Letters of invitation can only be requested through our online registration system. The deadline to request a letter is 10 September.

Requirements for a successful letter request

• Delegates may only submit letter requests once. Multiple submissions are not accepted by the system.
• All starred (*) information is required.
• Respect the format of the request form.
• Information should be entered exactly as it is shown on your passport.
• Capital letters should only be used for initial characters. Please do not use all capital letters when filling in the form.
• Your passport must be valid for at least six months after the travel dates when applying for a visa (until April 2019)
• If you are an abstract presenter, please write the name of your abstract in the comments section.
• Double check all the information you enter carefully. It will appear as entered, including obvious errors.
• Letters of invitation can only cover the official dates of the conference. Any travel requirements outside of the conference dates must be explained to the embassy in your visa application.

Deadline

The deadline for submitting a request for a letter of invitation is 10 September.

No letters will be processed after this date.

Submit your request early to ensure ample time for your visa application.

Who should request a letter

Conference delegates: The conference is open to all delegates directly or indirectly involved in activities related to TB, HIV, lung health (asthma, paediatric pneumonia, COPD, etc) tobacco control and public health in general.

The Union reserves the right to reject requests for letters of invitation that are not related to the conference.

Contributors to the scientific programme: If you will be contributing to the conference programme as a chair, speaker, coordinator or abstract author, you may request that the session you are involved with is mentioned in your letter of invitation. Please enter the session’s full reference (the session name and number specified in the information provided to you) in the comments section of your submission form.

Applying for another person: You may apply for a letter of invitation on behalf of another person, however, you should ensure that you have all the applicant’s details (name, address, DOB, passport details, etc) in order to submit the online request.

Processing time and delivery

Once the letter of invitation has been requested online, an automatic email acknowledgement will be sent immediately to the submitter.

There are two types of letters that can be requested:

Letters of invitation for internal approval procedures will be sent via email to the delegate after their validation.

Letters of invitation for visa applications need to be hand signed and sent to the delegate by post. The registered letter will need six to eight weeks to arrive. We do not provide soft copies via email.

Express mail: The original letter may also be sent by courier or express mail if required. You will be responsible for organising the courier service and pay all costs incurred.

In person: Letters of invitation may also be collected in person, Monday through Friday, 09.00–18.00 at the following address:

International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union)
68 boulevard Saint-Michel
75006 Paris, France

Applying for your visa

Once you have your letter of invitation, you need to apply for your visa. Delegates are responsible for making their own arrangements for getting a visa and are urged to contact their nearest embassy or consulate as early as possible to determine where they should apply and to inquire on the length of time expected to complete the visa process.