We have just come back after six weeks, flew Jet via Mumbai, there is no stamp on our visa or anywhere in our passports to say we cannot re enter for two months. Only problem is we have no holidays left so cant go back till the end of the year

Thanks Scorpion - thats really helpful to know - even if its a pallava to go to Birmingham. Its still a long way for me from Devon (especially if you have to get there so early) and I'll have to lose a days pay. An email I had from the Visa helpline said it would be considered on 'case specific basis' and re- entry permits were at their 'sole discretion'.

I tried to send it all by post and (like someone else has said) got it all returned. I wanted to try and sort it out before the Feb flight because anoying as it is that would be the trip I forfeit - when I go in April got other friends travelling with us.

I like you booked my flights before the new rule because I thought I had a multiple entry visa.

Sorry to ask but I dont suppose you noticed anyone being refused and if so did they give a reason?

Minnie,
I dont think anyone gets "refused" as long as you supply all the documents and of course £7 per person you are all right.
They are not exactly running criminal record checks or anything, thats why it is such a farce!
So as far as I can make out , If you want to be a terrorist and dont want to apply for "special permission" just have a 2 month gap between visits !!
scorpion.

Thanks again Scorpion - starting to look forward to going next week - a bit more now - its reassuring to hear the experiences of others. When are you going?

The plonker that I am... for my application I put the hotels name/address for the sponsor section..... will this be a problem? I have submitted it already, my bofriends just says NA

The plonker that I am... for my application I put the hotels name/address for the sponsor section..... will this be a problem? I have submitted it already, my bofriends just says NA

Hi Lozza that shouldnt be a problem its usually better to have something than nothing!!

Hi Minnie,
dont worry you will have a great time, this is part of the attraction of Goa, whatever obstructions they put in front of you we all go back sort of gets under your skin
nice to have a bit of winter sun.
We go 1st March
scorpion.

Minnie wrote:

So as far as I can make out , If you want to be a terrorist and dont want to apply for "special permission" just have a 2 month gap between visits !!

Brilliant Scorpion, I'll bear that in mind Only joking, honest Criminal record checks will probably be the next thing they'll hone in on.

PPC - I agree that their reasoning behind it is correct (if indeed it is terrorist related) but to implement it mid season is suicidal, however, I take your point and a valid point it is too. You would think then that they wouldn't charge for getting the stamped permission for those who have already paid out for a 6 month multi entry visa in good faith that this was in fact what they had paid for.

I live in Devon too Minnie, not exactly the centre of civilisation when it comes to having to get to London (should it be necessary) it would be a real pain in the proverbial wouldn't it!

Fizz

Update from friends in Thailand: They went to the Embassy and filled in a form and then went back 2 hrs later and now have a stamp in their passport to allow them one more entry into India. They didn't want to see their tickets to the UK and said the stamp wasn't really necessary, but that some of the airlines were a bit confused and were refusing to let people board flights to India.

Reply from UK.
Dear Applicant,



Thank you for your query,



Please note that there should be a gap of at least 2 months between two visits to India on a Tourist Visa only. This ruling applies to short term Tourist visas i.e. 6 Months and 1 year (irrespective of whether the existing visa is of double or multiple entries) and does not apply to the long term entry visa for 5 yrs or any other visa category.



Also, if the applicant has a existing tourist visa which is about to expire, then the applicant can only apply for a new tourist visa after a gap of 1 month from the date his last tourist visa expired. Before that a new request will not be accepted at any India Visa Application Centre's.





Please note - In view of the spread of the Swine Influenza A (H1N1) all passengers traveling to India will be screened at the International Airports in India on their arrival. This will also involve quarantine and even hospitalization, if detected, with any symptoms connected with the flu.



Best Regards,

Nikhil Jadhav

Information Service Desk

VF Services (UK) Limited



For further information please visit our website http://in.vfsglobal.co.uk or contact our call centre on 0905 757 0045 (Calls to the premium rate number cost 95 pence per minute)

Thanks nejulie!! I hope you are right... I felt so stressed filling in these forms, there's so much pressure to get it right otherwise it will just get sent back.... and times running out!!



Much prefer the old way - applying at the Indian Embassy!

P.S
I also noticed that when I printed the forms out some of the sections were blank, but you couldn't actually fill them in on line as it wouldn't let me into the box... what should I do?

Spaldy

Also, if the applicant has a existing tourist visa which is about to expire, then the applicant can only apply for a new tourist visa after a gap of 1 month from the date his last tourist visa expired. Before that a new request will not be accepted at any India Visa Application Centre's.

This is the first time I've seen mention of this, I'm sure it's going to be very helpful to a lot of people (repeat visitors). especially if the Indian Govt decide to issue 3 month visas instead of 6 month ones.

Fizzy
re my 'less parochial view' - I totally agree with you that it would have been very sensible and only fair to allow those 6 month multiple entry visas to run their course BEFORE implementing the 2 month rule.
But it's obvious that this has been rushed in without being thought through at all.

Can anyone help please!!

I also noticed that when I printed the forms out some of the sections were blank, but you couldn't actually fill them in on line as it wouldn't let me into the box... what should I do?

I'm due to post these this morning, but I don't want to if there is anything I can do about these blank sections...

Thanks
Lx

Advice needed

We are now playing a very hard and frustrating waiting game with the Consulate in Birmingham. After gathering information and advice from fellow HT members (thank you) I photo copied all doc/ tickets/forms/letter/photo's/money etc and my hubby set off from Leeds 5am Wed 27th Jan........he was 1st in the que for re-entry, handed all the paperwork over, lady staple all together including our SDE she informed him that they would be processed on Monday and posted out Tues/Wed...........still we are waiting I have tried constantly to get through to Birmingham and no-one every answers. I did acutally ring the passport consulate number ....the 4.30-5.30 telephone number to be told by a lady that i was on wrong number yes i am aware but please help me, she then gave me a telephone number of a guy that i needed to speak to ........thanks i said, when is he in the office.......he's here now i can hear him talk. I thanked her and rang the number for 45 minutes (til 5.30 finish) you guess he never answered Wednesday or Thursday.

I keep checking the SDE number on the royal mail website and as yet it has been processed, we are now at a loss as to what we can do........no-one will answer or help if we get through............does anyone have any idea's other than having to drive back to Birmingham (more *&%$ expense).......I know its been said 1000's of times but why oh why do they make things sooooooo difficult.........its driving me to drink

We fly back on 22nd Feb and if they dont give us re-entry permission thou god know why they wouldnt we want our passports back.

Thanks in advance

Jules

The possible change to 3 month visas has been mentioned on here (I read that a lady had been issued with a 3 month one although she'd asked for a 6 month one), I've just had a thought re passports.
Assuming they do go with 3 month visas, those people who visit Goa twice during the season will have 6 pages of their passports used up each season (1 for the visas, 1 for the stamps and 1 for the big green notice about no re-entry within 2 months).
My passport has 25 available pages so that means that if I go to Goa twice a year my passport will only last just over 4 years, so I'd either have to apply for a new one or get one with more pages - both at extra cost.
And that's assuming I don't go anywhere else (like Bali or China) that also use full pages for visa stamps.

Hey Fizz - yes it is off the beat and track down here in Devon - but worth it for our Summers! I got my visa from London but Birmingham's probably easier for me to get to (+ I have somewhere to stay overnight up there) Hope they dont ask me why I've come to Birmingham rather than London.

Poor you Goan addict its horrible not knowing one way or another isn't it? Let us know how you get on.

friends of ours had 6 mounth visa multiple entry and were in goa for 6 weeks and then flew to thailand for 4 weeks holiday wanted to come back to goa to finish there hols and were turned away at the airport they were told they would have to wait 2 mounths. we were in goa for 5 weeks and when we got to bangalore wre stamped no entry back to goa for 2 mounths

minnie
its a long story why but
when i applied for my re-entry stamp i went to london but my visa had originally been issued in birmingham.
being confused what to do re re-entry,originally i had just posted my form to london.
this was sent back with a post it note attached asking me to come in when i went to the commission in london they asked me why i had not gone to birmingham.
between the time of my original application and me going in person they had changed the re-entry forms to having to include a photo.
i just showed the man the post it note saying to come in person and they processed my application ok.
i did think at one stage he was going to tell me to go to birmingham but i managed to get it as i said so hopefully it wont be a problem for you.

This is what the Indian Embassy in Bangkok told me if i want a new visa.
Dear Sir/ Madam,



Thank you for contacting the " India visa application centre, Bangkok "



As per your enquiry, we wish to inform you that you can apply for a tourist visa at our centre in Bangkok.

According to the new regulation of Indian tourist visa required 2 month gap, you are still able to apply for it if you cannot wait for 2 months.

But you need to attend an interview with the consular officer before noon. Moreover, you have to come to our centre first before 10.00 a.m. to have

your documents checked by Indian visa application centre officer.



If you have any further queries, please feel free to mail back again or visit http://www.ivac-th.com for more information.

Regards,

Information Centre
India Visa Appication Centre, Bangkok