derteilzeitberliner

Btw,

People's Democratic Republic of Korea = North Korea
Republic of Korea = South Korea

abcx

How do you board the flight without a visa? I am pretty sure I could get a VoA having been all over the world and having had multiple Schengen visas before, a Schengen residence permit and a 10 yr UK and US visa.

That's not my problem. My problem is that I can't get it on arrival. I have to apply for it before hand and submit all kinds of stupid documentation.

Sorry, I knew that but just didn't pay attention. You are correct, with Republic of Korea, the *A website does match what the Korean govt says.

andreadbc

This sounds familiar, I think I read on the paper about something similar for Peruvians with US visas...
Just found details on Mexico Embassy in Peru here. I think this applies to passport holders of all countries that aren't already exempt from needing visas... you won't need a visitor tourism/business visa in Mexico if you have a valid US visa.

B747-437B

I should have been more specific. You would be granted a TRANSIT permit to leave the airport upon application and subject to holding a confirmed onward ticket.

abcx

Just wanted to update the thread with my recent exprience in Korea. I was traveling DEL-ICN(stop use transit w/o visa)-KIX(transit w/o visa)-SFO(dest). Korean immigration would not let me through claiming that I needed either a direct flight to SFO from ICN or a Japanese visa. Apparently, your next stop from Korea is treated as your 'destination'. In broken English, the immigration officer suggested I "change" the ticket. At first I was frustrated and tried arguing - pointing out that a direct flight was not required anywere on the Korean government's website and on the IATA rules, but to no avail. And that if he was correct, OZ should never have let me board in DEL on this ticket (but thankfully they did.) Apparently, it is "Korean immigration law" and there's nothing anybody can do. So off I went to the OZ transfer desk to buy a refundable Y ticket (KRW 30k refund fee). (The immigration officer probably thought I changed my ticket, but I wasn't going to explain to him that I can't change a US award after travel has commenced and that I just bought a new refundable ticket ). Anyway, I was let in on that ticket, and the immigration officer was genuinely apologetic that he couldn't help me earlier. For a few moments though, visions of Tom Hanks (unfortunately, no Catherine Zeta-Jones) flashed before my eyes.

Anyway, on my return, I just flew out on my original ICN-KIX-SFO routing and cancelled my OZ ticket.

So just be careful, you need a direct flight to/from Korea to your country of citizenship or residence (the latter for which you have a visa).

findingflow

abcx

Found a useful site:

http://www.visasforindians.com/

It seems that a 10 yr US visa is increasingly handly. It lets you transit many European countries (I'm looking at you Germany, France & UK ) without a transit visa and it enables you to get VOA/transit/entry in many other places like Mexico, S. Korea and Turkey. A long term UK/Schengen visa typically does the same, but 10yr UK visas now cost ~$1000 and the longest-term Schengen visa is 1 yr and those are much harder to get than 10yr US visas.

BTW, Jordan (14 JOD) and Kenya (50 USD) now offer VOA to Indians. So does Turkey (15 USD) if holding a >6 months validity US, UK or Schengen Visa.

Interestingly, Ecuador does not require a visa either. It's free. (Galapagos, here I come!)

Switzerland and Holland permit TWOV.

abcx

Croatia now offers visa-free entry if holding Schengen visa this year. Same for Ireland till Oct 2012 if holding UK visa and entering Ireland from the UK. I'm going to Ireland in April and will also try to work in Croatia in May/June (been there before, only to Zagreb and loved it).

Going to Jordan in two weeks since it is VOA.

I like to patronize countries which make it easy for me to visit. (I'm looking at you Italy - keeping my passport for 3 weeks in this day and age is unacceptable. As a result, I had to cancel a 10-day trip to Italy and decided to go to Ireland instead - that's 10 days of tourist dollars they lost. I would have thought the Italian economy needs every penny these days. Maybe they should have the Germans and the Swiss process all Schengen visas. Rant over.)

abcx

Oh, and what I find annoying is that India is now extending VoA to other countries like Germany but getting no concessions in return. At the very least, they could have negotiated a discretionary transit visa in the case of IRROPs at FRA/MUC. Would benefit the scores of Indians that have to resort to spending the night on the loungers and chairs at FRA for no fault of their own but where they were born.

B747-437B

I've had 2-year validity Schengen visas from the French, Germans and Dutch pretty much continuously for the last 7 years. Never a problem.

abcx

I almost got a one-year Schengen visa from the Swiss in SF but my US I20 was expiring before so she couldn't give it to me for longer than that. Though I've read recently that 5 year Schengen visas are also possible now.

Aren't you affiliated with an airline? Maybe that is why you can get multi-year Schengen visa? I know out of India it can be incredibly hard to get a multi-year Schengen. Less so out of the US (with Indian passport). I'd love to know what the "magic trick" is to get a longer Schengen visa (preferably without future trip itineraries). In the US, I think it's as simple as asking for it.

B747-437B

5-year Schengen visas are currently only for Russian citizens IIRC. Maximum for Indian citizens is 2-years at present.

I've gotten longer duration Schengen visas even when I wasn't affiliated with an airline, so I don't think that is it. I do have 100+ visits to Schengen states over the years though which may be more of the reason.

My multi-year Schengens have been issued in Atlanta (French), Toronto (Dutch) and Accra (French, German and Dutch). I've never gotten longer than 6 months from any Schengen consulate in India though.

abcx

Thanks for that feedback. I guess I'll kiss my hopes of getting a multi-year Schengen visa goodbye.

It's a pain to have an Indian passport and to apply for visas here. Much easier and more friendly in the US. I can go straight to the consulate, usually no lines, reasonably understanding people instead of un-empowered VFS people. All this is made worse by the fact that some of the less efficient Southern European PIIGS take like 15 days to issue a visa.

B747-437B

I've found the opposite. I've actually flown to India on "visa runs" for 1-2 days to get visas that take forever elsewhere. Philippines visa was taking 6 weeks in Abuja, but I got same day service in Mumbai.