The Indian Embassy in Toronto

About three weeks ago, we had to go to the Indian Embassy in Toronto, as we had to send some signed documents to our bank in India..which had to be stamped in the embassy here.

We drove to the address in Toronto (given at the end of this post) and spent twenty minutes looking for parking. They have public parking places on every other street in downtown Toronto. Just look for the huge green signs that say 'P' on it and follow the arrows. You just have to drive in, get a ticket and park. On your way out, you give your ticket to the person at the exit, and he will tell you how much you have to pay. Just look for the huge green signs that say 'P' on it and follow the arrows

I was imagining a big building, with the Indian flag flying proudly on top and us finishing our work and leaving in max half an hour. No such luck....

First, the embassy is one of many offices, shops and apartments in a huge block building. It is on the 7th floor and when you get there...no signs or flags! So initially you don't realize that you have come to the right place.

There is a door for you to Enter..and you walk through the security frame that beeps for everyone, and no one in particular is paying attention. There is another door for the Exit, and at sharply eleven am they close the door where you enter. (The embassy timings for accepting forms is from 9 to 11AM). If you do reach say at 11 sharp and the door is closed, just wait near the exit door, and when someone opens it to leave, you enter that way. We saw at least fifty people do this...we Indians always find a way!!!

We stood in line for information, and we got a token number instead and told to get two more copies of our passports, PR card and to make a money order.

There is one huge hall with chairs all facing one direction, you sit there are wait for the number from your token to show up. Then you go to the counter and give in your papers.

In case they tell you to make copies of your passport, pr card etc and to pay some amount for processing fees (like we were asked to do), there is a post office on the ground floor where you go to get the copies made and to make the money order. They charge 25 cents per copy.

After making the photocopies and making the money order, we came back to the big hall (through the Exit door) and as we were number 67, we waited and waited for our turn. Finally forty five minutes later, we gave in our papers and they asked us to come back after three pm to pick it up.

We left, paid 15 dollars for parking!!, went home...the kids would come back from school at three. My husband went back to the Embassy at four to pick up the documents.

The staff there are polite, courteous and try to answer questions patiently..but there are so many people coming in and out not really knowing what to do. They also had many non-Indians there trying to get visas for India, who came in late and were turned away and asked to come back the next day. So this was one more good thing..no favorites here!!


CONSULATE-GENERAL OF INDIA, TORONTO
Suite 700, 365 Bloor Street East,
Toronto, Ontario M4W 3L4
Tel: 416-960-0751
Fax: 416-960-9812
Email: cgindia@cgitoronto.ca
Website: http://www.cgitoronto.ca/