The first step in starting the H4 visa process is to pay the fee. This article elaborates on how the visa fee can be paid in different HDFC Banks in India. Please note that while the process remains same across all visa types, there may be some differences and change of rates.



The economics of non-immigrant visa application is pretty simple. There are two type of fees associated with each non-immigrant visa application.

  • One is basic application fee, which is non-refundable, known as Application Fee. In the event of your application accepted, Visa Issuance (not applicable for Indian Citizens) Fee has to be paid as well.
  • The other is a service fee which has to be paid to the VFS for all their administrative and logistics services like appointments, courier service for passport delivery etc.

Important tips for visa fee processing

  • The INR equivalent amount of application fee and issuance fee is subject to change depending on exchange rates.
  • Demand Drafts issued by cooperative banks are not accepted.
  • Once you pay the fee, VFS computer systems gets the details about the payment. The fee receipt gets activated in VFS systems 2 working days from date of issue. Do not attempt to take an appointment till then.
  • HDFC Bank's fee receipt can be used to make an appointment within 1 year from date of issue.
  • The receipt is considered utilized once the interview has taken place, and cannot be used to make a subsequent appointment.
  • For any clarifications you may write to HDFC Bank Ltd. at VisaFees@hdfcbank.com

Fee for Other Services (not applicable for new applicants)

Effective from Oct 10, 2008, the VFS service charge payable at HDFC. Here is a breakup of the fee to be paid.

VFS service charge payable at HDFC Rs.374/- (inclusive of taxes)
Fee for 221(g) cases Rs.180/- (inclusive of taxes)
Fee for Visa correction Rs.359/- (inclusive of taxes)
No Show Cases Rs. 180 - (inclusive of taxes)
Referral Cases Rs. 359 - (inclusive of taxes)

All the above charges are inclusive of 12.36% service tax. There is an additional courier fee of Rs. 387/- along with the MRV fee INR 7050 (equivalent to USD $150 for petition based visa categories) as on Dec 1st 2010.

Visa application and VFS service fee can only be paid at a designated branch of HDFC Bank. Following is a list of the branches.

HDFC Branch Locations

List of HDFC Branches where application fee can be paid.

Two of the frequently asked questions about depositing the visa fee is:

I am located at a place with no HDFC bank listed above. How do I pay the fee?

Any one (friend or relative) on behalf of the applicant can go to any of these HDFC branches and can pay the fee. The person will need the photocopy of first page of the passport of each applicant though.
Note: For any clarifications you may write to HDFC Bank Ltd. at VisaFees@hdfcbank.com

Do I need to use the same passport at the time of paying the H4 visa fee and during the H4 visa interview?

Yes. Applicants should use the same passport at the time of paying the fee as they intend to use during the interview.
If your passport expires within the next 6 - 12 months; it is advisable to obtain a new passport prior to purchasing a receipt for a visa interview.