Any advice on visas for India?

nearlyrich

I know we have to get them just wondered if anyone can offer any advice we are doing a week golden triangle tour on the back of an Asia cruise. It is purely holiday and single entry. Thanks in advance🙂

littlereddevil

Are you visiting India??

Voyager2002

What do you need to know?

If you arrive by air then you can use an online visa: cheaper and more convenient than going to a visa centre, and valid for a stay of up to a month. Otherwise you have to follow the instructions to the letter: note that you have to apply on-line and then print off your application and submit it on paper, and that they require a photo that is a non-standard size.

agrinnall

littlereddevil wrote: »

Are you visiting India??

I understand your confusion, as that's not what my first thought on Golden Triangle was, but apparently there is an Indian version too - I've even been there but I don't recall it being referred to in that way back in 1990.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Triangle_(India)

littlereddevil

Ah I see. I have only been to the other one

daveyjp

India change their visas more often than the seasons change!

Ensure you apply for the correct one, ensure you provide all the information correctly, ensure you pay the correct amount! Check check and check again.

Pollycat

Some great tips on the Goa board of Tripadvisor, (see the sticky at the top).

There is also an e-visa but I think you may have to enter India by certain airports which my not apply to you if you are on a cruise.

Whatever you do, ensure you are on the official website, there are agencies that look very official and will charge you more.

Voyager2002

Top tip: plan ahead. While you can do everything by post, this seems to introduce a long delay into their procedures, according to their website. Otherwise you need to take everything in to one of their offices, and then collect your passport and visa a few days later (and no, same-day service is never possible). Oh: and you need to book an appointment to take in your papers, and the web site that does this sometimes works... Or you can use an agent.

The only redeeming feature is that they have lots of visa centres in major towns around the country, so no need to travel a long distance.

nearlyrich

Thanks everyone I will read and digest I think it's quite complicated and there are several look alike visa websites. For clarity we are cruising between Hong Kong and Dubai then flying from Dubai to Delhi to do Agra Jaipur and Delhi which they refer to as the Golden Triangle tour.

nearlyrich

The trip advisor info is very useful ��Thanks

Voyager2002

nearlyrich wrote: »

Thanks everyone I will read and digest I think it's quite complicated and there are several look alike visa websites. For clarity we are cruising between Hong Kong and Dubai then flying from Dubai to Delhi to do Agra Jaipur and Delhi which they refer to as the Golden Triangle tour.

So you are arriving in India at the airport in Delhi? In which case you can save yourselves a good deal of hassle by getting the online eVisa. The discussion on Trip Advisor reports various difficulties with it, but when I needed to use one the process was fairly straightforward: the only issue was that they telephoned me because they didn't like the picture I provided and asked me to take a 'selfie' with my phone. The site I used charged Rs8,500 (about a hundred pounds) but says somewhere that it is an agency and charge a higher fee than going directly to the embassy, however I have not managed to find another site issuing them but charging a lower fee!