Consular services for Indians in America are going to be easier, smoother, and faster. Indian Missions in the US are progressively taking miscellaneous services online to cut dependence on VFS Global, an outsourced service partner. This initiative starts with Indian Consulate in San Francisco, effective November 1, 2026. The Ministry of External Affairs’ eSEWA platform facilitates this transition for the Consulate General of India in San Francisco.
Indian Consulate, San Francisco Digitizes Services: What it means
The Consulate General of India in San Francisco is the first Indian Mission in America to provide its miscellaneous consular services fully online, starting 1 November 2026. Indian-origin people within the jurisdiction of this Indian consulate will be able to access consular services digitally in 12 categories. Applications for the following services will be accepted only through the eSEWA platform:
- Marriage Registration
- Birth Registration Certificate (Indian nationals only)
- Attestation of Indian documents
- Attestation of US documents
- Attestation of legal documents (PoA, wills, affidavits)
- Certificates for USCIS purposes
- Education Equivalency Certificate (classes 10 & 12)
- Life Certificate (non-pension purposes)
- NRI Certificate
- Police Clearance Certificate (foreign nationals)
- International Driving Permit Reissue
- NORI Certificate – Stage III
How to use e-SEWA at Indian Consulate in San Francisco
- Log on to eSEWA portal and register with your name, passport number, DOB, and valid contact details.
- Upon successful registration, log in to your account using the registered email ID.
- Select your country (residence), Indian Mission (San Francisco in this case), and desired consular service from dropdown menus.
- Complete the application online and upload required documents for scrutiny.
- Once scrutiny of the uploaded documents is done on e-SEWA, check your registered email for a system-generated notification.
- Thereafter, there are two options to submit the original documents to VFS Global. You can choose either – Submit in Person, or Submit by Courier/Post.
Consular services through e-SEWA: Key benefits
Aligned to Prime Minister Modi’s vision of Digital India, e-SEWA platform is an initiative by the Ministry of External Affairs to offer miscellaneous consular services online. The e-SEWA platform makes accessing miscellaneous consular services easier for Indians living in the United States.
- Seamless access to multiple services
- Convenient online applications
- Reduced need to visit the consulate
- Less paperwork due to online document submission
- Online scrutiny of uploaded documents
- Simplified process, smoother and faster
Are other Indian Missions in USA offering e-Sewa access for consular services?
The other Indian Missions in USA, including the Embassy of India, D.C., still provide miscellaneous consular services through VFS Global. They are also supposed to digitize consular services through eSEWA portal, following the Consulate General of India, San Francisco. Currently, the Indian Consulate in Atlanta offers only Birth Registration Certificate online through eSEWA.
