Visa for India (online?)

[naugastyle]

Hi, I live in Mae Sot and was hoping I could really take care of this visa online. But I called the visa office and they said I still have to appear in person in Bangkok (I assume Chiang Mai is an option too, but with night buses, Bangkok is more convenient).

Was wondering:

1) Will the visa office accept an incomplete flight booking (showing the itinerary but not paid for yet)?

2) How many days do I have to reserve a hotel for? I would use booking.com, which doesn't require payment in advance, but I'd still have to enter my credit card info and have never canceled with them before. So I'm a little nervous about even fake booking for longer than a day or two.

3) Do I just show up at the visa office any day I want? There's all this information about "appointment scheduling" on the online application site, but NONE of the things that are described in the info pages happened. All I got was a link to print a PDF.

4) Is there an option to have the passport mailed back to me so I don't have to travel to Bangkok twice? Alternately, can someone else pick it up for me?

5) Those of you who have used agents, how much longer did it take vs DIY, and what's the average cost of using an agent? Even if I take night buses two nights in a row to avoid hotels, it would still cost at least 2000 baht to cover all the buses and food. But I'm running late, have only a month to apply, and wondering if an agent would be too slow to justify any savings.

Thank you!

[Tony M]

Have you seen this :

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2561921/India-cut-red-tape-issue-visas-arrival-bid-boost-tourism.html

[sfokevin]

Have you seen this :

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2561921/India-cut-red-tape-issue-visas-arrival-bid-boost-tourism.html

The benevolent powers that be do not seem to like your link...

[Tony M]

Have you seen this :

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2561921/India-cut-red-tape-issue-visas-arrival-bid-boost-tourism.html

The benevolent powers that be do not seem to like your link...

Whoops.

It says this :

Famed for its complicated bureaucracy, India is no different when it comes to applying for a visa - with holidaymakers often having to wait two weeks or more to receive approval to visit the country.

But now in a bid to boost tourism and business, the government is launching a visa-on-arrival scheme for visitors from 180 countries, including the UK.

The scheme is expected to be rolled out by October, in time for India's peak tourist season. It will allow holidaymakers to pick up a 30-day visa at the airport upon arrival.

The current visa process involves submitting an online form, sending your passport to the Indian High Commission along with photos and a pre-paid envelope for your documents to be returned. The visa itself costs £80 and there is a £12.20 handling fee.

The application can be so complicated that some tourists choose to pay companies to fill out their visa form on their behalf, costing around £45.

The new system will still involve a fee - although the amount is still unconfirmed - and tourists will be encouraged to visit an official website to apply and pay the charge before they fly. The visa will then be available for pick up at one of 26 major airports after three days.

There are only 11 countries currently eligible for a visa on arrival, including Finland, Singapore and Japan. But with the extension of the scheme, most countries will be included except nationals from Pakistan, Sudan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Sri Lanka and Somalia.

Tourism Minister K Chiranjeevi said: 'This is a very good step. The visa-on-arrival for 180 countries will definitely boost the foreign tourist arrivals in the country.'

Planning Minister Rajeev Shukla confirmed that the government hopes to roll out the new visas by the beginning of October.

Western & Oriental’s Indian Subcontinent programme manager Jane Manzoni said: 'We’ve already had clients inquire about the new visa-on-arrival scheme for India so the evidence points to a real boost for tourism going forward.

'The impact could be two-fold – the current system with its fairly lengthy process puts people off travelling to India and although there are not-to-be missed highlights including cultural touring in Rajasthan and spa and beach holidays in Kerala, travellers tend to default to places with an instant visa process.

'And of course India will also become accessible to travellers looking for a last minute holiday getaway and to those who may not have considered travelling to India in the past.'

Helen Pink, Kuoni UK sales support executive addedL 'If the proposed electronic visa on arrival service in India is implemented later this year, it would significantly reduce the time it currently takes to process visa applications and give customers greater flexibility and the opportunity to book a last minute holiday.'

[naugastyle]

Thanks. Yeah, I saw that but I'm trying to go mid-October so I can't wait for this visa on arrival scheme. It seems they were repeatedly delaying it because they couldn't agree on which countries should get it.

Meanwhile, I've already started the visa process, which was AWFUL. So I can answer my own questions, for others who need to know.

1) I think so. I had a real one (but cancelable) but there is a service in the same building that will make fake ones for 300 baht.

2) I ended up booking 3 nights, but I think 1 might have worked. I wasn't sure because I'd seen other info online saying you need the booking for the full amount of your trip...crazy.

3) Yes, just show up whenever you have all your documents together. I have no idea why the website mentions scheduling.

4) Yes, courier costs 230 baht and you address the envelope yourself to make sure there's no mistakes.

5) No longer possible to use agents. Fingerprints and photos in-person are required.

[ovenman]

There's nothing doing as yet with this proposed visa-on-arrival scheme for India.

[sniggie]

I read this news item earlier this year and accordingly took up a chance for a break in India for this November. It looks like visa on arrival won't be in place now until next year. Like the other posters say the process for obtaining a visa from Thailand (I live here with a retirement 'visa') looks impossible, even requiring someone in India to give me a reference and booked flights. Even the UK visa offices say not to book flights unless the visa has been issued! Anyone had any success with this process? I would be happy to use a company to do the donkey work for me. Plenty of time yet, I wouldn't be going until late November, but already have the feeling that this is going in the bin!

[dabhand]

Not sure if this has already been noted elsewhere on TV.

As from 15th August 2015 the e-tourist visa for India has now been expanded to UK passport holders. Other passport holders (including France, Malaysia) have also been added to the list of those that were part of the start of the original scheme in 2014.

Additional airports (Including Ahmedabad - a 'favourite' of mine!) have also been added to the scheme - now up to thirteen from nine.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/asia/india/11796136/Indian-tourist-visas-e-visa-scheme-extended-to-British-travellers.html

Still a few hoops to go through but should be easier (and cheaper?) than the previous application process.

Edit: Online application page

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

Edited September 7, 2015 by dabhand

[saakura]

Yes, all online and i got the visa by email within 6hrs of applying.