Goa Discussion Forum

Discussions regarding holidays in Goa.
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You will be fine, we flew into Goa on the 24th of March leaving again on the 31st March and our visa ran out on the 4th April They asked if we were leaving on that date and there were no problem whatever. It was our third entry into India on that 6 month visa and one of the times we came in through Mumbai so it's good for the whole of India and you will have no problems Alan
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I agree. As long as you have multiple Enteries you will be fine. And it before the expiry date.
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I have downloaded the forms from the hci london site and sent them to Birmingham with no problems.
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Can someone clarify if it's possible to get a tourist visa for longer than 6 months? I'm sure someone got one when I was at one of the visa surgeries earlier this year but can't remember how much he paid.

Thanks

Tracy
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Hi all, went to Goa with my best mate and stayed at CSM in late October with Somak. This year I'm going to take my girlfriend and hoped to go around the same time. However, Somak aren't going as early this year so my options are limited (and so price is high).

I am thinking of holding out for a late deal but what is the situation with the Visa application? Can I apply without knowing the exact dates of travel or will I have to get one urgently once I've booked a package? Also how important are the India refs on the application? Last time i used the hotel I used CSM and British Embassy, but if I apply without knowing my hotel I'll lose one reference!

Any help appreciated.
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Hi DMN
Re refs check the first page here. Several members have left it completely blank and had no problems.
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That was quick! I noticed the refs thing but what about the dates of entry and leaving India. Do I have to have these exact i.e. book my holiday before I get my visa!

Cheers

Damian
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No you don't. You get a 6 month visa and a few people will go out more than once in that time. ( I know what you mean though- for a visa to Vietnam we had to give exact dates)
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DMN, just make sure that you don't get your visa so soon that it runs oput before you come home!
del949
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can anyone tell me how much a six month visa is this year, has it gone up to £60 from £30 as it was last year, thanks
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It is still £30 per visa this year. Go to http://www.hcilondon.org and follow the visa link on the right of the page.

Ray.
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Can someone clarify if it's possible to get a tourist visa for longer than 6 months? Thanks Tracy
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Sorry, tourist visa's only last 6 months! :( If you want to stay longer, an option is to leave india and get the visa renewed in another country like Sri Lanka (Nepal is not recommended now). It's a bit hit and miss trying to get a 5 year visa, you will have to prove you either have a business in India or own/lease a property. Be aware that the property laws are a nightmare in India as people of NIO are not by rights allowed to own an immovable structure, although plenty do!

Ray.
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Thanks to Strawberry_Blonde for this one...

According to the Times of India today, the Goa Government has asked the Central Government to reduce the validity of Tourist Visas to 3 months in a bid to prevent foreigners staying and buying plots of land......

My opinion : I don't see this coming in to force as it would obviously effect the whole of india (not just Goa) and we adversly affect tourists throughout India which would probably decrease the number of tourists and inturn reduce money coming into the country. Does anyone think it's just getting too greedy. Or anyone agree that they should cut the visa to 3 months....??? I haven't had a juicy discussion for ages...
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Isnt it bad enough that India charges a fee to visit their country when most countries welcome tourists for free. Yes they are getting too greedy! :roll:
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I agree that it would not be good for Visas to be reduced to 3 months. Yes, it is a rip off and secondly I am planning to spend 6 months in Goa when I retire but not buy property. There are many English people who rent long-term thus putting money into the economy. We do not all want to buy.

Hopefully the Indian Government will take no notice of this.
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The government need to change the laws on foreigners buying property if they want to prevent illegal purchasing. If they change the visa policy they'll be penalising tourists, granted a small minority of theses could be potential land/home owners but I think this is unfair. They will also be harming local businesses that rely on the tourists to earn a living.

I don't think it's something that the government can make a snap decision on as it affects the whole of India (as Rob said), and not just Goa. The government are spending huge amounts of money on marketing India as a tourist destination so I can't see them changing things just yet.

GFF xx
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Maybe a Holiday Visa lasting 4 weeks would be better for some as at present a 6 month visa @ £30 is a waste of time to anyone only going on a 2 week package, and of course reduce the price accordingly. Many people myself included have travelled to many different parts of India and the 6 Months visa is ideal for this and I for one don`t mind paying the £30 for such a trip.

Sounds like a foolish idea to me.
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I certainly hope not as I,m one of the people that make more than one visit on the visa, but before Lassigirl and others become critical of the Indian Gov. over this I think I'm right in saying any Indian holidaying in the U.K. have to pay £65 for their visa and jump through even more hoops than us to get it, so in the case of tit for tat which is usually why different countries get charged different rates mabey our own Gov. has to bear some blame in all of this Alan
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