Indian Visa

We just booked the Singapore to Dubai Century cruise in March 2015. Will need a visa for the four ports there.

I am interested in your experience acquiring the Indiian visa. Can it be done by mail or FEDEX on your own? Is it worth using a visa firm and how much did it cost?

I assume you have a US passport. If so, you will need a visa issued in advance to get off the ship. We were there about 3 months ago and the allowed passengers to board the cruise and stay on board in the Indian ports if they had no visa.

We used a visa service. I don't remember the cost, but I think for the two of us it was $400 or so.

We were told by Hal you can't board without the visa whether you get off or not. We will only be in port Blair which is an island in Indian waters. The visa is a pain to fill out. Very expensive if you have them do it... I think 250.oo per visa just to fill out and the cost per visa is close to 400.00 . You also need2consecutive pages in your passport for it to be free or they make you get extra pages. A real rip off if you ask me.

We live outside of Washington DC

All Indian visas are issued through a company called BLS International. They have offices around the country, don't know if there is one close to you, you can find them by going to the US Dept of State website and following the trail from page to page ...

Our visas cost just under $100 apiece.

We live outside of Washington DC

 

All Indian visas are issued through a company called BLS International. They have offices around the country, don't know if there is one close to you, you can find them by going to the US Dept of State website and following the trail from page to page ...

 

Our visas cost just under $100 apiece.

Did you have to go to the embassy?

I too would use a service.

The requirements will vary by state you live in, in terms of documentation to be provided but are clearly noted on the application. Married women have to provide some additional information.

Keith

Getting the Visas for India is an absolute nightmare, even for us folk from Commonwealth countries.

Read the complex detailed instructions thoroughly and comply to the letter of the law or your application will be rejected at the first barrier.

The Pomms invented "red tape" but it took the Indians to perfect it and make it a science employing thousands of bureaucrats .

Did you have to go to the embassy?

The Indian embassies & consulates no longer issue visas themselves ... they have contracted out to the company I mentioned, BLS International. They have offices around the country. Visa service companies must use BLS as well.

You can mail your application into BLS, or you can visit the office yourself. That is what we did. The instructions for both are on their website.

Either way, be sure to fill out the application completely & correctly, then double check it, recheck it, and check it again. And then, check it a few more times to be sure! They will go through it very carefully and ask you questions about the info that is right in front of them.

I got my visa for India through BLS. I filled out the on-line form, included passport style picture and money order for $67 - and return fed-ex label - and sent it to the assigned BLS office in Houston by Fed-ex. No problem-- don't let people scare you. If you follow the directions you should have no problem. The web site lists the offices and which one you should utilize based on where you live. You can either go in person or handle it by mail (fed-ex recommended) The tourist visa is good for 6 months - so don't apply for it too early. It was nerve-racking having to send off my passport - but it was sent back to me in a timely matter with no problems. Hope it goes as well for you. (and have a great cruise! - I leave Monday for my 37 day adventure) -- Julie

We do Indian business visas a few times each year, and they are super easy. Just used BLS for the first time not too long ago (all previous visas were through Travisa), and it was just as easy.

I had the most terrible time attempting to get my visa through BLS in New York. This is the first time I relied on a courier service. I used "ItsEasy" and believe me they were perfect. I opted to walk our passports into their offices and picked up myself. Cost was visa ($67 and change) plus a non rush courier service charge $59 (per person). I was told 10 business days but visas/passports were returned in 8 business days as the couriers go directly to consulates.

Other cruisers had no problems with BLS in other areas, so check on line for ease of using them in your area. Remember that there is a very large Indian population in this area so BLS could be overwhelmed. I saw the lines waiting to get in there and they were long!!

Good luck and report back to us!

BLS has taken over from Travisa and there were many headaches early on. Things - in most places - have gotten/are getting better. There is no need to pay someone to handle this for you. You'll be applying to the BLS Center in Atlanta (http://www.visa.blsindia-usa.com/#Washington) - based on your location. Just fill out the application and supply all documentation and do everything they request to the letter! The visa time starts as soon as it's issued so I'd apply for it about 4 months before you need it. That allows plenty of time for an unexpected issues. Enjoy!

We picked ours up yesterday from the Australian equivalent. It was easy. Fill in the online forms print out attach the proper sized photo and send in. I opted to deliver and pick up in person, got there when they opened in the morning, waited a little. Very friendly staff checked everything was ok. You can pay to get a text message once they are ready to collect or they send you an email. We put our applications in on 21 December and even with all the shutdowns over Christmas they were still ready yesterday. Cost under A$100 each. Not sure shy some are paying a lot more unless they are using a visa service, but even if you do that you still have to fill in the online forms which are the hardest part!

Don't stress about it, have a go, you will be fine!

We completed the on line application and made our appointment with BLS in Atlanta. We went yesterday. It took about an hour to be processed with no snags (but I was compulsive about following the directions). Once your paperwork is reviewed, you are sent to the biometrics room for a picture and very thorough fingerprinting. They said it will take 5 days to process our application, although as we were leaving, a gentleman had just picked up his passport. He said that his application took two weeks to process and he had to kick up some dust at the consulate as he was leaving for India the next day! So, allow enough time so you don't start your journey stressed out! Cost was $67.70 per person.

Fingerprinting? that's interesting ... We didn't have to do that ...

Fingerprinting? that's interesting ... We didn't have to do that ...

Since you applied by mail, you probably don't have a biometric visa - if that's what it is. Hopefully, they don't require that in the future otherwise everyone would have to apply in person.

We applied in person in Washington dc

We applied in person in Washington dc

Oh sorry, I misread your original post. That's interesting then. Who knows when India gov't is involved? Could be any reason or no reason at all. :rolleyes:

I assume you have a US passport. If so, you will need a visa issued in advance to get off the ship. We were there about 3 months ago and the allowed passengers to board the cruise and stay on board in the Indian ports if they had no visa.

 

We used a visa service. I don't remember the cost, but I think for the two of us it was $400 or so.

What ship were you on that allowed passengers to board the ship if they didn't have a visa? We have one port stop in Cochin and are thinking of staying onboard.

What ship were you on that allowed passengers to board the ship if they didn't have a visa? We have one port stop in Cochin and are thinking of staying onboard.

I have never heard of that.... In fact, a couple of years ago, people were left standing on the dock in NJ because they didn't have visas for Bermuda.

P.S. Kochi is so interesting. If you haven't been to India, I'd definitely get off the ship.

As an earlier poster said, the service at "Its Easy" was perfect. We used the office in Houston and the woman there walked us through every step of the very demanding application.

Once we were in India, however, we found the Indian agents who came aboard at each port to be very pleasant and efficient.

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As an earlier poster said, the service at "Its Easy" was perfect. We used the office in Houston and the woman there walked us through every step of the very demanding application.

Once we were in India, however, we found the Indian agents who came aboard at each port to be very pleasant and efficient.

 

 

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Hahahaha, have never seen that word to describe anything to do with India!!

We completed the on line application and made our appointment with BLS in Atlanta. We went yesterday. It took about an hour to be processed with no snags (but I was compulsive about following the directions). Once your paperwork is reviewed, you are sent to the biometrics room for a picture and very thorough fingerprinting. They said it will take 5 days to process our application, although as we were leaving, a gentleman had just picked up his passport. He said that his application took two weeks to process and he had to kick up some dust at the consulate as he was leaving for India the next day! So, allow enough time so you don't start your journey stressed out! Cost was $67.70 per person.

BLS is no longer the contract company for India visas as of the end of May - check with the Indian embassy webpage for new contracted company (travel.state.us is not up-to-date).

BLS is no longer the contract company for India visas as of the end of May - check with the Indian embassy webpage for new contracted company (travel.state.us is not up-to-date).

Cox and Kings has taken over and the nightmare continues....

http://www.sfexaminer.com/sanfrancisco/fury-anger-over-indian-visa-mess/Content?oid=2810578

http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2014/06/27/long-lines-and-lost-passports-for-indian-visa-applicants-in-the-u-s/

Plenty of other stories out there.....

All these horrors are what make the officials who come on the ships to clear passengers seem efficient in comparison!

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