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e-tourist visas for India


Tony UK
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I read in Saturdays Telegraph that the E-visa scheme is extended to the UK. It will be easier and less expensive than in the past.

The article mentioned a list of airports in India which would accept the e-tourist visa, but didn't mention sea ports. Has anyone from other countries who have been able to use the e-tourist visa in the past have any experience of using the e-visa at the port in Mumbai which you could share?

 

Thanks for any help!

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Please check the Indian Consulate/Embassy's website for an up-to-date visa information. If the e-visa for British tourists is listed there for your ports, you are good. I have read so much misinformation on visas for various countries on these cc boards, I would never trust them. Some people post outdated information or information for American passport holders and are convinced they are helpful to everybody.

Edited by Floridiana
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It also states it's for single entry only which for the majority of itineraries would be no good, certainly not for our April 2017 cruise. Shame as it would have saved us a lot of time, inconvenience and money.

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I would phone Visa Central UK and ask them for info......you might just be lucky and the ship might be able to get them......this is a new development so give them a bell and say you will be on Az.

The only good thing I can say is that whatever you end up having to do to get the Visa....you will LOVE India.

We did 1 cruise in 2014 that included India and then another in March 2015... Both Azamara.

We did ithe Visa the long way but I do know that the long way then is now the very long way...if the new E-Visa does not apply!

Joyce

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The Visa the long way is not too difficult - you can pay the additional fees to Visa Central or you can for it yourself (which we did no problem by post) so if you are still needing to do multiple entries it is not too bad - just don't do it too early or your visa will run out before you are finished your cruise

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Thanks everyone for your helpful replies. We don't travel till the end of October and have a family cruise at the end of August on Celebrity before then. When we get back I'll see if there have been any more developments and if it has to be then the old fashioned way then that's it!

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  • 1 month later...

I thought I'd update you all on this. I completed the on line forms and uploaded photos and paid on line. Printed off all the documentation and sent off with our passports to the London Mission at Hounslow UK. I received a constant stream of text messages telling me what was happening and lo and behold our passports came back today containing our visas - 6 months and multiple entry.

It wasn't the easiest visa to apply for but its done now and we are all set for our trip.

Thanks everyone xx

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I thought I'd update you all on this. I completed the on line forms and uploaded photos and paid on line. Printed off all the documentation and sent off with our passports to the London Mission at Hounslow UK. I received a constant stream of text messages telling me what was happening and lo and behold our passports came back today containing our visas - 6 months and multiple entry.

It wasn't the easiest visa to apply for but its done now and we are all set for our trip.

Thanks everyone xx

 

Hi, please could you tell us how much they are charging this time.

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I think it was around £85 but adding on all the various charges for almost everything it came to around £116. Still much cheaper doing it yourself as the charges for visa companies are at least £60 in addition to your visa charges and you still have to fill in a form of around the same length as doing it yourself!

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The EVisa is cheaper, I think. TonyUK was talking about the old visa system - we did it that way last year. As with him, ours was very quick and easy once you had completed the form and sent it off. I have to say we did struggle to fill in the form, in fact we had to ring the embassy about one of the questions as we weren't clear how to complete it.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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Yes the ETV is cheaper and easier BUT right now it is only available for UK passport holders who enter at specified airports. I checked with the embassy and it is not available if we arrive at a cruise port.

I guess it is watch this space and as with all visas check because arrangements change all the time.

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  • 3 months later...

Can anyone give me up-to-date information on how long it takes to apply/receive your eVisas for India? We will fly into Delhi March 10 for a pre-cruise visit. Their website says we can't apply until Feb 6 but we leave Feb 24 for another tour. Any info on the process would be appreciated. Is it really as easy as their website makes it sound? We just don't want to be late and not get to go.

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Do check that the visa applies for cruise ports as India is very strict about visas. We were on a repositioning cruise to Mumbai with an English couple last year. He had a business in India and had a business visa. He ended up having to get off the ship in Dubai as Indian immigration insisted that he had to have a tourist visa because he was on a cruise ship.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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Can anyone give me up-to-date information on how long it takes to apply/receive your eVisas for India? We will fly into Delhi March 10 for a pre-cruise visit. Their website says we can't apply until Feb 6 but we leave Feb 24 for another tour. Any info on the process would be appreciated. Is it really as easy as their website makes it sound? We just don't want to be late and not get to go.

 

You really need to check if the e-visa will work for you once you board your cruise ship. As far as I can see, the e-visa is a single entry visa and if you board the ship and then go to additional India ports, the e-visa may not work for the additional ports and you won't be allowed on the ship without the regular visa.

 

While your e-visa is less expensive and easier to get based on my research, it won't work in your situation if your cruise makes further stops in India. Don't want you to miss your cruise.

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Hi, my friends are going next week and they was telling me it took 72 hours and £41, by hats a lot cheaper and quicker than I paid last year.

 

I was told 2 days for e- visa, but that was by someone who went to Goa on a land trip.

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This past November (Quest, november 3-18) India was NOT accepting e-visas for cruise passengers (all nationalities). The ship personnel begged and pleaded but they would not allow it. There were many guests very disappointed they could not disembark in Mumbai or Goa; they were confined to the Quest!

Oddly the local officials did allow guests to disembark in Kochi, but that was just luck or kindness I suspect. I wouldn't count on it happening again.

Get the official multiple entry Indian visa placed in your passport!

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