jxk8

Believe I am right in saying you will need to renew your passport. We travel to Goa a couple of days after you and our passports run out in June 2007. Have just returned from Jamaica which is another country which has the 6 month rule. I intend to renew our passports in the next couple of weeks and will get the Indian visa in October. If I'm wrong I'm sure another member will correct me.

no you're not wrong- I've just double-checked. You must have at least 6 months on your passport when you return. You can however renew up to 9 months in advance and get those months added to the 10 years, so you don't lose out.
Welcome to the Goa forum jxk8!

Hi I'm not sure that what's already been said here is correct.

Here's my experience:
We travelled to Goa in Nov 2004 and our 6 month visa was issued 8/10/04, expiry date 7/4/2005.
We wanted to travel to Goa in March 2005 on the same visa.
We would arrive back in the UK on 23th March 2005.

My passport expired 22/8/2005, leaving me 5 months validity on my passport, not the 6 month that everybody seems to quote.

After contacting the High Commission of India and checking with the UK Passport Agency, I managed to get confirmation that my documents would be in order.

According to HCI, as long as your visa is valid for your stay in India, they're happy.
According to the UKPA, as long as your passport is valid on the day you return home, they're happy.

I would, however, suggest you check this out with HCI & UKPA in case things have changed since I travelled.

Fiona is correct in saying that if you renew your passport early, they add on the extra months so you don't miss out.
In my case, renewing my passport would have meant either paying for another visa or paying to have it transferred.

Cheers
Polly

Yes...agree with Prettypollycat....think its as long as you have 6months on your passport when you send OFF for you visa. We got our last visas in 4th October 05 - expired 3rd April 06. Went to Goa end of November and might have gone back in February/March- so using the same visa. Our passports expired on 17th June 06. I checked as we wouldn't have 6months on our passports if we went Feb/March. I was told by HCI that it would be fine as there was 6months on the passports when we ORIGINALLY got our visas.

I've just gone through the whole process of this! - I got back and thought I'd beable to travel back on my OLD passport as it didn't expire till JULY 07, but as I am flying out and staying for 11 months, I'd return back in JUNE (leaving about a month), so that involved applying for my new passport, getting that back and because I have a 5 year visa I had to send to get my Visa moved from one passport to the other! I sent it down to a friend yesterday so will hopefully get it sorted tomorrow and sent back up to me as I fly in a week.... Been a little stressful....

The big problem is- what the requrement for your TO is. If they specify on your contract with them six months then you have to abide with that. Direct line for instance specify 6 months for Goa. I know that doesn't seem right but there is a huge discussion on
here and one here
Better safe than sorry!

Just like to say a big thank you for all the comments you have sent, and I think I will play it safe and renew my passport, but I do really think it needs to be set out in stone to stop any confusion. Thanks again all, JXK8.

Latest news people, I have just got a reply back from the Indian passport office, and they have confirmed and advised me to get a new passport, there has to be six months left on my passport on my return to the UK. So my friends, I have just been to the post office and have got the application forms, and will apply this week-end. Just to finish, what a shock to the system £51 for a renewal. £77, if you want to make an appointment, and they will send it to you within one week, on a fast track basis, and last but not least £96, and that fee is for same day premium service, this means that at a minimun it will cost me for a new passport and a visa a total of £262 for my wife and I before I even step on the aeroplane on this visit to Goa, but I have got to say well worth it for the pleasure of staying in Goa. The only good thing is that it will last me for the next ten years, but for my next one I will probably have to remortgage the house (he, he). Thanks again all, JXK8.....

Thanks for clearing things up about the passport situation. At least we all know now!