Nov 28, 2014, 3:38 am
Last edit by: JDiver
E-Visa / ETA and 30 Day Single Entry Visa on Arrival in India
India new Visa On Arrival
(Actually advance online e-Tourist Visa with actual visa issued on arrival)
https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/tvoa.html
The Indian e-Tourist Visa is available for holders of passports of following countries and territories:
Albania, Andorra, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Island, Chile, China, China (Hong Kong SAR), China (Macau SAR), Colombia, Comoros, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote d'lvoire, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Laos, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niue Island, Norway, Oman, Palau, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Republic of Macedonia, Romania, Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, UAE, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay, USA, Vanuatu, Vatican City-Holy See, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Eligibility
Citizens of the above-listed countries using ordinary passports from such countries when the sole objective of visiting India is one or more of the following: recreation (of most but not all sorts); sight seeing (in most of India); casual visit to meet friends or relatives (in most of India); short duration medical treatment; or casual visits for most (but not all) business purposes.
The passport should have at least six months' validity on the date of arrival.
International Travellers should have return ticket or onward journey ticket,with sufficient money to spend during his/her stay in India.
The visa is valid for a single entry for a stay of 30 days (from the date of entry) and cannot be extended.
Be sure to fill out your information very accurately! If there's anything off, you may be required to board the next flight out operated by your airline of entry.
Travellers having Pakistani Passport or Pakistani origin may please apply for regular Visa at Indian Mission.
Not available to Diplomatic/Official Passport Holders.
E-TOURIST VISA APPLICATION PROCESS
Step 1
Apply online
Upload Photo and Passport Page
Step 2
Pay visa fee online
Using Credit / Debit card
Step 3
Receive ETA Online
ETA Will be sent to your e-mail
Step 4
Print ETA and carry it for and on the flight to India so you can present it on arrival at the immigration desks.
This being India, it is the real experience on arrival that is critical, especially since this is a brand new operation.
We need datapoints for
- How long it took you to get through immigration?
- Any issues (human, bureaucratic or technological?)
Wikipost instructions: signed in members with 90 days / 90 posts can edit this Wikipost to update; wiki contents may be printed by using the
(lower right wiki corner)
Evisa & Visa on arrival for India
Apr 4, 2023, 8:33 am
#302
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 48,158
Separate airlines too? If it is all on AI I could see them letting you check in. If its two airlines (example BA and UL or UK) no chance.
Apr 4, 2023, 8:45 am
#303
Join Date: Jan 2023
Posts: 7
Yeah its 2 airlines , BA to Chennai , then Sri Lanka Airways from Chennai to Sri Lanka
There is a family of 4 , would i need to buy 4 visas , just to get the bags and go to another flight ?
Also need to get 4 * Sri Lanka visas as well , im on the verge of cancelling this trip due to this Visa BS
There is a family of 4 , would i need to buy 4 visas , just to get the bags and go to another flight ?
Also need to get 4 * Sri Lanka visas as well , im on the verge of cancelling this trip due to this Visa BS
Apr 4, 2023, 8:48 am
#304
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Aurora, CO
Programs: Statusless and proud
Posts: 7,582
Yeah its 2 airlines , BA to Chennai , then Sri Lanka Airways from Chennai to Sri Lanka
There is a family of 4 , would i need to buy 4 visas , just to get the bags and go to another flight ?
Also need to get 4 * Sri Lanka visas as well , im on the verge of cancelling this trip due to this Visa BS
There is a family of 4 , would i need to buy 4 visas , just to get the bags and go to another flight ?
Also need to get 4 * Sri Lanka visas as well , im on the verge of cancelling this trip due to this Visa BS
Edit: Looks like BA arrives in Terminal 4 and Sri Lankan departs also from Terminal 4, so that might work. The problem is that Sri Lankan arrives in Terminal 3 and BA departs from Terminal 4, so even if you got away with not having a visa on the outbound, you'd need it for the inbound. Terminal 4 is about a half a mile from Terminal 3, so they're not connected airside. (Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.)
Last edited by JayhawkCO; Apr 4, 2023 at 8:57 am
Apr 4, 2023, 9:42 am
#306
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 48,158
In theory airside trasnfer is possible, but BA will not let you board without a visa as you are ending your trip with them in India. That you have a onward ticket doesn't count in their view.
MAA international will move to a new terminal this summer.
MAA international will move to a new terminal this summer.
Apr 4, 2023, 10:56 am
#307
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Aurora, CO
Programs: Statusless and proud
Posts: 7,582
Last edited by JayhawkCO; Apr 4, 2023 at 12:50 pm
Apr 4, 2023, 11:51 am
#309
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: India
Programs: Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, IHG Plat, HH Gold, Trident Plat, DL Diamond, AI Maharajah
Posts: 29,668
I would not risk transiting in MAA without a visa. This is not the most friendly airport in terms of transfers.
Apr 4, 2023, 12:32 pm
#310
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,631
Are you 100% certain? I know you're an expert in this forum, so I don't want to overstep, but I've had plenty of other travel experiences where a country had a requirement such as booked onward travel, and I've provided the documentation of a separate ticket when checking in and never had a problem. BA should only care if you have a legal right to travel to India, and, assuming you meet the following requirements: 1) Layover time of <24 hours to another country, 2) Not leaving the sterile area, so no clearing of immigration), you can legally transit India without a visa....
And why do you assume there will be a sterile area? Does the US generally have a "sterile area"? I'm sure you don't have to deal with that, but the world is not just what you experience.
Last edited by SeeBuyFly; Apr 4, 2023 at 12:39 pm
Apr 4, 2023, 12:39 pm
#311
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Aurora, CO
Programs: Statusless and proud
Posts: 7,582
My apologies. It looks like it's Ł25 for UK citizens.
Well, how about being absent of a reason for them to refuse you boarding. I don't make any assumptions about sterile areas; in fact, I said quite the opposite about MAA. But there are obviously sterile areas in airports across the globe, including in India, where you don't need to clear immigration in order to transfer to another international flight. You can fly LHR-DEL-BKK on BA and then Air India and not need to clear immigration. Now, that said, it looks like India's TIMATIC entry says that it has to be on the same ticket. It seems a bit silly to me if you don't need to collect luggage nor get a boarding pass, because you don't need to exit the sterile area, but I guess it is what it is.
I've been to 73 countries, so, despite being American, I think I have a leg to stand on regarding some of the intricacies of international travel. My world is not just what you experience.
I've been to 73 countries, so, despite being American, I think I have a leg to stand on regarding some of the intricacies of international travel. My world is not just what you experience.
Last edited by JayhawkCO; Apr 4, 2023 at 12:57 pm
Apr 4, 2023, 6:43 pm
#312
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London
Programs: Hilton, IHG - BA, GA, LH, QR, SV, TK
Posts: 17,008
So, where the intermediate country requires an entry visa, as in the case in question, the first carrier is entitled to ask for evidence you possess a visa.
Apr 5, 2023, 4:57 am
#313
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 48,158
The BoI website (https://boi.gov.in/sitemap) is a treasure trove for such info, if you are so inclined to figure out the system
Apr 5, 2023, 7:26 am
#314
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Aurora, CO
Programs: Statusless and proud
Posts: 7,582
Of course it has to be on the same ticket. Otherwise, you are travelling to the intermediate country as far as the first carrier is concerned: that you have a second, quite separate ticket out of that country matters not one jot.
So, where the intermediate country requires an entry visa, as in the case in question, the first carrier is entitled to ask for evidence you possess a visa.
So, where the intermediate country requires an entry visa, as in the case in question, the first carrier is entitled to ask for evidence you possess a visa.
Not every example of transiting a country is exactly the same. I was mistaken thinking that, in this case, the visa could be avoided if staying airside, which I readily admit. But there are plenty of countries that would require a visa unless you're just transiting and there's no mention of the "one ticket" restriction in TIMATIC. China is a good example. You can take advantage of the Transit Without a Visa assuming you have an onward ticket within a specified number of hours (dependent on which city you fly into). It does not have to be the same ticket.
Last edited by JayhawkCO; Apr 26, 2023 at 11:14 am
Apr 5, 2023, 8:21 am
#315
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London
Programs: Hilton, IHG - BA, GA, LH, QR, SV, TK
Posts: 17,008
OK. I understand in this case that TIMATIC requires it in this case. But, when I flew to Nicaragua this past fall, they have an onward ticket requirement for entry. Checking in with Copa, they asked for my onward ticket. I showed them a bus ticket that I had booked between Nicaragua and Honduras. That was acceptable to them and they checked me in.
In practice immigration officials rarely ask for documentation to prove any such requirements are satisfied. However I notice that one-way tickets are increasingly attracting the attention of check-in agents, a symptom (I'm guessing) of Timatic-driven tick-boxes and concerns about fines for delivering ineligible visitors.