Bob you are the Star of the day

I was going to go to London for mine as it isn't too far but that will save us a day off from work.

Only 120 days to go - can't wait!!! Not been outside Europe before so this will be a real adventure!!

Can anyone tell me what I need to put on my Visa Application where it asks for name and Address of people in India? Do i put my hotel details?

I tried phoning the HCI numbers but at 60p per minute to hear someone tell you about the volume its a bit of a joke!!!

Many thanks

Hi Shine,

We usually put the address of the hotel and the office address of the holiday company (ours is usually First Choice whose office is in Panjim). Some people just put the name of the hotel and leave the second address blank.

I hope this helps.

Sheila

Thanks Sheila, am I still ok to send a postal application to the HCI in london? I noticed at the start of the hread that London aren't accepting any postal applications but that was from 2005.

Help!!!

There is another topic here about the visa situation

Sarah

HELLO SHINE.
go back one page and you will find a reasonable way to get your visa's.
HCIlondon no longer accept postal applications!!!
BOB

bob thanks ever so much for the visa info
my nerves have been totally shattered over this holiday, our travel agent said they were taking no responsibilty towards visa's.

Does anyone habe any advice on how long before hol we should attempt to get visa's we are going in november?

wee-flea you would be ok to send off now for your Visa. We are going in December and i shall be sending mine off to Puja Travel 2nd week of September.

Shine - I notice from the Meet & Greet thread that you work in Liverpool so you should be OK to send your postal visa application to Birmingham. It's only London that is no longer taking postal applications.

Shine, we also live in Liverpool and have used the Visa Surgery on a number of occasions.This year it is in Liverpool on the 25th August and is held in the Hindu Cultural Centre on Edge Lane.
There are plenty of items on HT which describe how they work.
Based on last year, if you arrive around 9:00 you should be finished by 1:00 and at least this way you dont have to send your passport away.
Dave

visa's arrived this morning from birmingham after 9 or 10 days and i live in west wales
roll on november

visa's arrived this morning from birmingham after 9 or 10 days and i live in west wales
roll on november

Thought they didn't cover Wales according to the e-mail they sent me?

Thanks elliebee

took a chance and it worked, i would apply early as they will get swamped

hi wee flea
PUJA TRAVEL say they will take no more than 2 weeks to get visa's back to you. wouldn't take the chance myself, i will apply about 2 monthes before at least. if your only going to goa once in the year i doesn't matter because the visa lasts for 6 months anyway.

BOB

Ok now with the recent postal applications fiasco. I get the impression the Indian authorities don't want us there.

My question is and I ask because asking is easier. Especially when I can get an experienced answer rather than searching through pages and pages!

I will arrive in Goa late November 2007. I will be staying until July/Aug 2008 atleast so I will need to get a new Visa.

Anyway I plan to obtain a new visa a month before the 1st one expires. However, I would be happy if someone could advise me of the best city or cities out of India to visit for ease to do this and which is or are the most popular?

I get the impression they will not issue repeated visas as that would be very typical.

Why on earth do they make it so difficult because without toursits they would be brought to their knees!

Many thanks

To stay that amount of time, you will have to leave the country and reapply for a new tourist visa, I seem to recall that one of the regulars on this site, Lez, flew down to Sri Lanka to do this. As far as I know, thats the only way to stay that amount of time on a tourist visa. As far as India being brought to it's knees without we tourists, I.m afraid that as one of the two fledging super powers I think you will find that Indias tourism does'nt loom very large in their long term plans. This is obvious from their current attitude to visa applications. I'd go further and say in the next few years, the Goan tourist trade will more and more concentrate on local tourism from within India and the foreign tourists will become less and less important to them Alan

Thank you Alan.

Yes I'm aware I have to leave the country. This is why I wanted to know the best place to go and do it!

They are making it difficult. That is why I'm worried about a visa run as they may not want to issue me with another visa. They are getting tight on repeated applications.

They wont survive on just internal tourism as India needs the money to come in from the outside not just move around internally.

They will realise this one day. Developing countries learn these things though. That is part of their development.

A "watch out" for getting a follow on visa from outside UK. I accompanied a long stay in Goa friend to Singapore last January to renew her visa which was initially issued in UK. At the embassy in Singapore she applied for a six month tourist, she was told that she could only have a one month single entry as she was not actually living in Singapore and would have to return to her country of origin/passport issue if she wanted a six month visa!!! After making an appointment and seing the head honcho he finally relented and gave her a three month single entry visa, not a happy ending but better than the one month originally offered. It would appear, and as we have recently seen that they change the rules ad hoc. Different countries offices seem to have different rules and also individual commissions within the same countries have different rules. So, to sum up, you will need the latest up to date information when you leave India to renew as to what that country is doing at the time, it will take probably 5 working days before you receive the visa and you may not receive it for the duration you request, I have also known cases wherby the applicant has had their visa refused and no reason given. Helpful they are not!!!!!!