Indian Visas

Bob_the_Saver

Have any regular long stayers got their Indian visa for this season yet, if you asked for six months get you get six months or 3?
Also is their anything to look out for on the NEW online form!

Mr_Wang

I got through the Birmingham centre and have yet to find a problem. In actual fact this year using the new online form was the slickest and easiest yet. It took about three days to get the visa and yes I got the 6 month for me and the kids.

The only tips I can think of is don't be too confused by it, just put your hotel for the Indian reference.
Oh, new rules which are vague at best do allow for a break in the 2 month revisit rule - If you wish to visit Nepal or SL then make this known and you will get a special stamp on the visa.

Bob_the_Saver

Mr_Wang wrote: »

I got through the Birmingham centre and have yet to find a problem. In actual fact this year using the new online form was the slickest and easiest yet. It took about three days to get the visa and yes I got the 6 month for me and the kids.

The only tips I can think of is don't be too confused by it, just put your hotel for the Indian reference.
Oh, new rules which are vague at best do allow for a break in the 2 month revisit rule - If you wish to visit Nepal or SL then make this known and you will get a special stamp on the visa.

Yes at least they sorted out the bit where a divorced lady couldn't put herself as Ms without crashing the system or Mrs without a husbands details.
Planned all my travels outside India at the end so no need for 're-entry' this year. Good to here you got 6 months a Belgium friend sent me the details from there and they only issue 3 month tourist visas now,
to anyone.

Pollycat

Bob
a really good guide to completing the form (which seems to have changed quite a bit from last year) here:
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g297604-i6045-k4809131-Visa_Guide_2011-Goa.html

There's a couple of bits that appear on the printed form that aren't asked on the on-line form.

I think one is 'port of departure' and the other is the address where you're staying.

I wrote the details in in black ink.

Don't forget the Declaration Form.

Don't forget to sign under your photos as well as the end of the application form.

Lots of people seem to be getting 6 month multiple entry visas.

If you're paying on-line, you can't pay for 2 applications (as you could last year), you have to pay for each one separately.

Bob_the_Saver

Just an update that might help someone with the new(ish) procedure, in conjunction of course with Pollycat's & Mr Wang's posts above.
There had been lots of suggestions that visas would only be issued for 3 months
as happens in some other countries (Belgium for example). http://www.indembassy.be/visa_information.html

We took the passports into the Victoria VFS visa centre and 2 days later received the Email/sms update to say they were ready for collection. The visas are valid for the usual 6 MONTHS
:j :beer: :T (No winter heating bills for Bob the Saver again)

We arrived at the visa centre at 7.30am with an early appointment and were close to the front of the appointments queue. It seems that the applications were completed correctly we were out in 10 mins.

There are two bits on the visa form that are printed blank, the questions are not asked on a Tourist Visa application.
1. Where are you staying 2. Port of Departure
They suggest using your accommodation as the Indian contact on a Tourist visa application. As we had a visa before we were able to complete the 'details of previous visa section'.

It might be worth noting that the photo-booth on the first floor of the application centre capable of producing the elusive 2x2 snaps was out of order at the time our our visit.

Good luck

Mr_Wang

Bob_the_Saver wrote: »

Just an update that might help someone with the new(ish) procedure.

We took the passports into the Victoria VFS visa centre in the last few days and 2 days later received the Email/sms update to say they were ready for collection. The visas are valid for the usual 6 MONTHS
:j :beer: :T

We arrived at the visa centre at 7.30am with an early appointment and were close to the front of the appointments queue. It seems that the applications were completed correctly we were out in 10 mins.

There are two bits on the visa form that are printed blank, the questions are not asked on a Tourist Visa application.
1. Were are you staying 2. Port of Departure
They suggest using your accommodation as the Indian contact on a Tourist visa application.
As we had a visa last year we were able to complete the 'details of previous visa section'.

It might be worth noting that the photo-booth on the first floor of the application centre capable of producing the elusive 2x2 snaps was out of order at the time our our visit.

Good luck

Now prepare yourself for the exact opposite in India - The hardest and mind-numbingly tedious country in the world to exist in.
Leave your common sense, sense of urgency and logic at home - You won't be needing any of them.

Bob_the_Saver

Mr_Wang wrote: »

Now prepare yourself for the exact opposite in India - The hardest and mind-numbingly tedious country in the world to exist in.
Leave your common sense, sense of urgency and logic at home - You won't be needing any of them.

Are you having a bad day?

Life is what you make it (as a tourist) even without urgency and logic, but I will be needing my suncream and shades plus a cushion for the buses and trains

Mr_Wang

Bob_the_Saver wrote: »

Are you having a bad day?

Life is what you make it (as a tourist) even without urgency and logic, but I will be needing my suncream and shades plus a cushion for the buses and trains

Nope, just spent an awful lot of time in India, and spent an awful lot of that time scratching my head at the often unfathomable ways Indians do things.

In fact - INDIA is a synonym for ILLOGICAL

Where abouts are you going btw and please, I hope you don't say Goa!!

Bob_the_Saver

Mr_Wang wrote: »

Nope, just spent an awful lot of time in India, and spent an awful lot of that time scratching my head at the often unfathomable ways Indians do things.

In fact - INDIA is a synonym for ILLOGICAL

Where abouts are you going btw and please, I hope you don't say Goa!!

Well, we've been to India, each year at some point for many years but mainly the south again this year and yes well spend some time on the beach as well.
Then to Sri Lanka and at that point were in the Air Asia network for further travels.

Mr_Wang

Bob_the_Saver wrote: »

Well, we've been to India, each year at some point for many years but mainly the south again this year and yes well spend some time on the beach as well.
Then to Sri Lanka and at that point were in the Air Asia network for further travels.

I like the South, particularly Kerala and Tamil Nadu, though if you get the chance try and get to Kanyakumari. You will no doubt get the 10am Spice Jet out of Chennai, though once in SL stray off the triangle and hit up the Hill Country, particularly Ella. One of my favourite places in the world, not the village, but the surrounding areas.

Bob_the_Saver

Mr_Wang wrote: »

I like the South, particularly Kerala and Tamil Nadu, though if you get the chance try and get to Kanyakumari. You will no doubt get the 10am Spice Jet out of Chennai, though once in SL stray off the triangle and hit up the Hill Country, particularly Ella. One of my favourite places in the world, not the village, but the surrounding areas.

Been to Kanyakumari a couple of times, a place of greatest interest to students of concrete IMO.
The Spicejet is 10.45 but I think it will be them rather than the Doctors airline which just might not still be with us then unless he wins several lotteries.