planing my first adventure to india(help)

Dave m

hey you guys i need some advice. im planing to go to india in january not really sure where im starting well some where on the west coast. but theres a few simple questions i need the answers to first thing.
do i need a return ticket to get my 6 month visa i no the indian gov say you do but whats your expereance. see i like the idea of a one way as it means i can do and go where i want for as long as i want.
also when the six month visa is finished is it simple to do a border run and get another 6 months.
and the most important one any ideas for where i should start my mystical journy. it would be cool if you could help me as these are questions that could only be answered by u cheers dave

Alan D

I have never been asked to show a return air ticket (or any ticket) when applying for a tourist visa at the Indian High Commission in London.

As far as I know that has been everyone's experience. If not, I'm sure they will post!

Before your visa finishes you can nip across the border to Kathmandu or Sri Lanka (depending on where you are) and apply for another one. This sometimes takes a few days to obtain.

If you can give us an idea of what aspects of India you are particularly interested in, then I'm sure you will get some suggestions as to where to go.

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seventies'hippy

Like Alan D has said You don't need to show an air ticket to get a visa.
Thailand & Pakisthan are other options for renewing.
Bear in mind your visa runs for 6 months from date of issue, Not from when you arrive in India.
Mumbai is a good place to land, from there you can go south towards Kerela or north towards rajasthan. At least you'd avoided any fog at Delhi airport.

Theres lots of resources about destinations on the various forums here on IM, Enjoy planning your trip,,,,,,,,,,,

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Aires

I just received my visa from the Indian embassy in Washington. They didn't require any more information or material than what was on the application, that is, the expected date of arrival in India. The only mention of how long you will be staying in India is by reference to the length of visa that you are applying for.

The visa application: [url=http://www.indianembassy.org/consular/visa.pdf]

pix

I thought I read somewhere either here but maybe lonely planet thorn tree that you couldnt just go over the boarder and renew...hhmm this is great news !

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Merchant

This is true: you cannot RENEW a visa, no matter what you do. Tourist visas are non-renewable. When you are in an Indian consulate anywhere in the world, do not use RENEW and VISA in the same sentence--you are only inviting the bureaucratic run around (bureaucrats are nothing if not literalists).

If you leave India, you can get a NEW visa--they cancel the old one, however much time is left on it and give you a new visa, just as if you have never applied. You have to fill out the form, pay the fee, etc. It's a brand spanking new visa.

If you originally get the 10-year visa, all you need to do is collect border stamps, since the visa allows you to stay in India for only 180 days at a time.

Without that, you have to get a new visa, and if you head to Pakistan, then you need a visa for there, too. Then you place yourself at the mercy of an overburdened and understaffed facility, where some people have been waiting for decades for clearance to enter India and reunite with relatives--so don't be surprised if your request isn't expedited immediately.

Going a little farther afield may be easier--like Thailand or Dubai.

-m2-

no, unless you have a long-term visa, you can't just 'go over the border and renew'; you will need to proceed to the nearest Indian Consulate (i.e. Kathmandu, Colombo, etc) and apply for a new visa. Since you would be applying for it outside of your own country, this procedure may take some time as Alan D mentioned; you should count on it taking 5 working days.

Dave m

thanks to all of you for the info now i can get the wheels in motion. peace out Dave

seventies'hippy

Sorry if I mis-lead anyone when using the word renewing. I meant of course that you could get a new visa from scratch.