Indian visa

Leanne1812

Hi forum,

I'm looking into a trip to India and was shocked to see visas are about £90 each. This is quite a large outlay for a short break of approx 16 days.

I've just heard from a friend about Indian visa online which is apparently only about $60 for a short term e-tourist visa. I've had a quick look but can't proceed far as travel must be within 30 days to apply.

Anyone used this facility and is it legit? The site is Indian visa online. gov.in. Does this make it an official gov site, I'm really not sure.

Any advice much appreciated.

MasterPoo

OP when it comes to visa's I personally wouldn't quibble about the cost if I really want to travel and I'd go directly through the embassy to avoid any drama. Going through 3rd Parties is just a recipe for disaster IMO and is not worth it when things go wrong.

https://www.hcilondon.in/pages.php?id=28 follow the instructions, do it yourself, save yourself the headache/unnecessary drama!

Voyager2002

Yes the Indian e-visa is legit, and is a convenient and lower-cost option for short visits.

I cannot vouch for the site you mention but suggest that you do your own checks to be sure that you have got the legitimate website.

Caz3121

and you need to ensure that the e-visa clears before you travel...
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/dec/21/orlando-bloom-taj-mahal-india-visa-problem
(he should not have been allowed to board the flight without the visa sorted!)

SW17

Indianvisaonline.gov.in is the official site, it's not a 3rd party site. To be sure, you can link to it from the Indian High Commission website mentioned above https://www.hcilondon.in

Pollycat

Check out the Goa board of Tripadvisor - there's a sticky on there that takes you through the e-visa process.

PompeyPete

MasterPoo wrote: »

OP when it comes to visa's I personally wouldn't quibble about the cost if I really want to travel and I'd go directly through the embassy to avoid any drama. Going through 3rd Parties is just a recipe for disaster IMO and is not worth it when things go wrong.

The thing with Embassies and Consulates, their priority is getting money off you. Plus you either have to make a trip [or two] in person, mess around with queuing and wasting time. Or risk losing your passport in the postal system.

I take my info from a few places...

- The FCO Travel Advice for the country I'm visiting, which also provides a heck of a lot more useful information than visa advice. Example...

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/cambodia/entry-requirements

- The Official Embassy website for the country's London Embassy.

- Trip Advisor (TA). There are some excellent TA forums, that contain thoroughly trustworthy advice about Visas. On the flip side, some TA forums aren't that good.

Went to Vietnam recently. If I'd arranged my visa with the Vietnam Consulate in London it'd have cost me a lot more than the way I did it, and never even had to leave my computer. I used https://www.vietnamvisapro.com. Very easy, very reliable, and much cheaper than messing around with the Vietnam Consulate.

So my advice is do your homework first before applying for a visa, or for that matter committing any money for the trip.

If I was only planning a one-off 2 week holiday to India, then the Visa Fee would be a deal-breaker, and I'd go somewhere else!

vegasvisitor

PompeyPete wrote: »

Went to Vietnam recently. If I'd arranged my visa with the Vietnam Consulate in London it'd have cost me a lot more than the way I did it, and never even had to leave my computer. I used https://www.vietnamvisapro.com. Very easy, very reliable, and much cheaper than messing around with the Vietnam Consulate.

I didn't think you needed a Visa for Vietnam just now? I'm curious when I see your post as I'm on the verge of booking (with no visa) for a trip in a couple of week's time. Maybe you were there before the need for a visa for UK citizens was removed, or have I missed something?

PompeyPete

lesley74 wrote: »

I didn't think you needed a Visa for Vietnam just now? I'm curious when I see your post as I'm on the verge of booking (with no visa) for a trip in a couple of week's time. Maybe you were there before the need for a visa for UK citizens was removed, or have I missed something?

Lesley, British passport holders currently don't need a visa for stays of 15 days or less. But you should have proof of your outward travel from the country, your flight itinerary that you've printed off will do.

The day you arrive in Vietnam and the day you depart Vietnam both count as Visa days.

We went for 4 weeks, so I arranged for a Visa Authority Letter online with https://www.vietnamvisapro.com. Very simple.

Leanne1812

Thanks for all the advice. I've looked on tripadvisor and it appears pretty straightforward so I'll go with the e-visa as opposed to applying direct through the embassy.

It nearly was a deal breaker as effectively it felt like a £90 extra fee to visit the Taj ( our main reason for choosing India)

Not booked yet but at the moment the plan is to fly to Delhi overnight. 2 nights there, Agra for 1 night ( heard it's pretty horrid besides the Taj) then Jaipur for 1or 2 nights. Back to Delhi, fly down to Goa, 8 days there, fly up to Mumbai for 2 nights then home.

Any tweaks or advice on this?

The only alternative was to visit the Ganges while we are up north but this will probably shorten the beach break which we both desperately want to keep.

Accommodation in Goa is turning into a bit of a minefield. Last there almost 20 years ago and stayed in the north. Very basic accommodation that I wouldn't appreciate now. Any suggestions? On or very close to the beach, must be clean and have a pool. A friend is there just now and suggested Patnem? Mostly beach huts though that look very basic, not really my thing.

Cheers people.

Caz3121

There is a pretty active 'Goa' board on TripAdvisor that could probably help with the accommodation....