YVR_Traveller

So my friend and I made a last minute change to our itinerary and will now be transiting through BLR. We stupidly forgot to check the visa requirements for entering India until today and our flight is tomorrow so it is too late to apply for the visa now. We are only staying at BLR for 15 hours so we want to use the airside airport hotel, which I found out is at the domestic terminal. We are flying in from BKK so I'm assuming I will arrive at the international side.

So my question is, would I be able to move from the international terminal to the domestic terminal (to our airport hotel) without a visa? What about our luggage? We are flying TA from BKK then connecting to AI from BLR to MLE all in J class (if that matters).

We just want to get some rest since we arrive late night then depart the following afternoon and I'm also a bit concerned if our luggage can be checked all the way through since I know some airlines/airports make you re-check luggage even if the flights are on the same alliance and ticket.

Thanks!

Keyser

you will not be able to access the hotel on the domestic side without a visa....

are you on one ticket or separate tickets????if its the former then your luggage will be checked all the way through to your final destination....if its the later then your biggest problem will be trying to convince the bkk authorities to let you board a flight to india without a visa....ta probably won't let you board....

YVR_Traveller

Thanks for the reply Keyser. It's booked on one ticket and its connecting to the Maldives (MLE) which is not part of India? Maldives does not have any visa requirement to my knowledge. I also read that India is part of the visa-free transit program, which allows travellers to transit through India if they can prove it's only a connecting flight with a <24 layover (which is my situation). That being said, I think my biggest issue is that my layover is 15 hours long and I'll really suffer if I don't get proper sleep at the transit hotel.

Keyser

if its one ticket then you won't have a problem with your luggage....india is part of the visa free transit program but that only means that you can stay in the transit area....to access the hotel you will have to clear immigration which you cannot do without a visa....