Indian entry and exit update
Dec 14th, 2010, 06:58 PM
#1
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Indian entry and exit update
does anyone have an update on the situation for re-entry into india after a short stay in an adjacent country?
along the same line, has anyone been in transit recently at delhi or mumbai and then flown internationally and subsequently returned to india in a week or so?
i have read the rules on the websites, but i thought some first hand experience might make me feel better.
has anyone officially requested and been granted permission to do such??
thanks
bob
along the same line, has anyone been in transit recently at delhi or mumbai and then flown internationally and subsequently returned to india in a week or so?
i have read the rules on the websites, but i thought some first hand experience might make me feel better.
has anyone officially requested and been granted permission to do such??
thanks
bob
Dec 14th, 2010, 07:19 PM
#2
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The Indian Home Ministry's FAQ on tourist visas here http://www.mha.nic.in/uniquepage.asp?Id_Pk=233 still has the requirement about having to wait 2 mos. before returning to India. This is true even if going to a neighboring company on a short stay. There are exceptions, like if you get special permission, but my parents (who are of Indian origin but traveling with US passports on a tourist visa) had a hassle getting that permission in Jan. this year. They finally ended up getting permission to re-enter India within the 2 mos time, but I cannot imagine that the bureaucracy (long lines at the FRRO) and wildcard (you may or may not get it) you have to endure would be worth it. If you can plan around that requirement, that's the safest best.
Dec 14th, 2010, 07:35 PM
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I'm relying on the following info from Travisa's website for my upcoming trip:
There should be a gap of at least 2 months between two separate visits to India on a Tourist visa. For Tourist visa holders who wish to visit India within 2 months of their last visit, an application for a Permit to Re-enter India is necessary. No Permit is needed if the visa holder is traveling to multiple countries on the same itinerary and the trip follows the itinerary exactly. The visa holder must carry a copy of the itinerary to show the Immigration Officer.
There should be a gap of at least 2 months between two separate visits to India on a Tourist visa. For Tourist visa holders who wish to visit India within 2 months of their last visit, an application for a Permit to Re-enter India is necessary. No Permit is needed if the visa holder is traveling to multiple countries on the same itinerary and the trip follows the itinerary exactly. The visa holder must carry a copy of the itinerary to show the Immigration Officer.
Dec 14th, 2010, 08:41 PM
#5
As long as the Travisa and embassy web sites still have the two month requirement I'd plan round it. Even if you jumped through the bureaucratic hoops to get what looks like permission, you'd still be at the mercy of whatever immigration officer you happened to draw.
Dec 16th, 2010, 01:08 PM
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So, am I correct in my reading of this:
"No Permit is needed if the visa holder is traveling to multiple countries on the same itinerary and the trip follows the itinerary exactly. The visa holder must carry a copy of the itinerary to show the Immigration Officer."
My potential itinerary is this: my flight would land in Delhi at 8:15 pm, and I have another flight to Bhutan the next day. I spend two weeks in Bhutan. Then I fly back into Delhi, where I'll stay for a few days before flying home. So I'd have to enter India twice in 15 days. Does the above mean that I can re-enter assuming I can show documentation of my flights? Has anyone done this recently?
"No Permit is needed if the visa holder is traveling to multiple countries on the same itinerary and the trip follows the itinerary exactly. The visa holder must carry a copy of the itinerary to show the Immigration Officer."
My potential itinerary is this: my flight would land in Delhi at 8:15 pm, and I have another flight to Bhutan the next day. I spend two weeks in Bhutan. Then I fly back into Delhi, where I'll stay for a few days before flying home. So I'd have to enter India twice in 15 days. Does the above mean that I can re-enter assuming I can show documentation of my flights? Has anyone done this recently?
Dec 16th, 2010, 01:42 PM
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Come to think of it, if I have to collect my bags both times I go through, which I'm pretty sure I will, won't I HAVE to enter India both times, even if I didn't leave the airport on either end of the trip?
Dec 16th, 2010, 02:11 PM
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i think that you need the special permit...
i tried calling the embassy in both washington and nyc and they simply do not answer the phones or you get sent to voice mail, all of which is full...
i'm going now to look for a consulate that i might visit
note also that they just changed the rules regarding pictures....you now need a 2 X 2 picture not a passport sized one..
i tried calling the embassy in both washington and nyc and they simply do not answer the phones or you get sent to voice mail, all of which is full...
i'm going now to look for a consulate that i might visit
note also that they just changed the rules regarding pictures....you now need a 2 X 2 picture not a passport sized one..
Dec 16th, 2010, 04:26 PM
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I just went to apply for an Indian Visa yesterday! I don't know if this answers ur question but if u get a single entry tourist visa you are aloud one and only one entry. If u want multiple entries, you pay double the price and u must bring an itinerary for them to attach to ur file before u can apply for it.. 2 years ago we did not have to do this, we paid the same price for a multiple entry and did not have to give an itinerary.. Keep in mind we are from Canada, not sure if same rules apply for Americans! We did not get a multiple entry as we are only entering once!!
Dec 16th, 2010, 05:38 PM
#11
I would be interested to know the definition of "itinerary" in this context. My itineraries are usually a piece of paper printed off my computer with no official anything. My current trip I entered India by land from Nepal, so I couldn't even show a plane ticket... Has anyone checked the thorntree on this?
Dec 17th, 2010, 05:15 AM
#12
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There is no Indian embassy in New York; there is an Indian consulate in the East 50s.
Have you sent them your request by e-mail as they request?
http://www.indiacgny.org/
Have you sent them your request by e-mail as they request?
http://www.indiacgny.org/
Dec 17th, 2010, 06:34 AM
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I looked through Thorntree, nothing much to clarify this issue there. I did see this response to a very similar query on Trip Advisor:
"You need to get a multiple entry Visa with special permission from the Indian Embassy/Consulate for your city for re-entry from a neighboring country. That's possible but you have to show them your tickets and itinerary when you get your visa and at immigration when you do the trip. If you do not have to stay overnight in Delhi and can wait in the transit lounge on the way out you don't require multiple entry visas. Either way, get in touch with the Indian consulate nearest you. They will sort you out."
From what I've read, it sounds like a production to get the actual re-entry permit, and that it's granted only in emergency cases (death, illness, etc). The question is, can people in my situation get around the 2 month rule with a clear itinerary and no permit. It seems like that HAS to be the case... otherwise we'd be hearing more about people getting turned back and having to redo travel plans. Right?
There's a consulate here in Chicago, perhaps I can get some clarification from them.
"You need to get a multiple entry Visa with special permission from the Indian Embassy/Consulate for your city for re-entry from a neighboring country. That's possible but you have to show them your tickets and itinerary when you get your visa and at immigration when you do the trip. If you do not have to stay overnight in Delhi and can wait in the transit lounge on the way out you don't require multiple entry visas. Either way, get in touch with the Indian consulate nearest you. They will sort you out."
From what I've read, it sounds like a production to get the actual re-entry permit, and that it's granted only in emergency cases (death, illness, etc). The question is, can people in my situation get around the 2 month rule with a clear itinerary and no permit. It seems like that HAS to be the case... otherwise we'd be hearing more about people getting turned back and having to redo travel plans. Right?
There's a consulate here in Chicago, perhaps I can get some clarification from them.
Dec 17th, 2010, 09:57 AM
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OK! I have an answer. I emailed the consulate, and they replied telling me to contact Travisa. Anyway, got right through to them and here's what they said:
All you need to do is get a regular tourist visa (they are all multi-entry)and when you arrive at immigration upon your FIRST ENTRY,show the immigration officer your itinerary, and let him or her know of your plans to re-enter (the itinerary needs to back this up). They will make a note of this, and will not stamp your passport with the "no re-entry within 60 days" stamp, and then the second time you enter, you should be fine, as long as you've stuck to your itinerary. So no permit needed for these kinds of re-entries, as long as they are on the same trip/itinerary.
All you need to do is get a regular tourist visa (they are all multi-entry)and when you arrive at immigration upon your FIRST ENTRY,show the immigration officer your itinerary, and let him or her know of your plans to re-enter (the itinerary needs to back this up). They will make a note of this, and will not stamp your passport with the "no re-entry within 60 days" stamp, and then the second time you enter, you should be fine, as long as you've stuck to your itinerary. So no permit needed for these kinds of re-entries, as long as they are on the same trip/itinerary.
Dec 17th, 2010, 10:07 AM
#15
I'm not sure I buy that answer from Travisa. The "no reentry" stamp is on the actual visa. My entry stamp (I'm currently in India, having entered overland at Sunauli) is just a normal entry stamp with nothing about re-entry or 60 days, and I didn't mention any plans to re-enter. Everything else I've read said you need to get the permission ahead of time - and that you have to register with some authority or other after you re-enter.
Dec 17th, 2010, 10:24 AM
#16
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Well, and here's this from the Indian Embassy's Web site:
The intention behind the stipulation of a gap of two months between two visits on a Tourist Visa is to curb the abuse/misuse of the Tourist Visa. With a view to ensure that the genuine tourists are not affected by the recent guidelines, the following clarifications are furnished:
(I) Foreigners holding Tourist Visas, who after initial entry into India plan to visit another country largely on account of neighbourhood tourism related travel and re-enter India before finally exiting, may be permitted two or three entries, as the case may be (need based), by the Indian Missions/Posts subject to their submission of a detailed itinerary and supporting documentation (ticket bookings). If they are already outside of their country of origin, they can also get such an endorsement from the nearest Indian Mission/Post.
(II) The Immigration authorities in all the Immigration Check Posts may also allow such foreign nationals on Tourist Visas arriving in India without the specific authorization from the Indian Missions/Posts to make two or three entries into the country (need based) subject to production of an itinerary and supporting documentation (ticket bookings).
So this makes it sound like you can get permission (not clear if this is the same thing as the permit noted above) beforehand at a consulate, or... not... just show up at immigration and produce your itinerary.
The intention behind the stipulation of a gap of two months between two visits on a Tourist Visa is to curb the abuse/misuse of the Tourist Visa. With a view to ensure that the genuine tourists are not affected by the recent guidelines, the following clarifications are furnished:
(I) Foreigners holding Tourist Visas, who after initial entry into India plan to visit another country largely on account of neighbourhood tourism related travel and re-enter India before finally exiting, may be permitted two or three entries, as the case may be (need based), by the Indian Missions/Posts subject to their submission of a detailed itinerary and supporting documentation (ticket bookings). If they are already outside of their country of origin, they can also get such an endorsement from the nearest Indian Mission/Post.
(II) The Immigration authorities in all the Immigration Check Posts may also allow such foreign nationals on Tourist Visas arriving in India without the specific authorization from the Indian Missions/Posts to make two or three entries into the country (need based) subject to production of an itinerary and supporting documentation (ticket bookings).
So this makes it sound like you can get permission (not clear if this is the same thing as the permit noted above) beforehand at a consulate, or... not... just show up at immigration and produce your itinerary.
Dec 17th, 2010, 10:40 AM
#17
But note the key words: "may" and "need based". If I were going to try this (and I arranged my itinerary so I didn't have to) I would get the permission beforehand. And I might plan to leave in less than 14 days on re-entry so I didn't have to mess with registering.
Possibly useful reading:
http://www.immigrationindia.nic.in/FAQ-TVis.pdf
http://www.indiamike.com/india/india...please-t96729/
Possibly useful reading:
http://www.immigrationindia.nic.in/FAQ-TVis.pdf
http://www.indiamike.com/india/india...please-t96729/
Dec 17th, 2010, 11:36 AM
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I know, I noticed that too. Well, getting any clear info on this is like trying to infiltrate Indian state secrets. It really seems like there are no hard and fast rules here. From the US Dept. of State travel page:
Please note that Indian visa regulations have gone through frequent, poorly advertised, and inconsistently enforced changes during the past year.
I'll say. I guess for now, I'll book the trip, get a tourist visa and wing it. There's lots of time before I'd go, the requirements could change several more times.
Please note that Indian visa regulations have gone through frequent, poorly advertised, and inconsistently enforced changes during the past year.
I'll say. I guess for now, I'll book the trip, get a tourist visa and wing it. There's lots of time before I'd go, the requirements could change several more times.
