We have to buy these when we get our visa for Goa. But be careful...
The Post Office have pre-paid and unpaid envelopes. The visa centre will want a pre-paid one. I didn't realise they did both and when I sent someone to the post office to buy a loads of stamps and get two SDE I didn't tally up the money against the stamps and envelopes. When I surrendered them to the post office the counter clerk asked for the postal fee, which I thought I'd already paid. I had to buy two at the counter and undo the bundled envelope, fill out the enclosed one and then get back in the queue.
Take note of the serial number of the one you enclose because sometimes (certainly for Goa) you will need to use that number to track your return SDE with the post office.
A few years ago we sent our visa applications to the Indian High Commission in Birmingham (they don't do postal applications anymore) and waited and waited. Eventually the wife phoned the High Commission and they told her that they had despatched them by SDE some four weeks previously. PANIC. The High Commsssion gave her the SDE number and when the wife checked it on the Royal Mail tracking service it showed a signature of someone who had signed for our passports.
The next day we went to our local Royal Mail Depot and the envelope was just laying on their shelf. As far as Royal Mail was concerned the package had been delivered to our house and signed for. They even stated that they had tried to deliver, no one was at home, had left a "come to the depot and collect card" at the house. They then said that two weeks later they had come to the house (there's only me and the wife and we both work) and obtained a signature!! My reply was "Well, if you got a signature for the passports, why are they still laying on your shelf"
If you are going to India, we have just noticed that this year applicants have to enclose ONE SDE per individual. Previously an enclosed SDE could be used for two applications.
Happy holiday
