Daichovo

So I didn't end up getting a visa for India before leaving for my round the world trip. I am a US citizen and planned just to enter once anyway, without need for the fancy multiple entry one. Now I've accepted a medical volunteer position in Nepal first (if you want to contribute, let me know! It's helping a lot of people) and the flights they've booked go through DEL. They are different airlines (Pegasus and IndiGo) so not same ticket. FRU-DEL-KTM in mid-September, then KTM-DEL in November for tourism/2 months.

The organization thinks I need a transit visa, but I am reading different things whether I truly need it or not. I will not check any bags. But this means now I might need either a transit visa plus normal 1-entry visa, or the multiple entry one? Are e-visas relevant here? I know you have to space out the entries on e-visas.

I will be in Central Asia next two months which already I have to worry about various visas, so if I can I'd like to do e-visa or get it settled sooner than later.

I went to the embassy here in Mongolia and they said they can do the 10yr visa, and that's what I should apply for, but won't let me apply because it's "too early". It's a bit over 2 months to first entry and I thought under 3 months is ok. Anyway they told me to apply next month whilst travelling in CA and that the 10 yr visa is available at all Central Asian embassies for US citizens.

I have since heard from the Indian embassy in Bishkek and they said they only offer a 3 month tourist visa and no others and they weren't sure what I should do about transiting. Haven't heard from other embassies yet.

Any suggestions?

Keyser

check out the thread below:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/india...ov-2014-a.html

Daichovo

Hi,
The thread doesn't tell me too much I didn't know. My second visit for sure doesn't qualify for e-visa as I'll be there at least a month and a half if not longer. First one can I think (there's a clause about you can't visit again for 60 days- but not clear if that is 60 days for next e-visa, or 60 days ANY visa. My visits are exactly 60 days apart as it turns out) but a transit visa is cheaper. Or, maybe not even necessary which is what I'm trying to figure out.

oliver2002

The 60 day min 'stay away' period is usually waved if you get a actual visa sticker in your passport, it will be similar for the VOA using ETA. I would get the tourist ETA twice and not worry too much. When passing thru DEL the first time, ask if you can come back in November with another ETA. If they say 'no' then you always have the option to apply for the second visa in KTM in the following 8 weeks.

Daichovo

Cool, thanks.

Daichovo

Hi,
Ran into a pickle here with getting an Indian visa. I'd hoped to get it this summer in Central Asia but never was in a city long enough to take care of it (took at least a week or two depending on city and you need to have passport with you everywhere in CA).

Now I'm in KTM. It also takes a long time (week and a half). I only can come into KTM on weekends b/c of my volunteer assignment. It takes 3 parts when DIY:

Day 1- submit app
5-6 business (M-F) days later- bring in passport
Day after- pick up visa

I thought to take a day off and bring it in and go trekking for two weeks and come back, but it's mixed whether that will create a problem. So now I'm looking at using a visa service.

The three I've talked to all say between $155-170 for normal service. This seems way too much for a $65 visa, but what do I know? Anyone know of something cheaper? At that rate it almost seems worth it to mail to the US and try for multi-year (I don't need passport for a couple weeks). If it was more like $80-100 I wouldn't hesitate.

I know there is E-visa but I need longer than 30 days. Unless I can do visa run to pakistan or something about 15 days into the month which is closest area that i'd be to in the first month...doesn't seem likely heh heh! Though I do hope to go to the border crossing ceremony!

Any suggestions or experience??

Keyser

mailing the passport to the u.s. is probably not a good option....they have been known to take a lot longer than a couple of weeks....you don't want to be stuck in another country without your passport....

if you really need to come to india then just go with the $155 option....

oliver2002

Express visa processing usually officially costs 100$ on top of the usual visa fees (which is 100+$ for US citizens, BTW) so 155$ will be a steal.

itsme

I see the OP has run into at least one thing that has puzzled/frustrated me. What is this business about being unable to apply for visa more than 34 days before arrival date? It seems bizarre. One will plunk down >$1K to buy a ticket, but not be able to apply more than 34 days in advance to be confident all will be in order before the departure date comes?! (And they say one should really apply to less than 15 days in advance for some security, so window is 19 days in which to apply?)

itsme

OK, turns out my problem was that I kept going to the e-Tourist visa, which is only good for 30 days. That wasn't the right choice for me from the drop down list. Like choosing the wrong fork in the road; instructions could be clearer upfront in this regard.

[And now I have just seen that there is a sticky to explain all this?!]

Daichovo

Just realized I never reported back on this.

I'm a little confused by this. Um, I didn't pay >$1k for a ticket, it cost $230. Which I fundraised for my volunteer project, because I'm a brokea$$ recent grad.
A difference of $50 or whatever is actually a lot for me. And the days thing... Anyway, ended well as I will get to.

Never fear! You too can have the luxury experience of transiting DEL overnight on PC and 6E with international connections for the low, low price of $0.

The official trip report of flights normal people wouldn't take together

Check in at FRU: The usual mad push in Central Asian airports was nowhere to be seen, but rather an orderly line that even corresponded to the correct check in counter posted. I had read about people checking bags at Delhi on different airlines, same ticket, even different tickets, and it USUALLY being okay....yeah, not chancing that one. There were about 20 Israeli backpackers with massive packs they were checking in ahead of me so when I finally got to the front of the queue and said I wanted to bring my bag as carry on, the agent couldn't believe it. My bag was just over the limit (8kg) at 8.5, but the guy was so impressed that it was that light even with my tent, sleeping bag, cook kit and normal life stuff he said no problem. Actually I still had my gas stove in there too but nobody cared...

FRU-DEL on FC: I've flown Pegasus before in Turkey, but let's just say I was underwhelmed by its regional ex-Air Manas version in Kyrgyzstan. Nevertheless, this was an awesome flight! For $150 you get 3 hrs of flying over the Tian Shans and Himalayas. Even though I busted my iPhone with a charger that threw sparks in Tajikistan, I managed to get some pics on my tablet that I will gladly upload if I can find a wifi connection and power source here in McCloudganj that isn't powered by hamsters....

Anyhoots, arrive right on time, all good. Then the fun begins at the international transfers desk.

They hadn't even heard of FC apparently and it took them a while to verify that they indeed fly to Delhi...then of course they were thoroughly confused that I was flying the next morning on 6E, which I'm sure I didn't help by referring to it as "IndiGoGo" in at least on Freudian slip...my bad, listened to too much Wham! when I was a kid.

"Please show us the credit card you booked it with."

"Um, my volunteer organization booked it. I don't have the credit card."

"We need to see the credit card."

"I don't have it, I didn't pay for the booking. Would you like to see the flight confirmation and receipt?"

"No, just the credit card."

"As I said, I didn't pay for it with my card. Would you like my card?"

The clerk gives me the sideways South Asian nod, takes the card, gives it a long look, turns it around a bit.

"This isn't the card the flight was paid for with."
Ensue facepalm and a repeat of this conversation for the next five minutes.

The agent finally decides that I can just receive a sms on my phone from IndiGo to confirm...the selfsame phone that is busted. This gets to this thing that I find fascinating and slightly annoying, the assumption in developing and 3rd world countries that everyone has a cell phone. She can't believe I don't have one and I hand mine over, still with a "broken" sticker in Russian and "Doesn't turn on" sticker in English. For some reason she decides the solution to all this is for me to sign into my email account at the kiosk behind the counter, despite the fact that both the email and phone number on the receipt are also not mine, but the volunteer organization's. Anyway, after about five more minutes she realizes the terminal is not connected to the internet and gives up. She decides I'm mostly harmless as an American woman with a ridiculously white-bread name (what can I do?) and says everything's fine, just wait.

Now I want to mention that I had a sinking suspicion that things in the DEL transit area wouldn't be proceeding in a particularly efficient manner due to the fact that there's a RESTAURANT in the processing area.

I took a quick vindaloo whilst seeing many others made to wait, no one getting through until the staff changes in "ten minutes"...you can guess how many times people asked "How long?" and it was always "Ten minutes".

At this point I decided to be productive and roll out my camping mat in the corner for a catnap. No one was going anywhere. I was woken up occasionally during this time by some justifiably irate business class passengers travelling to IST on EY...or was it to CAI on TK? I forget. Just remember that the flights were all on time, no one had any explanation, they weren't allowed through, they missed their flight, and DEL staff couldn't give a flying falooda about it.

Anyway, a mere five hours after I got there they let us all through. I reveled in the relative peace of a corner by the security office (near the Art Of Living ™ kiosk) and caught a relatively pleasant night's sleep.

The next morning I continued my free transit by redeeming some Starbucks credit I had on the app on my tablet for breakfast. The IndiGo flight was at 11, was on time, totally adequate, and totally uneventful. Would take 6E again.

In Nepal we ended up having another volunteer show up unexpectedly so they were able to cover while I went to KTM extra times for the visa.

Hope this helps...um...somebody???