Visa for India

[firman]

Hi guys need a little help here. Me and SWMBO start or 10 month adventure in 3 months so the time has come to arrange visa's for our first few stops including 3 weeks in Dheli but having real trouble getting info on visa's for it. Got forms off the embassy website but it hasn't been updated for 8 years apparently. Has anyone got any advice or clues on how this goes?

Thaks in advance

Edited by firman on Monday 8th February 15:37

[FunkyGibbon]

We used Trailfinders Visa service to do the hard work for us.

http://visas.trailfinders.com/visas.nsf/india?read...

costs £30 extra per visa - but you know it will get done correctly.

[Bill]

firman said:

Got forms off the embassy website but it hasn't been updated for 8 years apparently.

It probably hasn't changed in that time IIRC it required a fair bit of queuing to sort out but was pretty straightforward.

[firman]

Bill said:

firman said:

Got forms off the embassy website but it hasn't been updated for 8 years apparently.

It probably hasn't changed in that time IIRC it required a fair bit of queuing to sort out but was pretty straightforward.

Well was hoping I would be able to do it by post but heard to different stories from people 1 saying it could be done by post and another saying i would have to go to the embassy. Was hoping to do it by post to save having to take a day off work etc etc.

[FunkyGibbon]

Has to be done in person - but not necessarily by you. Hence my post above - trailfinders or many other visa service companies will do it for you. £30 is well worth not having to queue up - plus they ensure all your paperwork is correct.

[tobeee]

One thing to bear in mind is that the visa starts to expire from the day it's processed. I recall the standard is a three-month visa, so if you're going elsewhere for a few months before you get to India, you might find it's expired before you get there! I fell for this common mistake, and only had a couple of weeks visa remaining when I arrived in India. This meant I had to go and have a chat with the Delhi Chief of Police to beg for an extension! Did consider offering cash, but wasn't sure if that was good form, so opted for the safer alternative of telling him and his secretary how much I loved their country, and they crumbled!

[5unny]

FunkyGibbon said:

Has to be done in person - but not necessarily by you. Hence my post above - trailfinders or many other visa service companies will do it for you. £30 is well worth not having to queue up - plus they ensure all your paperwork is correct.

+1

Visiting an Indian Consulate in this country is one of the worst experiences you could imagine. It's well worth paying one of these agencies to do it for you.

[Thunderace]

Can be done by post, we always have with no problems.

Indian High Commission

It's had to be done through this agency for the last couple of years.

Agency

[F i F]

Thunderace said:

Can be done by post, we always have with no problems.

Indian High Commission

It's had to be done through this agency for the last couple of years.

Agency

This ^^, completely painless for my visa, but then I wasn't paying for it. By post, also, as always, pay for the Special Delivery service when sending passports and documents to / from processing.

[Broomsticklady]

Just got visas thru the VFS visa service which is the only way now. did it by post and no hassle at all - easy peasy!

[srebbe64]

I'm currently in India doing some charity work with my 15 yr old daughter. Have been before and I couldn't believe how complicated they've recently made the online application process - it couldn't be designed worse if they had tried.

Took me two hours and then is said "all sorted, please print off check-list and go to Visa Center with your passports and other documents". So, as instructed, I went to the Visa centre with forms, photos and fully completed check-list. Bloke types my details into computer and it goes red or something. He then asks for 'mothers permission letter'. "Wasn't asked for that", I say. Then he asked for my daughter's Birth Cerificate. "I wasn't asked for that either", I say. Then mother's passport. "I wasn't asked that...." well you get the idea!

He then points out that a father taking daughter to India is an "honour killing risk". Bemused I say "but I'm 100% British and non Moslem" to which he replies "we can not show racial prejudice Mr Srebbe". Was sent home to get additional documents and returned a few days later. Complete nightmare!!

[firman]

Thanks for all the replies folks. Going to use an agency to take the hassle out of it. Seems the sensible thing to do.

[5unny]

On the bright side, at least applying for a VISA in person gives you a flavour of Indian culture and bureaucracy before you actually get there.

srebbe64 said:

I'm currently in India doing some charity work with my 15 yr old daughter. Have been before and I couldn't believe how complicated they've recently made the online application process - it couldn't be designed worse if they had tried.

Took me two hours and then is said "all sorted, please print off check-list and go to Visa Center with your passports and other documents". So, as instructed, I went to the Visa centre with forms, photos and fully completed check-list. Bloke types my details into computer and it goes red or something. He then asks for 'mothers permission letter'. "Wasn't asked for that", I say. Then he asked for my daughter's Birth Cerificate. "I wasn't asked for that either", I say. Then mother's passport. "I wasn't asked that...." well you get the idea!

He then points out that a father taking daughter to India is an "honour killing risk". Bemused I say "but I'm 100% British and non Moslem" to which he replies "we can not show racial prejudice Mr Srebbe". Was sent home to get additional documents and returned a few days later. Complete nightmare!!

[Mattt]

5unny said:

On the bright side, at least applying for a VISA in person gives you a flavour of Indian culture and bureaucracy before you actually get there.