Indian Visa,need help quick.

[chiangrai]

I am on my way to India,

I have stopped off in Chiang Mai too get a Visa.

Its not going as planned and now I'm stuck here and don't know what to do.

 

I need an eticket for a flight in and out of India to apply for the Visa.

I also need  a hotel reservation.

I went to three travel agents this morning and finally got what I was told was an eticket

And a hotel booking but when I looked online they said that the eticket had to have a flight

Number and the hotel booking had to have an address.The documents Igot had neither.

 

A wasted day in Chiang Mai.Now Im stuck here and don,t know what to do.

I see people do this themselves on line and print them out but I don't have a clue how to do it.Travel agencies won't help me.

 

How do I get these two documents.I dont want a return flight as I don,t know when I'm coming back.

I also don't have a printer..

I'm stuck here waiting for help.

 

 

[chiangrai]

Even if I go to a travel agent I don't even know what to ask them to do.

Do I buy a real ticket one way and a cheap flight out that I just don't use.Like a ticket to

Nepal.

 

[varun]

Don't understand what's tripping you up.

 

1) Hotel Booking - Do it on Booking.com - done.

2) E-Ticket - Buy a return ticket and you'll be issued an e-ticket in your e-mail - that's it

 

Lastly, I don't think you have an option of NOT choosing a return ticket.

Don't know what visa category you're applying for,
but a return ticket is proof that you will leave before the expiry date of your visa.

What is the problem of purchasing a return ticket anyways?
Buy a flexi ticket that allows you to change your dates, simple as that.

 

 

[Mahseer]

You're applying at the Indian Consulate via VFS right? What visa are you chasing and what benefit does it have over an e visa?

 

Plenty of reports of people entering India with an e visa on one way ticket but double check with your airline of choice before purchasing that they'll accept. 

[theoldgit]

Unhelpful troll post and measured response removed.

If posters are able to help others, then their advice is always welcome, this is what the forum is all about, otherwise........... 

[chiangrai]

Thanks for the quick replies guys,

I want to get the regular visa because it lasts six months as opposed to two months

for the online visa.

I don't want to buy a return ticket because I am moving to India indefinably.

 

I can try booking.com and try to book a hotel but what website do I go to for a cheap flight.

 

As you can probably tell I've never done this before and I have a little Android tablet that I can barely use.

 

 

So a cheap flight to India and a cheap onward flight That I could just dump or get refunded

was what I was thinking of but I would consider any thing at this stage.

 

 

 

[Mahseer]

What nationality are you? If you are one of the 160 countries that are eligible for an e visa then maximum stay is 90 or 180 days but the e visa is multi entry and valid for 12 months. See how that compares with the visa you are applying for.

 

How are you going to stay indefinitely in India legally? Short of marrying a local your only other option is work or back to back visas. You have a plan?

 

Booking.com is simple to use and you only need to book a room for the first 3 days or so. What city are you flying into? For flights book directly with the airline online. There are no direct flights from Chiang Mai so would expect Bangkok to Calcutta /Kolkata be your cheapest option. Check Indigo they are a budget Indian airline.

 

[chiangrai]

I'm Irish and will try to do back to back 6months like the old days,we will see I will try to get there first.

What do you mean evisas are 90 to 180 days,180 days is 6 months,the same as the paper visa so

It might be better.

I will try Indigio.

 

Thanks guys,,I'm in a lot better mood than I was this morning.

 

[Mahseer]

26 minutes ago, chiangrai said:

I'm Irish and will try to do back to back 6months like the old days,we will see I will try to get there first.

What do you mean evisas are 90 to 180 days,180 days is 6 months,the same as the paper visa so

It might be better.

Bad news. Ireland doesn't qualify for the 180 day stay. It's only Brits, Canadian, US and Japanese but all e visas are multi entry and 12 months validity and crossing by land into the likes of Nepal to renew after your 90 days is allowed but you must initially fly into India.

 

Air Asia fly into a number of Indian cities and they and Indigo will likely give you cheapest fares. Again book direct online with the airline of choice.

 

Good luck

[chiangrai]

Indigio go for roughly 5K and 5K back.

So it works out at a one way ticket for 90

days or show a return ticket for 180.days.

They are basically the same price.

 

What happens if I book the flight and don't get the Visa.

For the evisa there is scanning and uploading to be done,

is there somewhere I can get that done.

[chiangrai]

Mahseer,

Can I just clarify what you said about the visas.

 

The evisa is for 90 days but you can renew it as many times you like for a year.

 

Then the regular visa is for 6 months and then its finished.

Is that right.

[Mahseer]

Chances of being refused the visas are extremely slim and wouldn't even bother dwelling on it.

 

I looked at Indigo to Calcutta and fares could be had for 6,000baht return but guess you are looking at points further west. If you can't scan and upload using your phone try your hotel or try calling Buddy Internet on Huaykaew road and see if they are still open 053 225 227. 

 

Just seen your visa comment. E visas are multi entry and valid for 12 months. For Irish nationals maximum length of stay per entry is 90 days but yes you can exit the country and come back in for up to a further 90 days as many times as you wish within the 12 months validity period. Land crossing into Nepal is a popular option.

 

Haven't had a paper visa for a while so can't confirm there.

[chiangrai]

This is all very humbling.

I have decided to go for the etourist visa.

I have been on booking.com.

They sent me an email but I don't know what to do with it.

It has two attachments on it both say no name.

 

I have to figure this out before I  buy the flight.

I'm totally out of my debt teck wise.i have never scanned or uploaded before.

 

I gave them my debit card number,will they take money from it.

Should the attachment have something written on it..

[simple1]

1 hour ago, chiangrai said:

This is all very humbling.

I have decided to go for the etourist visa.

I have been on booking.com.

They sent me an email but I don't know what to do with it.

It has two attachments on it both say no name.

 

I have to figure this out before I  buy the flight.

I'm totally out of my debt teck wise.i have never scanned or uploaded before.

 

I gave them my debit card number,will they take money from it.

Should the attachment have something written on it..

Booking.com attachment will provide details of your booking - just double click on the image and it will open. You can download to show the hotel / Immi. Booking.com will debit the transaction from your bank account or advise to be paid directly in local currency at check-in. Look at the payment details on your booking confirmation.

 

Out of curiosity are you planning to stay at an ashram / spiritual centre?

[chiangrai]

The image says no name and has no image

 

[dabhand]

I arranged an eTourist visa to India about 15mths back. This is the current website.

https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html

 

Don't believe you need to have any eticket / accom booking proof as part of the evisa application process (unlike for the paper visa application). But stand to be corrected on that.

But you do need to be able to download your photo plus passport ID page.

 

I found the process quite simple and the evisa confirmation came through, via email, within 1 or 2 days. Just needed to print that out then, at arrival airport, show to Immi officer who, if 1st time with evisa to India, would take your finger prints.

 

If you don't have easy access to download the required copies, maybe you could request assistance from a local travel agency for the IT actions with payment of a 'reasonable' service fee.

 

The paper application process can be a bit more of a chore (eticket + accom issues) plus, if not applying in your home country, they may need to contact your country to confirm passport is OK. That lengthens the application process. I applied for a number of Indian visas when I was based in Cairo and that was the process at that time. May have changed since.

[chiangrai]

O.k,

I have filled out the form and am on the upload photo page.

I only have a paper photo and it wants jpeg.

 

I have to go out and find someplace to do it.

Who does that an internet shop or a photo shop.

I feel like a total dinasor.

 

So I get this visa with out booking a flight.

Do I then have to fly on the exact date that I put on my visa.

 

 

[Mahseer]

1 hour ago, chiangrai said:

I have filled out the form and am on the upload photo page.

I only have a paper photo and it wants jpeg.

How are you typing on this forum? Whatever it is, telephone, iPad  or laptop, simply take a photograph of your paper photo with the devise and save as a jpg. Just make sure it's within the file size limitations.

 

What other hurdles are there to clear? Be specific.

[chiangrai]

Right,

I found a Kodac shop that took a passport photo of me and will put it on my USBbut not till the morning.

When I do that  I presume I will be let onto the page to upload the picture page of my

passport.

I then need to find some one to scan that onto my USB and I can upload that.to the Visa website.

 

I am using a Android tablet but I've never taken a photo with it before and would probably make a mistake if I tried it for the first one on a visa application.

Can  a photo of my passport page be used to upload to the Visa application.If so then maybe

the lady in the photo shop could do it and put it on my USB.

 

 

[Mahseer]

Get the Kodak shop to take the picture of your passport and upload.  What else are you struggling with?

[chiangrai]

I will get the Kodak shop to do those 2 things and after that I think I'm onto the payment part.

Please God that will be O.k.

It,s just documents and images that I'm not used to.

 

I really appreciate your patient persistence.

 

 

[Mahseer]

Ok mate no problem. Just out of curiosity what's your plan for first couple of weeks in India and when you off?

[chiangrai]

Is there a format that I should tell the lady to put the passport page in.

I know it's JPEG for the photo.

 

I don't know where I will go when I get to Delhi.Rajastan is nice in monsoon season.

I usually move every season when I'm in India.l stay in the mountains in the hot season,

Rajastan Pushkar in the monsoon,back to the mountains untill it gets too cold

And somewhere warm for the cold season.

It's been twenty years since my last trip.I stayed two and a half years that time including six months in Nepal.

Back to back paper visas in those days.....don't know what way I'll do it this time.

 

Hari Aum,Hari Krishna,.........

 

 

 

[Mahseer]

1 hour ago, chiangrai said:

Is there a format that I should tell the lady to put the passport page in.

I know it's JPEG for the photo.

JPEG will work a treat and just keep an eye out and ensure the file isn't so large. There will likely be a file size limit listed on the e visa form.

 

Regarding e visas I have never seen anything that states that you can't have back to back visas (these 12 month validity only came out earlier this year) and of course being e visa you can apply from anywhere but maybe immigration will take an interest once you get into the second year but that's a long way off.

 

Have a great trip and enjoy India. As I've said elsewhere I would live April through October in the fabulous Himalayas and then move down to the plains for winter but bit long in the tooth for that lifestyle but hopefully I'll be in Harsil and Gangotri October.

 

if you haven't booked a Delhi hotel yet consider the Ajanta. It's in Paharganj which is a bit run down but heaps of travellers about and it's right across from New Delhi railway station.

 

Enjoy mate and if you need any more help tap away.

[taxout]

I would not send perhaps an older person on a first trip to India to Paharganj! Splurge a small bit and go for a nicer place in a nicer part of the city.

[chiangrai]

I have. the photo on my internal storage of my tablet.

I press chose photo on the website then files and 2 images

appear.

They both say jpg 173kb.

One has the photo as  an icon.I press it but the website says

all images must be jpg.

I press the other one and the website says all images must be over

10kb.

 

So I can't get the images to upload.

 

 

 

So

[Mahseer]

1 hour ago, taxout said:

I would not send perhaps an older person on a first trip to India to Paharganj! Splurge a small bit and go for a nicer place in a nicer part of the city.

You might be right. I admit I still stay there out of habit but the area as rugged as it is still attracts plenty of travellers and not all are young backpackers.

 

You have a favourite in a better area you can recommend?

[Mahseer]

chiangrai, I'm about on par with you on a technical level so from one dinosaur to another try exiting the file and restart your pc. Short of that wave the white flag and see who comes to your rescue.

[taxout]

Well, my first visit to India in the '70s I stayed at the YMCA Tourist Hotel, and it may still be a reasonable choice in a leafy neighbourhood. Since then of course I've stayed in Paharganj, but I really don't like it and it doesn't make a good impression on a first-time visitor.

[gk10002000]

I have been dissuaded from applying for the Indian Visa because they seem to ask for exactly what you are saying.  I don't have a reservation or hotel in mind, and my travel plans are completely indefinite, I just want the visa for later when I do or may travel.  And their own visa site says you may get a 5 year or a 10 year but you do NOT get to decide that!  You check the box, and they decide which to give you.  Too open ended for me.  Maybe someday I will follow through with the process because I would like to visit Bodghaya