India - Indian Embassy (DC) Contact

This might be misposted, but this seemed like the best place.

I sent my passport into the Consular wing over two weeks ago to have my 10-year visa switched from my old passport in my new one. I enclosed a labeled Fedex envelope for return.

They haven't returned the item, I don't live in DC any longer and I can't find a phone number that a person actually picks up.

Does anyone have a contact there?

This might be misposted, but this seemed like the best place.

I sent my passport into the Consular wing over two weeks ago to have my 10-year visa switched from my old passport in my new one. I enclosed a labeled Fedex envelope for return.

They haven't returned the item, I don't live in DC any longer and I can't find a phone number that a person actually picks up.

Does anyone have a contact there?

These are not personal contacts, but here are the numbers for the general public:

During 9:30 am-1:00 pm & 2 pm-6pm.
Passport: (202)939-9838 or (202)939-9862
Passport Lost/ Duplicate/ Short validity: (202)939-9864
Visa: (202)939-9861 or (202)939-9865 or (202)939-9868
OCI: (202)939-9860
PIO: (202)939-9863
Miscellaneous: (202)939-9867
Mail Status: (202)939-9851

Aren't some of those numbers staffed with actual persons?

Unfortunately, they're not.

I've tried between 9:30 and 6:30 all week. No one picks up. All mail boxes are full.

Not to worry you, but my daughter was there two weeks ago to get our visas in person and said it was pretty much madness.

There was only one employee processing visas for a hoard of waiting people. One person said he had been coming back every day for 5 weeks trying to pick up his passport and now was out of time because of a trip the next day to London that he needed his passport for. My daughter saw a woman picking up passports for her family receive one that was not hers - the embassy person did not seem surprised or concerned when she returned it to them.

Another woman had been waiting for hours to pickup hers, only to be told repeatedly that it not ready. Finally she spotted hers in a stack of completed passports on the employee's desk (she had marked blank pages with post-it flags, which was how she recognized that it was hers). It was handed over with no apologies or embarassment.

We had a good outcome, but I think the process is meant to give you a small glimpse into life once we get there... ;)

Unfortunately, they're not.

I've tried between 9:30 and 6:30 all week. No one picks up. All mail boxes are full.

Disappointing to hear that. [Maybe they're busy because of the latest Foreign Ministry kick of calling up naturalized Americans of Indian origin and asking "where's your Indian passport?" -- despite the fact that India doesn't allow for dual citizenship and a good number of such persons haven't had a valid Indian passport for decades in some cases.]

If the FedEx envelope you sent had a billing number or a package slip number you recorded, perhaps that's something you can use to locate if anything was sent using that -- even if not to you. :eek: [I wouldn't be surprised if they have just lost your passports or are going to claim that the return shipment wasn't set up to be done properly or went out and is lost in the mail or something. Also, depending on where you moved to, they could claim that you need to use a different passport office.] Personally, I'd give it until Thursday and in the meantime look to see what -- if anything -- has been done with the fedex airbill you supplied.

I don't know anyone from the IFS assigned to DC consular services currently, but I'll try to see Tuesday or Wednesday if someone we know wouldn't mind asking around for meaningful contact info in this area.

Thanks.

I was prepared for the chaos that is the Indian Embassy in DC. I have the electronic airbill number so I can see if they ever choose to send it back.

I picked to send it in right now because I've got no intl travel this month, but this is super-annoying.

GU, thanks again.

I would also fax and email them. Indian consular officials are notoriously unhelpful. I would also suggest just calling some of the other officers listed on the website (under Embassy) - upto the Ambassador's office - they may connect you to a live person (with a lot of luck).



Contact Us

Chancery
2107 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20008
USA - 20008
Telephone: (202) 939-7000
Fax: (202) 265-4351
Embassy Hours: 930 AM - 600 PM
Consular Wing
2536 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20008
Telephone: (202) 939-9806
Fax: (202) 797-4693


Consular Services Timings

Applications for all consular services (like issue of new/duplicate passports, visas, renewals and miscellaneous services on passports, legalization/attestation of documents) are accepted between 09:30 am and 12:30 pm. The passports and other documents, irrespective of date or time of submission, are delivered only between 04:30 pm and 05:15 pm (EST) on working days (Embassy Holidays). This time schedule does not apply to services where prior approval is required from the authorities in India.
Current USA time 9:15:02 AM (EST) Current India time 6:45:02 PM

Chancery
Phone: (202) 939-7000
Fax: (202) 265-4351
Consular Wing
Phone: (202) 939-9806
Fax: (202) 797-4693

Fedex rings my bell this morning and here's my passport, new visa and all.

Thank you everyone. They said it would take 10 business days. Took 12. Not bad at all.

Fedex rings my bell this morning and here's my passport, new visa and all.

Thank you everyone. They said it would take 10 business days. Took 12. Not bad at all.

Great. :)