Planning an India trip? You may need to cancel it due to new visa rules

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• Dev says:

  8 Oct8 October 12:02

  In Kenya, if your a British Passport holder applying for an Indian visa, you have a mandatory 21 day wait … as that is how long it takes Indians in Kenya to access our visa system.

  • barnaby100 says:

    8 Oct8 October 16:25

    I emailed them and they said they only issue other than through the online appointments for critical medical cases and severe untoward incidents (emergency visas).

    They don’t pick up the phone (they are multiple numbers) and dont reply to emails.

• Kris says:

  8 Oct8 October 13:36

  Can somebody tell me what happens at the interview from a passport point of view. Do you get the visa same day if successful or have to leave your passport with them to pick up later? I can seem to find anywhere that fullyvexplains the process.

  • strickers says:

    8 Oct8 October 16:28

    It’s not really an interviews,VFS are a private company that process the application. They check the paperwork, take payment and submit to the High Commission for visa issue. They keep your passport, it’s usually returned in 7-10 days. The options for return are for you to pay a DX secure delivery fee or provide your own envelope for it to be returned in. When I went they just assumed I wanted the DX delivery which I did, it’s £12.50. Total cost is £147.57pp which includes £116 for the visa, delivery fee as above plus various surcharges.

• John says:

  8 Oct8 October 16:33

  It appears that Irish passports are still eligible for a range of electronic visas, including business, tourism and conference etc.

• R says:

  8 Oct8 October 18:16

  I went through this a couple of months ago and returned from my trip earlier this week. I was extremely careful filling in the forms, had to reschedule once which was a total nightmare and meant I was cutting it fine, but eventually got it all sorted. I arrived at the visa centre an hour before opening time and was out within 30 mins. Check Google reviews for a checklist of what to take! I wouldn’t recommend going through it though. Just unnecessary faff and stress. I also wasn’t a fan of North India. My 75th country and one of a handful I wouldn’t want to go back to. YMMV of course. Lots of people love it. And the Taj Mahal was spectacular.

• KTS says:

  8 Oct8 October 19:21

  Be extra careful when filling up the form. Read many times before submitting. Book appointment for special openings on Saturday in VFS and other community places(you have to quick for these appointments too, usually open up on Monday evening)

• Gezroy says:

  8 Oct8 October 20:15

  Why would We put ourselves through this crap when We will be welcomed in a Mexican **** star all inclusive hotel without any of the hassle I would have to go through holidaying in India.
  It appears to us that India has grown so rich it doesn’t need foreign holidaymakers money, so we will take our holiday booking money and spending money and spend it in countries that welcome foreign visitors with the minimum of hassle.

• P says:

  8 Oct8 October 21:54

  It’s just tit for tat. Let the UK govt. come down from their ivory tower and treat the citizens of India with some respect. I had a terrible time getting the UK visa last summer (while the white refugees from an European country were given preferences – sniff, sniff, she’d some crocodile tears) – so much so that I had to rework my travel plans. Happy to note that the UK is now being treated equally with Pakistan (the source of most Izzlamic terrorist activities). 🙂

  • BajiNahid says:

    9 Oct9 October 03:10

    Absolutely ridiculous and very ignorant statement to make. The UK has every right to restrict whoever it is to enter the country. Firstly who in their right minds makes plans before being issued a visa? and secondly, the UK has every right to restrict India if needs be for purposes whatever they may be, just like India has, and thirdly your statement about Pakistan is just a pathetic excuse for your ignorance.

    Guess you deserved that difficult time last summer then.

    • Rob says:

      9 Oct9 October 10:14

      But many countries won’t give you a visa UNTIL you have ‘plans’ eg a flight and hotels booked ….

  • Hardy says:

    9 Oct9 October 05:33

    When the number of UK citizens overstay in India become more than 000.2% of the number of Indians that overstay in the UK, tit for tat can happen…
    Reciprocity only works when both parties are equally desirable.

• KTS says:

  9 Oct9 October 11:30

  Not very sure but I heard that e-visa is coming back on this 15th October. It was long overdue.

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