India in Paris, and returning passports back to applicants.
Acceptance and rejection of applications
The assessment of visa applications is carried out by the Embassy of India, and the decision to grant or refuse a visa to India is at their sole discretion. The Embassy of India reserves the right to ask for further documentation and information from the applicant, and to refuse any visa application. The applicant must supply such further documents and information if they wish their application to continue to be considered.
Fees
Fees stated are only valid on the day that they are quoted or provided by us. If you decide to make your application on a later date, the fees may change.
All costs of returning passports, visas and documents to you are included in the final total fee based on information provided by you and the delivery methods selected by you.
All fees must be received in full under the available payment options as cleared funds for the application to be processed. If fees are paid by cheque (or other negotiable instrument) then the payment will not be considered to have been received until such cheque or negotiable instrument has cleared.
Except where covered in our refund policy below, fees are not refundable, and in particular fees are payable whether or not a visa is ultimately granted.
General obligation
VFS will process all visa applications with reasonable care and skill and in accordance with all procedures prescribed by the Embassy of India from time to time. However, whilst we use reasonable care to check your application form for obvious errors on the face of the form, we do not guarantee to detect errors with your form, and we do not undertake to verify any information you provide, which you are responsible for ensuring is accurate.
Applicant's responsibility
It is the responsibility of all applicants to read carefully and understand the requirements set out in the India visa application forms, to complete all application forms truthfully, to provide correct and accurate information and documentation, to ensure that they have a valid passport, and on receipt of visa to check the validity of the visa issued in order to ensure that it covers the period of stay requested, the number or entries required, and that it is valid for the purpose of the trip. The applicant is responsible for adapting his travel plans to the visa granted by the Embassy of India.
It is the responsibility of the applicant to immediately inform VFS if they feel there is a mistake on their visa and want to request a rectification of their visa. Rectification requests must be submitted immediately on receipt of the visa; such requests may be accepted or refused by the Embassy of India in its full right.
Applicants are requested to submit / send the photocopies of the supporting documents (not the originals) unless originals are requested.
Processing times
The processing times for visas are estimates only. These are based on information communicated to us by the Embassy of India. The processing of your application is subject to the procedures and timescales of the Embassy of India, over which we have no control.
Advertising material
Advertising material may be included along with passports or other documents when they are returned to the applicant. If you do not wish to receive any such advertising material, you should notify VFS in advance at the time of submission of your visa application. Please note that all advertising material accompanying the relevant documents is provided by VFS, and does not have the endorsement of the Indian Government.
Changes to procedures and fees
The procedures and fees of the Embassy of India for the processing of visas and related services are beyond the control of VFS and subject to change without prior notice; in some cases these changes may apply retroactively to applications under processing. VFS does not accept responsibility for any changes in procedures or fees and reserves the right to cascade any increase in fees.
REFUND POLICY
Refund of visa application fee
If VFS is in breach of contract or negligent in relation to any visa application submitted, resulting in the visa not being granted or in the loss of an applicants passport with valid visas, in each case, wherein the applicant has to apply for a new passport or cannot travel to India at the times stated by the applicant in his/her visa application, then VFS will refund to the applicant the amount of the visa application fee only.
Loss or damage to passports and other travel documents
VFS takes every reasonable precaution while handling an applicant's passport & documents. If due to any breach of contract or negligence on the part of VFS, the applicant's submitted passport or documents are lost or damaged beyond a useable condition, then VFS will pay to the applicant the amount of the fees charged by the government of the applicant's home country for the replacement of the lost or damaged passport or other documents through their normal replacement procedure. VFS will also assist the applicant with the same within its capacity. Such payments will be made by VFS to the applicant on the presentation of the payment receipt issued by the government of their respective home country for the replacement of such lost or damaged passport or documents.
DISCLAIMER – PLEASE READ CAREFULLY
Except for the refund or reimbursements of fees as stated in the section above, VFS excludes its liability in connection with any visa applications, including liability in or under contract, negligence, tort, statute or otherwise howsoever, and including liability for any delay or failure of VFS in handling or processing visa applications, loss of or delay to passports and other documents, delays involving the Embassy of India, and rejections of visa applications for any reason.
And for the avoidance of doubt:
No liability for incorrect information
VFS shall have no liability for loss, delays or non-issuance of any application arising from or in connection with (to include but not restricted to) incomplete application forms, incorrectly or falsely completed application forms, and inaccurate or incomplete supporting documentation.
No liability for events not in our control
VFS shall not be considered to be in breach of contract or negligent or otherwise liable in any way for any delay or failure of any application or loss, damage or delay to any passport or other documents due to accident, theft, natural calamities (act of god) or any other reason outside the control of, and not arising out of a wilful default of, VFS, or for the loss or damage to any passport or other document after it has been handed over to the applicant.
No liability for postal and courier service
The applicant agrees and accepts that the courier acceptance and delivery service through which the passports and / or documents are returned to the applicants by VFS is operated by a third-party. VFS does not control or operate any courier company, neither does it control or operate any facility or service provided by the courier company.
VFS shall have no liability for any delays, or for loss of or damage to any visa application, passport or other documents, caused by, or occurring whilst any application, passport or document is in the possession of, any third party postal or courier service, including transportation of visa applications, passport or other documents between VFS and the Embassy of India and when being returned by VFS to the applicant.
No liability for the premium call centre service
Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided on the premium call centre services is accurate and up-to-date. In relation to this service VFS assumes no responsibility for and gives no guarantees, undertakings or warranties concerning the accuracy, completeness or up-to-date nature of the information provided and limits its liability to refund of the call charges. VFS excludes all other liability it may have in relation to any advice or information given through the premium call centre facilities, including for breach of contract or negligence.
No liability for assessment of visa applications
VFS is not involved in the process of assessment of visa applications, or the decision to grant or refuse the same, and shall not be liable or responsible for any delay by the Embassy of India in assessing, granting or refusing any visa application or for the acceptance or rejection of any visa application.
No liability during the processing by the Embassy of India
The applicant agrees and accepts that VFS neither controls the Embassy of India nor does it control or operate the services provided by them. Hence, VFS will not be liable or responsible in any manner whatsoever for the loss or damage of applicant's passport or documents due to any default on the part of the Indian Embassy.
In certain cases, the Embassy of India may hand over the relevant passports and documents to the applicants directly. In such cases, VFS shall not be responsible for any loss or damage to the passports or documents, in any manner whatsoever.
No liability in case of submission by a third party
The applicant hereby accepts and confirms that the applicant and / or their representative, prior to submitting the visa application, has read, understood and agreed to be bound by, without limitation or qualification, all of the terms, conditions and details provided herein.
No liability for wasted costs and expenses
VFS shall have no liability (including for breach of contract or negligence) to any visa applicant, or any other person relying on or benefiting from any visa application, for any commitment, cost or expenditure incurred in reliance on or anticipation of receiving an Indian visa, whether within a particular timescale or at all, including but not limited to air travel, hotel, and other travel and accommodation arrangements, and any other arrangements made.
VFS recommends that you do not purchase tickets or make bookings which cannot be cancelled prior to the issuance of a visa, except where it is a specific requirement stated as part of the visa application. The presentation of a plane ticket or travel bookings, even when it is a specific requirement as part of the visa application, in no way guarantees the issuance of a visa before the expected departure. The decision to grant a visa, or not, remains solely at the discretion of the Embassy of India.
General exclusion of loss and damage
VFS shall have no liability to any visa applicant, or any other person relying on or benefiting from any visa application, for any direct, indirect, punitive, incidental, special, consequential damages or any damages whatsoever due to delay, misplacement, loss or damage of applications, passports and other documents or due to negligence or breach of contract in connection with any visa application or any advice or information given in relation to any visa application.
VFS shall have no liability to any visa applicant or any other person relying on or benefiting from any visa application for any loss of profit, revenue, contract, opportunity or business, wasted expenditure, additional expenditure, or any other business or occupation related loss or damage, suffered or incurred as a result of delay, misplacement, loss or damage of applications, passports or other documents, or due to negligence or breach of contract in connection with any visa application or any advice or information given in relation to any visa application.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Third party rights
Nothing in these Terms and Conditions shall benefit or be enforceable by any person other than the visa applicant.
Changes to these terms
VFS, in its sole discretion, may change, amend, cancel or withdraw any or all of these terms and conditions at any time without any prior notice.
Applicable law
These terms and conditions and any visa applications shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of France. Any claims or disputes arising in relation to the services provided by VFS to the applicant shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Paris.
Complaints
Please address any complaints by post to our customer service team: 42-44 rue de Paradis, 75010 Paris by post.
Penalty Clauses
In case of deficiencies in delivery of service, penalties become liable, which are as follows:
i) Acceptance of wrong applications, insufficient supporting documents, invalid passports, mistakes in uploading photographs and data etc where time and resources of the Mission/Post are wasted - An amount equal to the Service Fee chargeable for each visa application shall be paid to the Mission/Post.
ii) Delay in handing over/despatch of document to the applicant - An amount equal to the service fee for each day of delay beyond the due date, to be paid to the applicant.
iii) Damage to the travel document – Cost of replacement of the travel document, to be paid to the applicant.
iv) Loss of documents – An amount equal to all the expenses involved in replacement of the document plus the fee paid by the applicant for services, if any, rendered on the document by the Mission/Post, to be paid to the applicant.
