How to Schedule a U.S. Visa Appointment in India

Where to book your U.S. visa appointment in India

You schedule a U.S. visa appointment through the official State Department website, not through a travel agent, visa service, or any other intermediary. The website is ustraveldocs.com, and it routes you to the correct U.S. embassy or consulate based on where you live in India.

India has four U.S. consulates: in New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Hyderabad. The website will ask for your residential address and assign you to the nearest one. You cannot choose a different location — the system locks you to your consulate based on geography.

Before you go to ustraveldocs.com, you need a valid passport and you should have completed your online visa process (Form DS-160) on the State Department's ceac.state.gov website. The appointment system will ask for your DS-160 confirmation number, so have that ready.

Key Takeaways

• Book your appointment on ustraveldocs.com, which assigns you to one of four Indian consulates based on where you live.
• You must complete Form DS-160 (the online visa process) before scheduling, and you will need the confirmation number during booking.
• Appointment availability changes weekly and slots fill quickly, especially in Mumbai and New Delhi, so check regularly if your preferred date is full.
• The appointment fee (currently $160 USD for most visa types) must be paid before your interview, either online or at a bank, depending on your consulate.
• Bring your passport, DS-160 confirmation, appointment confirmation letter, and all supporting documents to your interview on the exact date and time assigned.

Step-by-step process for booking on ustraveldocs.com

Go to ustraveldocs.com and select "Nonimmigrant Visa" (this covers tourist, work, student, and most other temporary visas). The site will ask you to create an account with an email address and password, or sign in if you already have one.

Enter your passport number and date of birth. The system will verify your passport exists in the U.S. State Department database. If it does not find your passport, the booking will not proceed — this usually means the passport number was entered incorrectly, so double-check it.

Answer the security questions and confirm your residential address. The system will then assign you to your consulate. Select your visa type (B1/B2 for tourism or business, F-1 for students, H-1B for workers, and so on). Enter your DS-160 confirmation number.

The system will show you available appointment dates and times at your assigned consulate. Dates are usually available 60 to 90 days in the future, though this varies. Select your preferred date and time, then review your information and confirm the booking. You will receive a confirmation email with your appointment letter — print this and bring it to your interview.

Paying the visa appointment fee

The nonimmigrant visa fee is $160 USD for most visa categories. You must pay this before your appointment, not at the consulate. How you pay depends on which consulate you are assigned to.

At the New Delhi and Mumbai consulates, you can pay online through the ustraveldocs.com portal using a credit or debit card. At Kolkata and Hyderabad, you must pay at a designated bank (usually State Bank of India) and bring the receipt to your appointment. The ustraveldocs.com confirmation email will tell you which method applies to your consulate and provide the bank details if needed.

Some visa categories have different fees — for example, certain work visas or visas for nationals of specific countries. The system will show your fee amount before you pay. Keep your payment receipt; you will need to show it at your appointment.

What to bring to your appointment

Bring your original passport, your appointment confirmation letter (printed from the email), your DS-160 confirmation page, and your visa fee receipt. You will also need supporting documents that match your visa type: for a tourist visa, hotel bookings and proof of funds; for a work visa, your employment letter and job offer; for a student visa, your I-20 form and university acceptance letter.

The consulate website for your location (found on state.gov) lists the full document checklist for your specific visa type. Read it before your appointment and gather everything. Arriving without required documents usually means your interview will be rescheduled, which delays your visa by weeks.

Do not bring prohibited items: no mobile phones, no bags larger than a small purse, no weapons, no recording devices. The consulate has a security checkpoint at the entrance.

Appointment availability and rescheduling

Appointment slots open on a rolling basis and availability changes weekly. If your preferred date is full, check back in a few days — cancellations happen regularly. The Mumbai and New Delhi consulates fill up faster than Kolkata and Hyderabad because they serve larger populations.

If you need to reschedule after booking, log back into ustraveldocs.com with your account and select "Reschedule Appointment." You can move your date to another available slot without paying an additional fee. If you cancel without rescheduling, you lose your fee and must pay again to book a new appointment.

If you miss your appointment without canceling, you forfeit your fee and must start the booking process over. The consulate will not automatically reschedule you.

Timeline from booking to interview

After you book, your appointment is typically 60 to 90 days away, though this varies by consulate and season. During peak travel seasons (May through August and November through December), waits can be longer.

Your appointment confirmation email arrives when ready. You should receive it within minutes of booking. If you do not see it, check your spam folder or log back into ustraveldocs.com to view your appointment details.

Arrive at the consulate 15 minutes before your scheduled time. Interviews are conducted in English, and the officer will ask about your purpose for travel, your ties to India, your employment or education, and your financial situation. The interview usually lasts 5 to 15 minutes.

Common mistakes when booking

Entering your passport number incorrectly is the most common error — the system will reject it and you will not be able to proceed. Copy your passport number directly from your passport rather than typing from memory.

Forgetting to complete your DS-160 before booking is another frequent mistake. The appointment system requires your DS-160 confirmation number, so you cannot skip that step. Complete it on ceac.state.gov first, print or save your confirmation number, then go to ustraveldocs.com.

Booking at the wrong consulate happens when someone enters an incorrect address. The system assigns you based on your residential address, not your workplace or where you want to travel from. If you recently moved, update your address before booking.

Not paying the fee before the appointment is also common. Some people assume they can pay at the consulate. You cannot — payment must be completed before your interview date, or your appointment will be canceled.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I book an appointment at a different consulate than the one assigned to me?

No. The ustraveldocs.com system assigns you based on your residential address and does not allow you to change it. If you need to use a different consulate, you would need to change your residential address, but this is not a practical solution and may raise questions during your interview.

What if the appointment system says no dates are available?

Check back regularly — slots open throughout the week as cancellations happen. You can also contact your consulate directly through the phone number on the state.gov website for that location, though wait times for phone lines are often long. Some consulates have emergency appointment procedures for urgent travel, but these are rare and require documented proof of emergency.

Do I need a visa agent or service to book my appointment?

No. The ustraveldocs.com system is free and you can book directly. Visa services charge fees to do what you can do yourself in 15 minutes. The only exception is if you are explore for a visa through your employer or school — they may handle the DS-160 and appointment booking on your behalf, but the fee is still $160 and you still attend the interview in person.

What happens if I pay the fee but do not show up for my appointment?

You forfeit the $160 fee. The consulate will not refund it or automatically reschedule you. You must cancel through ustraveldocs.com and pay again to book a new appointment.

How long does it take to get a visa after my interview?

Processing time varies, but most visas are issued within 3 to 5 business days. During peak seasons, it can take up to two weeks. The consulate will notify you by email when your visa is ready for pickup, or it will be mailed to you depending on your consulate's procedure. Ask the officer at your interview which method applies to you.