HELP! NEED A VISA TO INDIA FAST!
 

I did it again! I need a visa for my trip to India in about a week. There are many visa "services" on the web..but does anybody have experiance with a fast and reliable way to get my visa and passport back? I wish I could simply do it in BOM, but I think thats only for groups. Thanks in advance..I am going on a month long trip to India and Nepal and I forgot about this detail. May everybody on the board have a Happy New Year!

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MRKEY

it may not help you but here is my story:

I procured a visa for an employee several years ago by sending the passport to the consulate in San Francisco, California, along with a check and a return FedEx airbill. They promptly stamped the passport, took the check and sent the passport back by overnight FedEx.

Thats was a quick response 30 seconds! I live in Fl. But I can't do anything until Tues A.M. thanks for the idea "cause its cuts out the middle man time and fees! Still requesting other ideas, but this looks good. I will call Tuesday!

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MRKEY

where are you leaving the US from? if it is a city with an Indian consulate you can go a day before your flight and get the visa the same day. you go in the morning and pick it up in the afternoon.

alternatively, send your passport and visa application with a certified check and $15 for the return Fedex (or a prepaid envelope) along with a copy of the itin/tickets and a cover page and you should have it back by the third day. so if you send it on tuesday it should be back on thursday or friday at the latest. just make sure you specifically mention the date you are leaving the US.

as for visas on arrival - it is not possible even for groups. you used to be able to get one at the airport but not anymore.

[This message has been edited by indogulf (edited 12-31-2000).]

Thanks, the closest office is ORD and I will be there for a few hours before my LAX-HK flight..not enough time to run around Chicago in this weather! I'll try your advice..what happens if I don't get it back in time? I loose all my reservations. I'll call Tues. any phone #'s or contact people to ease my little mind?


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MRKEY

the number for the Indian consulate in New York (ask for the visa section) is 212 774 0600. They are open from 9 AM to 1 PM and then from 130 PM to 5 PM.

I cant find the number for the Chicago consulate right now (i live in PA so NY is our consulate) but I should be able to dig it up this afternoon.

I wouldnt worry too much about getting it back in time if you pay the extra fee and make SURE you ask for express delivery and mention the departure dates. don't assume they will figure it out b/c they wont http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

the basic fees are $60 for six months and $85 for one year and $150 for 5 years. ADD $30 for emergency fee and $15 for Fedex. All payments should be by casheir's check or money order.

The $30 is for the emergency fee which they really dont collect for express service but to make sure I would pay it. Ask the consulate to be certain.

I have found that my US Representative has an aide-de-camp that is very helpful in just these kind of situations! You should call his local office. I believe in your case, it's Congressman Shaw and his office number in Palm Beach is 561-832-3007. I have found my Congressman very helpful in expediting red tape in a variety of problems.

THANKS! Do you think the Congressman will tell the same thing as above? Send it to the consulate in Houston ( I do believe that's the office that handles FL. requests) or can he work some magic on me? Right now I need magic solution... Take care!

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MRKEY

I think you should be fine with the "send passport, certified check/money order, copy of tickets, and return express airbill" strategy. However, I would also call AA/CX and see if alternate flights are available.

I was going to mention on the other thread where you talked about your trip that you should take the visa into account when deciding btw India or Thailand for your point for onward travel to Nepal, but I figured you knew about the visa already http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif If your passport doesn't expire within the next five years and you intend to see more of India, I would consider requesting a five year visa (you probably won't get it, but it is worth a shot). As you know, you can get visas on arrival in Bangkok (and CX has plenty of flights daily out of HKG), so switching your BOM flight to BKK could be another option. You can get your Nepali visa on arrival at the Kathmandu airport.

FWIW, getting an Indian visa at the consulate in Kathmandu takes a full day.

I will be going to BKK for 23.5 hours intransist to BOM, can or should I get it there? I'll e-mail you my itin. You think after all these years of traveling, I should know better!!!!!!

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MRKEY

You probably can get an Indian visa in BKK. The procedure in NY is to drop off in the morning (with $50 fee) and pick up at 4:30 in the afternoon, same day. BKK may be similar. You definitely need an Indian visa in advance.

You can get your Nepal visa at the Kathmandu airport. They want you to have a photograph, but they let me through without one a couple of weeks ago. The fee is $30 in U.S. currency.

Bruce

Bruce, thanks...do you think a 5 P.M. arrival at BKK and a depature at 5 P.M. the next day is enough time to obtain visa for India..I had to wait 2 days in BKK for my visa for Vietnam. I want to make it easy if possible and see BKK again for 1 day before moving on to BOM!


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MRKEY

I do believe I need the visa at LAX before leaving the U.S. for HK..or they (CX) will deny my boarding....and this is a real killer trip I can't miss!

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MRKEY

MRKEY,

You may not be able to get your passport returned in BKK in time to make your flight -- and you have the problem of boarding in the U.S., although you can probably talk your way through that. I would get the Indian visa in the U.S., even if it requires some extra money (for expediting fees and express delivery). The extra fees are de minimis compared to the overall cost of the trip.

Bruce

Thanks Bruce..that's what I will do..since the Baht Run, I want to maxamize my 1 day stop over in BKK anyway! There is just one more time problem, I hope you or a FTer can help me on. My paper tix are being over nighted from AAwards on Tues...so I wouldn't get them until Thurdsay or Friday...can I print out my intinerary and use that as proof of travel for the Indian authorities in the U.S Do they need original or copies of original tix. I just have AA's e-mail confirmation.( which I can print of course, but they are not actual tixs. Money hardly matters at this point, your right! It really slipped my mind as I just go back fom S.E Asia a few weeks ago and was not planning a repeat of my 1975 trip in India and Nepal until last week..I got my visa in NYC at the Afghanisatan consulate for their country, and my Pakistan visa in India and my Nepalise visa in India..I was overlanding NYC-KABUL-Nepal
...Thanks for your help! I really owe this board a lot!

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MRKEY

MRKEY, got your e-mail with itinerary. I love the way you maximized the routing with the 23.5 hour stopover/conxn in BKK and the extra stopover in PHX on the way home.

Anyway, I think that as long as you're not planning on using your passport in the next week, you should have no problem getting your visa through the mail by the 10th if the Indian consulate in Houston is anywhere close to reasonable.

As far as trying to get the visa in BKK, I wouldn't advise it. Not worth the added hassle and the risk of getting stuck in BKK traffic and missing your flight to BOM and Goa.

In the Anjuna part of Goa, I want to recommend a great local restaurant called Basilico (hopefully it is still open) run by an Italian expatriate named Suzanne out of her garden/courtyard. It is probably in the newest guidebooks now, but it is next to the Red Cab Inn if you need to find it. If you like mangoes, then you will love the fresh mango juices available everywhere in Goa and Bombay.

In Bombay, the grandiose Taj Mahal Hotel has some very nice restaurants as well as a nice bookstore and many airline offices. Trishna (in the Fort area) also does good seafood. Please note that these recommendations are two years old http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/eek.gif indogulf could probably offer more up-to-date recommendations.

Have you thought about how you are going to get from Goa to Kathmandu and then back to Bombay? Although the trains are fine for long-distance travel in India, do not take the bus under any circumstance. Simply not worth it. Flying is probably the best option.

What are you planning to do in Nepal? The white water rafting season may be over by the time you arrive, but if it isn't then drop by the Thamel office of Ultimate Descents, a Kiwi-owned, locally-operated, rafting company. I did a 10-day trip on the Sun Kosi with them two years ago and had a great time. I think the only option this time of year would be the 2-day Bhote Kosi trip, which is 20 km from Kathmandu.

I'm not 100% positive, but I think you should be fine just sending a copy of your itinerary and a letter to the Indian consulate. Go to www.traveldocs.com, one of my favorite travel reference sites, for a copy of the Indian visa application.



[This message has been edited by fallinasleep (edited 12-31-2000).]

fallinasleep- Thanks for the tip about the Anjuna Beach place. I was there in '75, but
I rented a little stone house on Calangute Beach and went to Anjuna Beach every other day for 3 months..Baga at that time was deserted. I did the BOM-GOA ferry last trip, but now there is an airstrip near Panjim. I have no idea how to get from BOM to Nepal...last time I did do a freak bus all they up to Varanasi and hired taxi's all the way to (near) Lumbini, Nepal via Birwai, India and on to Pokora...Train will probaly be the way to go, as I want to see Jaipur and Agra (Taj) again..I would fly, but it is at least $600! Any idea how much time the Indian Express will take to transverse India? Will my AA itinerary be ok for the Indian Consulate in the U.S.? If so I should be ok...still thinking about gettiing to Kathmandu after 2 weeks or so in Goa...maybe somebody in FT land knows. Thanks again for the help!

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MRKEY

You do not need a ticket or itinerary to get an Indian visa. Just money, as far as I can tell!

I ate the lunch buffet at the Taj Mahal hotel restaurant a couple of weeks ago. It was terrific and cost only about $10 (a huge sum in India).

When I was in Nepal, I stayed one night at Nagarkot, a tiny village in the mountains about 30 km. northeast of Kathmandu. Very quiet, but beautiful. With luck, you can see the sun rise over the Himalayas.

Bruce

Bruce,,that is great no passport?..how did you come up with this solution? I really want to know!

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MRKEY

don't count on easily getting an indian visa in BKK. typically an indian consulate will only quickly process a visa in the country where the passport was issued. for issuing a visa in a third country they will normally want reference back to the Indian mission in the country where the passport was issued (in your case the US) which will lead to delays.

also, you don't need the original tickets - just a copy of the itin.

as for going to your congressman - i don't think that the Indian consulate will care in the least.

as for recomendations in India:

Basilico is still around - not sure if it's still run by the same person though?

In Bombay/Mumbai - The Taj Mahal just finished a renovation of the public areas so it's the center of attraction for now. If you're not staying in the original part of the Taj (the $200+ per night section) I wouldnt really stay there. Better options in the same general area (out of the 5*'s) are the Oberoi or Marine Plaza Hotel (a smaller property right on Marine Drive facing the Sea). A cheaper (around $50/night) 2* option is the shelly's hotel at the end of the road where the taj is. it has a certain old world charm to it and the rooms are pretty big with clean bathrooms ensuite. The Taj President is undergoing a renovation at present and is to be avoided. Otherwise outside of the city center there is the Regent Hotel at Bandra (on the sea face and very nice - but very expensive) and the new Le Meridien near the Intl. Airport (free airport transfers and a really nice Royal Club floor - rooms have DVD players) If you would like a reservation at any of these places let me know and I can have my office book a corporate rate for you.

For food in Bombay - near the Taj is a place called Indigo which has really intersting western/indian fusion type food. Trishna is def a favorite for seafood. Sidewok at the NCPA has good seafood and pan-asian cusine. There are actually a lot of great restaraunts around so it depends on your tastes. If you email me what you are looking for i'd be happy to offer my suggestions.

fallinasleep is right on about not taking buses. it will be a horrible experience and maybe even dangerous http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif better bet is taking a train in second or first a/c which will be evry comfortable and relatively efficient. always try for the express or superfast trains. the mail or passenger trains typically stop a lot and are slower. (you can usually tell the type from the name of the train)

for the best routing take a flight between BOM and GOI vv. (try Jet Airways who have a couple flights a day) the ferry takes 24 hours. and from BOM take the train upto Delhi (take the Rajdhani - takes 17 hours and you get dinner and breakfast it leaves at 5 Pm and reaches DEL at 10 AM - first a/c is @ $90 with second a/c being @ $45 - in case there are no seats go to the western railways reservation center opposite churchgate station in bombay the day before you want to travel and go to the foreign tourist desk and ask for a seat from the tourist quota. get there by 9 AM and you should have little problem as there are always a few seats held for tourists) then take a train or taxi to Agra for the Taj Mahal - back to DEL by Train or taxi and then on to Kathmandu by flight. ex. DEL flights are pretty reasonable these days on Royal Nepal. Or else look out for package deals from local travel agencies. these are usually cheaper than flight only. airtickets india in delhi are a consolidator with reliable service - + 91 11 3313440.

BTW, when will you be in Bombay? I just got back on Friday so I won't be back for another ten/fifteen days or so. if you're there after that I'd be happy to show you around. in the meantime if you need any help let me know and I'll be happy to help.

INDOGULF! Thanks for the info! I will be in Bombay at least twice....once on my arrival on 01/12 and then when I decide to leave Goa (about 2 weeks later)on my way up to Delhi. I will take the train and fly from DEL-KAT. I am now going to enjoy a good New Years party here in Florida! I will for sure talk to you before I leave,,,I have e-mailed you my intineray..and I will be over-nighting my passport with $105 to the consulate in Houston on Tuesday per yours and other replies. Thanks, Stuart

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MRKEY

http://www.indianembassy.org

Has all the information you would need.
I think Florida is handled by the main Indian embassy in DC. The site has links to other consulates and their policies also.

Thanks for the info. but I was told somewhere that the consulate that handles Florida is in Houston. I need to send my passport and $ in Tuesday! Can I use one money order to cover all expenses...ie; emergancy fee..visa fee and express return? I need to get this out fast! I am leaving 1/11/01 Thanks for all of your help!

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MRKEY

Hi MrKey,

You are correct, the procurement of VISA's are divided up into geographic regions. I was last in India almost 2 years ago, and I had to send my passport off to my regional consulate. I will tell you that they are sometimes very particular, so make sure you complete the VISA application correctly. If you leave a blank or forget to submit one supporting document, they will not help you one bit!

BTW, you must know the info of the hotel you will be staying at upon arrival in India. What city or cities are you visiting? If you are looking for a good hotel, I know that the Oberoi Hotels are absolutely fabulous, and you will not find any other hotel in the world which will treat you any better! I was in Calcutta for about 1.5 weeks, and I can tell you, it was nice retreating to such a wonderful place after a very busy and difficult day.

Let me know if I can assist you in any way.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Florida is under the jurisdiction of the DC embassy. However you should call them up first and reconfirm this as it may have changed (unlikely but still possible).

One money order for the full amount is acceptable (i've always done it that way) however since you're going to call its better to ask and be sure http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Thanks indogulf! I will be on the phone early Tuesday morning...Why is it splt up regionally? It hardly matters as I will send in my passport, $105, 2 photos and a letter of intent of length of stay with my intinerary. Any other advice? I do need a place to stay my first night in Mumbia...and I owe you a dinner at the Taj Gateway Hotel...looking forward to meeting you and swapping FT tales. I will wait for your phone #'s when they are available. An office contact would be helpful as it is cold now in Nepal and I might want to do a bit of
business in Mumbia too!


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MRKEY

MRKEY,

Working in NYC, I went to the Indian consulate here for my visa. It was like a factory, with huge lines of people dropping off passports and picking them up in the afternoon, same day. They did not request an itinerary, dates of travel, hotel names (I didn't know where I'd be staying) or anything else -- just money ($50)!

Request a multiple-entry visa; it's the same price as single-entry and obviously more useful. I spent 12 hours in Mumbai on my return trip from Nepal and could not have re-enetered India without a multiple-entry visa. The visa is good for 6 months from date of issue, not entry. That's a problem if you request too far ahead (not your problem, I know).

Bruce

Don't bother with your congressman.

When I was a visa officer in New York, letters from members of Congress or Senators did nothing but move a file to the bottom of the pile. Phone calls moved the file back to the shelf.

A few other tips:

1) Get the visa before you go. There is nothing like an ugly delay halfway through your trip to ruin your plans.

2) Rather than Fedex, prepay a UPS waybill. A lot of visa offices will no longer accept or use Fedex, because if the account on the waybill is a dud, then the charges get applied to the sender. Better still, prepay ExpressMail. No arguments there.

Thanks for all the good advice! I should be receiving my visa tomorrow my FedEx. I sent a money order with all doc's...passport..photos to the Indian Consulate in Houston. I'll let you know how fast the 'EXPRESS' service really is. I'll let them decide how to send it back as I included $15 with my other fees.

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MRKEY