India tourist visa - UK Citizen
Discussion
I went a few years back. It took an age to get the visas, around three months in total. Remember a visa only covers a certain area of India, I needed three in total. It’s just a money maker for the Indian government and a real pain. And to be honest, it was the worst trip I have ever been on. Great if you like watching people sh..I got in the street, but a dead loss otherwise.
peter tdci said:
Has anyone any recent experience of applying for a new visa as per the title? How easy is the process - and how fast?
Thinking of a trip to India next January/February, but have seen reports of long (up to two months) processing times due to waiting lists for interviews.
I was looking 3 weeks ago and the soonest appointment was the end of this month.Thinking of a trip to India next January/February, but have seen reports of long (up to two months) processing times due to waiting lists for interviews.
Honestly hardly worth bothering at present. The indian high commission twitter account also strenuously ignores any reference to when evisas will be brought back too.
Thanks for the replies.
Without getting too political, there seems to be some 'differences' between the two governments that have resulted in the removal e-visas for us (oh, for an EU passport), which is slowing the process down.
Additionally, my travelling companion needs to renew her passport, so maybe we'll try India at some point in the future given the likely delays. Second thought was Sri Lanka, but that's not particularly recommended by HMG!
Without getting too political, there seems to be some 'differences' between the two governments that have resulted in the removal e-visas for us (oh, for an EU passport), which is slowing the process down.
Additionally, my travelling companion needs to renew her passport, so maybe we'll try India at some point in the future given the likely delays. Second thought was Sri Lanka, but that's not particularly recommended by HMG!
Frenchballdog said:
I went a few years back. It took an age to get the visas, around three months in total. Remember a visa only covers a certain area of India, I needed three in total. It’s just a money maker for the Indian government and a real pain. And to be honest, it was the worst trip I have ever been on. Great if you like watching people sh..I got in the street, but a dead loss otherwise.
You seem to have not understood or researched what India is all about. Probably best not to travel anywhere if that’s your attitude.
Frenchballdog said:
I went a few years back. It took an age to get the visas, around three months in total. Remember a visa only covers a certain area of India, I needed three in total. It’s just a money maker for the Indian government and a real pain. And to be honest, it was the worst trip I have ever been on. Great if you like watching people sh..I got in the street, but a dead loss otherwise.
What a load of boll**cks from start to end. Just back form India. Visa process is a mess just now, definitely avoid.
The full story is that India is holding out re-enabling the e-visa scheme for the UK (and a few other places) so they can get more favorable terms for Indians coming to the UK. Relatively standard nation level geo-politics stuff. This meant you had to do the 'physical visa' process using VFS. This got worse a couple of weeks ago when the (recently departed) home secretary made a poorly worded comment about Indian's overstaying visas in the UK and in retaliation the India authorities started to enforce the need for every individual applying for a visa to attend the VFS office in person when applying - technically this was always the rule, but in reality agents were tolerated (either visa agents, or travel agents). Agents would typically take 20-40 applications at once, but only take up 1-2 time slots at VFS. So with the in-person rule being enforced, VFS are overwhelmed and it now can be 2 months to get an appointment, and the turn around time is typically 3-10 working days, and tourist visas can only be applied for 3 months in advance, so it's a tight fit.
Applying through VFS is a horrifying experience with or without delays. The main office near Heathrow is a dump, a thoroughly unpleasant place to go, always busy, your 15 minute timed slot means nothing, you'll be waiting 2 or more hours in a room with loads of people crammed in. They will ALWAYS find a reason why something is not right about your application, ensuring you have to use the pay-for photo copier in the room, or get new photos from their mate down the corridor, or re-type your application, etc, one big job creation, money making corrupt scam. Then ther person taking you application does not care to help you, just cover themselves - they will refuse to give you a realistic statement on how long it will take to get back, my recent experience was "it can sometimes take a minimum of 10 days" which doesnt make sense. We had 8 working days until we travelled, so had to submit and just hope (I've done loads of India visas though VFS in the last 10 years, so was fairly confident and indeed it came back in 3 working days). The whole thing is an introduction to what it's actually like in India!
At the moment it's just not worth it, there's loads of other countries that are very happy to help you. For a not too dissimilar experience I'd suggest Nepal (visa on arrival, you can fly there with Qatar) or for a higher budget Bhutan (you have to pre-arrange a tour with a local company, but they will sort the visa and flights).
The full story is that India is holding out re-enabling the e-visa scheme for the UK (and a few other places) so they can get more favorable terms for Indians coming to the UK. Relatively standard nation level geo-politics stuff. This meant you had to do the 'physical visa' process using VFS. This got worse a couple of weeks ago when the (recently departed) home secretary made a poorly worded comment about Indian's overstaying visas in the UK and in retaliation the India authorities started to enforce the need for every individual applying for a visa to attend the VFS office in person when applying - technically this was always the rule, but in reality agents were tolerated (either visa agents, or travel agents). Agents would typically take 20-40 applications at once, but only take up 1-2 time slots at VFS. So with the in-person rule being enforced, VFS are overwhelmed and it now can be 2 months to get an appointment, and the turn around time is typically 3-10 working days, and tourist visas can only be applied for 3 months in advance, so it's a tight fit.
Applying through VFS is a horrifying experience with or without delays. The main office near Heathrow is a dump, a thoroughly unpleasant place to go, always busy, your 15 minute timed slot means nothing, you'll be waiting 2 or more hours in a room with loads of people crammed in. They will ALWAYS find a reason why something is not right about your application, ensuring you have to use the pay-for photo copier in the room, or get new photos from their mate down the corridor, or re-type your application, etc, one big job creation, money making corrupt scam. Then ther person taking you application does not care to help you, just cover themselves - they will refuse to give you a realistic statement on how long it will take to get back, my recent experience was "it can sometimes take a minimum of 10 days" which doesnt make sense. We had 8 working days until we travelled, so had to submit and just hope (I've done loads of India visas though VFS in the last 10 years, so was fairly confident and indeed it came back in 3 working days). The whole thing is an introduction to what it's actually like in India!
At the moment it's just not worth it, there's loads of other countries that are very happy to help you. For a not too dissimilar experience I'd suggest Nepal (visa on arrival, you can fly there with Qatar) or for a higher budget Bhutan (you have to pre-arrange a tour with a local company, but they will sort the visa and flights).
I am in the middle of this fun but trying to get a multi entry work visa for some contract work in December.
The online application was fine, I have the letter of invite from my clients and the copy of the company registration. I just need the appointment now!!!
Have been told there are non until Jan - but cancellations come up. The only problem I have I am out of the country working for other clients for nearly 4 weeks!!! So my chances of being able to get this sorted are getting slim!!!
But I have just paid a visa agent to sort it - they have everything and will manage it - but the one sticking issue is I have to personally term up for this meeting.
My poor client cannot plan anything and I cannot plan anything because of it!!!
Oh well
The online application was fine, I have the letter of invite from my clients and the copy of the company registration. I just need the appointment now!!!
Have been told there are non until Jan - but cancellations come up. The only problem I have I am out of the country working for other clients for nearly 4 weeks!!! So my chances of being able to get this sorted are getting slim!!!
But I have just paid a visa agent to sort it - they have everything and will manage it - but the one sticking issue is I have to personally term up for this meeting.
My poor client cannot plan anything and I cannot plan anything because of it!!!
Oh well
If you're likely to go again for more contact work in future then worth asking for a one or two year business visa. After you've had two or three such visas you can then apply for a five year business visa. VFS refused to acknowledge this was possible when I did mine, forcing me to hand write a letter indemnifying them in case it was rejected (which the VFS T&C's already include, so no actual need to write this). They claimed no one had ever got a five year business visa through them before, which is not true. Came back successful after three days.
eein said:
Just back form India. Visa process is a mess just now, definitely avoid.
The full story is that India is holding out re-enabling the e-visa scheme for the UK (and a few other places) so they can get more favorable terms for Indians coming to the UK. Relatively standard nation level geo-politics stuff. This meant you had to do the 'physical visa' process using VFS. This got worse a couple of weeks ago when the (recently departed) home secretary made a poorly worded comment about Indian's overstaying visas in the UK and in retaliation the India authorities started to enforce the need for every individual applying for a visa to attend the VFS office in person when applying - technically this was always the rule, but in reality agents were tolerated (either visa agents, or travel agents). Agents would typically take 20-40 applications at once, but only take up 1-2 time slots at VFS. So with the in-person rule being enforced, VFS are overwhelmed and it now can be 2 months to get an appointment, and the turn around time is typically 3-10 working days, and tourist visas can only be applied for 3 months in advance, so it's a tight fit.
Applying through VFS is a horrifying experience with or without delays. The main office near Heathrow is a dump, a thoroughly unpleasant place to go, always busy, your 15 minute timed slot means nothing, you'll be waiting 2 or more hours in a room with loads of people crammed in. They will ALWAYS find a reason why something is not right about your application, ensuring you have to use the pay-for photo copier in the room, or get new photos from their mate down the corridor, or re-type your application, etc, one big job creation, money making corrupt scam. Then ther person taking you application does not care to help you, just cover themselves - they will refuse to give you a realistic statement on how long it will take to get back, my recent experience was "it can sometimes take a minimum of 10 days" which doesnt make sense. We had 8 working days until we travelled, so had to submit and just hope (I've done loads of India visas though VFS in the last 10 years, so was fairly confident and indeed it came back in 3 working days). The whole thing is an introduction to what it's actually like in India!
At the moment it's just not worth it, there's loads of other countries that are very happy to help you. For a not too dissimilar experience I'd suggest Nepal (visa on arrival, you can fly there with Qatar) or for a higher budget Bhutan (you have to pre-arrange a tour with a local company, but they will sort the visa and flights).
This about sums up my experience of applying for visas for work purposes to visit India. I've always found flying back to grim UK airports like Birmingham and Heathrow depressing but arriving in Chennai the immigration officer calls me forward then does an enormous throaty cough and gobs out a big green one at my feet. Then processes my passport without flinching or uttering a single word to me for the 5 minutes he processed me. US passport control is miserable, the Indian one on numerous occasions was just bizarre. The full story is that India is holding out re-enabling the e-visa scheme for the UK (and a few other places) so they can get more favorable terms for Indians coming to the UK. Relatively standard nation level geo-politics stuff. This meant you had to do the 'physical visa' process using VFS. This got worse a couple of weeks ago when the (recently departed) home secretary made a poorly worded comment about Indian's overstaying visas in the UK and in retaliation the India authorities started to enforce the need for every individual applying for a visa to attend the VFS office in person when applying - technically this was always the rule, but in reality agents were tolerated (either visa agents, or travel agents). Agents would typically take 20-40 applications at once, but only take up 1-2 time slots at VFS. So with the in-person rule being enforced, VFS are overwhelmed and it now can be 2 months to get an appointment, and the turn around time is typically 3-10 working days, and tourist visas can only be applied for 3 months in advance, so it's a tight fit.
Applying through VFS is a horrifying experience with or without delays. The main office near Heathrow is a dump, a thoroughly unpleasant place to go, always busy, your 15 minute timed slot means nothing, you'll be waiting 2 or more hours in a room with loads of people crammed in. They will ALWAYS find a reason why something is not right about your application, ensuring you have to use the pay-for photo copier in the room, or get new photos from their mate down the corridor, or re-type your application, etc, one big job creation, money making corrupt scam. Then ther person taking you application does not care to help you, just cover themselves - they will refuse to give you a realistic statement on how long it will take to get back, my recent experience was "it can sometimes take a minimum of 10 days" which doesnt make sense. We had 8 working days until we travelled, so had to submit and just hope (I've done loads of India visas though VFS in the last 10 years, so was fairly confident and indeed it came back in 3 working days). The whole thing is an introduction to what it's actually like in India!
At the moment it's just not worth it, there's loads of other countries that are very happy to help you. For a not too dissimilar experience I'd suggest Nepal (visa on arrival, you can fly there with Qatar) or for a higher budget Bhutan (you have to pre-arrange a tour with a local company, but they will sort the visa and flights).
I had to get one this year. I think this has been asked/answered recently as I seem to recall posting my experiences, must have been another thread.
Basically, you need to:
- fill in the online application form
- once done, MAKE SURE you take a copy and the details from it, because they don't send you a copy and you WILL need it
- then you can go ahead and book an appointment at one of the visa centres (I went to London, Clerkenwell)
- don't for one moment expect to be seen at your appointment time. I got seen/sorted within a couple of hours of the time I booked, but other people who went this year had appts at lunchtime and were still sitting there at 7pm
- when you get there, if you are ballsy enough you can walk round the queue and get in, but (in London at least) you still have to then go to another desk to queue up and register the fact that you are there, then you'll get a ticket number like a supermarket deli counter
- finally you'll get seen and they will relieve you of £140 ish
- they'll retain your passport so make sure you don't need it in the following week or so, although mine came back in about 4 days
Couple of things to remember:
- make sure ALL your info in the initial application form is correct, because they'll chuck you out and make you start again if there are errors. There was an ancient steam-powered PC in the corner of the room which you can queue up to use (which will cost you, on a meter), same for a printer, otherwise you have to go and find somewhere else yourself. There are gotchas, things like, from memory, your nationality is United Kingdom, not British (go figure....). Alll relevant fields obviously have to match, even tho that many not be immediately apparent when you fill the form in. Someone I know also fell foul of something to do with their parents' details. My mum's been dead for 60 years but they still wanted her details!
- take coins with you because you have to make copies of certain things and the copier in the centre has to be paid for
- you'll need a photo and it's NOT a standard passport size, it's 2"x2", which most photo booths will do, but if you take the wrong size, guess what, they'll chuck you out and make you go and find somewhere to get the right one
All in all it was a right faff tbh which could have easily been simplified at multiple points in the process. Sets you up for being in India tho!
Basically, you need to:
- fill in the online application form
- once done, MAKE SURE you take a copy and the details from it, because they don't send you a copy and you WILL need it
- then you can go ahead and book an appointment at one of the visa centres (I went to London, Clerkenwell)
- don't for one moment expect to be seen at your appointment time. I got seen/sorted within a couple of hours of the time I booked, but other people who went this year had appts at lunchtime and were still sitting there at 7pm
- when you get there, if you are ballsy enough you can walk round the queue and get in, but (in London at least) you still have to then go to another desk to queue up and register the fact that you are there, then you'll get a ticket number like a supermarket deli counter
- finally you'll get seen and they will relieve you of £140 ish
- they'll retain your passport so make sure you don't need it in the following week or so, although mine came back in about 4 days
Couple of things to remember:
- make sure ALL your info in the initial application form is correct, because they'll chuck you out and make you start again if there are errors. There was an ancient steam-powered PC in the corner of the room which you can queue up to use (which will cost you, on a meter), same for a printer, otherwise you have to go and find somewhere else yourself. There are gotchas, things like, from memory, your nationality is United Kingdom, not British (go figure....). Alll relevant fields obviously have to match, even tho that many not be immediately apparent when you fill the form in. Someone I know also fell foul of something to do with their parents' details. My mum's been dead for 60 years but they still wanted her details!
- take coins with you because you have to make copies of certain things and the copier in the centre has to be paid for
- you'll need a photo and it's NOT a standard passport size, it's 2"x2", which most photo booths will do, but if you take the wrong size, guess what, they'll chuck you out and make you go and find somewhere to get the right one
All in all it was a right faff tbh which could have easily been simplified at multiple points in the process. Sets you up for being in India tho!
eein said:
If you're likely to go again for more contact work in future then worth asking for a one or two year business visa. After you've had two or three such visas you can then apply for a five year business visa. VFS refused to acknowledge this was possible when I did mine, forcing me to hand write a letter indemnifying them in case it was rejected (which the VFS T&C's already include, so no actual need to write this). They claimed no one had ever got a five year business visa through them before, which is not true. Came back successful after three days.
I used to go regularly on business and started with a one year business visa.The second was also a one year.
The third time they upped me to two years and the same the next.
I always used to book an appointment at the Indian Consulate in Birmingham. An am appointment and collect the visa pm, no problems.
Change of business meant that I stopped visiting after the last in 2017.
Traveled all over India and very much enjoyed the places, the experiences, the food and the people.
You get it all in India, some ugly, some hilarious, some beautiful.
Greenmantle said:
shirt said:
filled the form in just now, appointment tomorrow. hopefully diwali means good moods and an easy application
diwali means gifts - "Chivas or Johnnie Walker" will get you a shoo-in!Couple of mistakes on my form which she sorted, photo wrong size which I knew they could do for me anyway, told the passport will be couriered back to me in 5 days. Winner.
shirt said:
Greenmantle said:
shirt said:
filled the form in just now, appointment tomorrow. hopefully diwali means good moods and an easy application
diwali means gifts - "Chivas or Johnnie Walker" will get you a shoo-in!Couple of mistakes on my form which she sorted, photo wrong size which I knew they could do for me anyway, told the passport will be couriered back to me in 5 days. Winner.
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