How to Prepare for an Indian Visa Interview in Nigeria

Are you traveling to India on a visa and you have to prepare for the visa interview? The visa interview process can be the most daunting part of a visa process- a consular officer will get to ask you questions about the purpose of your trip, how long you want to stay and your whole travel plans.

Perhaps the thought of an officer interviewing you is overwhelming, you have to keep it in mind that the interview is necessary for the purpose of determining whether or not you meet visa requirements and should be granted the visa.

Preparing for the Indian Visa Interview

There are certain things you need to do in preparation for the visa interview, they are:

• Schedule a visa appointment at the consular office nearest to you.
• Check the visa appointment wait time and understand that wait times vary by location and visa category.
• Pay the non-refundable visa application fee as this might be required before the interview is conducted.
• Have the required documents that are needed prior to the interview. (Documents needed will be stated below).
• Prepare for your interview with practice question you can find online.

If you are also interested in knowing the process for an Australian Student Visa Interview, click here to read more.

Documents Needed for the Visa Interview Process

Documents Needed for Personal Information:

• Two 2''x 2'' passport-sized photographs.
• Visa fee receipts.
• Visa interview appointment letter.
• DS 160 Confirmation Slip (with the Bar Code clearly visible).

Documents Needed for Educational Purposes:

• IELTS/TOEFL Score Card
• Bachelor's degree, provisional degree certificate or course completion certificate if applicable.
• Documents related to your financial profile.
• For the visa interview, this is the most important document. Visa officers would want to verify that you can fund your education, and you have adequate backup in case your original source does not fructify.
• Loan approval letter (if applicable)
• Savings bank account statement.

To read more about the Indian tourist visa, you can click here.

Visa Interview Questions to Expect

During your interview, here are certain questions you should expect to be asked. You need to prepare well in order to know how to answer those questions.

1. What is the purpose of your trip? While answering this question you have to be very honest. If you are traveling for tourism, business, medical or even study purposes, tell the consular officer.
2. How do you plan on financing your trip to India? To answer this, you have to prove that you can cover all costs associated with your trip. This may require you to estimate the cost of return travel tickets, lodging, boarding, domestic travel, and even medical expenses.
3. How long are you staying in India? You have to tell the consular officer how long you plan on staying in India, it is advisable not to mention anything about visa extension.
4. Where are you going to stay during your trip? If you have a family or friend you will be staying with, you are required to provide an invitation letter from them plus their address. If not, you are required to provide proof of accommodation i.e guest house/ hotel bookings.
5. Have you been to India before? If you have, you should tell the consular officer the reason for the previous trip.
6. What is the guarantee that will you will return home after your visa expires? The one important thing that your consulate officer will focus on is whether you have ties to your home country that provide you an incentive to return.

Reading this, I'm sure you already know to prepare for your visa interview. To apply for an Indian visa, click here.