3 tourist visa in a row

Nick-H

about to run out should, indeed, not be an issue --- but only two months in on a 6-month visa makes it so blindingly obvious that you really wanted an 8-month visa! Isn't it better to go towards the end?

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vespertine

Nick - yeah, thought the blindingly obvious part would probably be a problem. Only reason I thought of going to get a new visa 2only 2 months in is that I could easily fly to Kathmandu from Delhi as that's where I'll be at the 2 month point. Towards the end of my visa I will be in Tamil Nadu and Kerala which means it won't be hard to get to Sri Lanka but I just wanted to see if going to Kathmandu in the first few months was an option at all. The trip from India to Nepal looks cheaper than that to SL and am also considering the possibility of civil unrest in SL which I guess could be just as likely in Nepal. Won't take the risk of asking for a new visa very pre-emptively. I shall fly to either SL or Thailand towards the end...Cheers

Nick-H

I don't know... if you were visiting Nepal anyway you could try, telling them plans changed, dates changed, whatever.

Someone with experience might tell us there isn't a problem....

mckay25

Vespertine,

I've got to leave India end of April to renew my tourist visa and I'm currently considering the same set of options: fly from Chennai to Nepal, Sri Lanka or Thailand, get a new visa, fly back.

Prices are fairly similar it seems. The variations between destinations seems smaller than the variation between carriers and whether you find the right deal. From Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka is probably the cheapest, but not a shoe-in since it is so cheap to fly across India. So for myself, I may just make a trip out of it and visit Nepal if I can get enough time off, escape the heat for a bit just for kicks.

I'll be sure to post any answers, travel costs and visa issues once I get through it.

vespertine

McKay25,

Cheers for that - any stories from how you went about your visa renewal/update would be greatly appreciated. How are you finding your time in India and how long do you expect you might stay? Some days I am just so full of anticipation and excitement that I think 6 months will never be enough and other days I feel exhausted just thinking about 6 months in India...I look forward to finding out how I feel once I'm there...

mckay25

Back from a wonderful month and break in Nepal and back in Chennai for another 6 months.

As for Vespertine's request for an update and stories on my experiences through the daunting Indian visa process, I've posted a long story of it on my blog, so I'll direct you there:
http://thewindonmyface.blogspot.com/...dian-visa.html

But a short summary and a few points not made there:
For me the process of renewing my visa was easy and they didn't give me any hassle for renewing. Maybe because I'm a first time renewer and hadn't been to Kathmandu before for it. Maybe it was just that week they were trying to get everyone through the line. They even stayed open past 12 on the Friday to clear the line (but don't count on them doing this!). It certainly seemed that anyone with a standard request was being processed without any fuss - you handed you form and money ready. They took it. They gave you a slip and told you to come back later.

There was lots and lots of waiting mind you, but no fuss. Huge number of people applying. Popular country we're in!

I think the lesson is that, as is nearly everything when dealing with Indian bureaucracy, the agents are very capricious and there is no consistent service. The hassle or lack of you get is very subject to change from one day to the next. Who knows why. Just the way it is. So they may have been in a helpful mood last week and a hard-ass one this week. This week they may be handing out 3-day telex waits, next is might be 5 again. Can't say.

I love India...most of the time. It is exhausting and wonderful and chaotic and mind-numbing and beautiful and a hundred things all rolled in one. Some days I want to get out, others I obviously am excited to come back and stay as long as they'll let me.

The return to the sticky heat is quite the shock though! Whew! Like swimming after the cold, thin, dry air of the Solukhumbu.

As for how long I'm going to stay in India. Don't know! I'm here in Chennai trying to complete my development project for another 4-6 months before my visa expires again, then can't say yet. If things are successful here, I may stay (and hopefully with a work visa this time). Very likely I'll move on to either somewhere else in India, elsewhere in South Asia or beyond. That probably sounds very open-ended, but it is really. That next step in my career path is still very much up in the air!

I really liked Nepal though, lovely people, like here...
So for me, in the very possible situation where I'm going to renew my visa a 3rd time, I may go back to KTM (it'll be prime Fall trekking season once again) and try my luck or of course Sri Lanka and Thailand are reported to be reliable options.

Cheers!
McKay

P.S. For those in or heading to KTM, I've also posting my favorite spots in Thamel on my blog.

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Nick-H

And forecast to reach 44 today...

SteamBuff

Nick ... Only 44 ... when I was in the States a few year's back, we had 52+ !!!!!

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mckay25

Folks, any update on your attempts at renewing in Colombo? Latest process, issues or timelines?

I'm back on the dock for renewing once again, this time planning to head over to closer Sri Lanka (since I'm in Chennai). I'd love to know any updates before I show up there.

Thanks,
McKay

Will Marks

Updates from Colombo & 4th Time Renewal Advice Required

Hi Folks,

Background; I've had 8 6 month visas (6 tourist, 2 Business) in 9 years, most 2 in a row on a quick visa run.

This time I got a 6 month tourist visa in Australia (though born a kiwi, NZ). Then a 6 month business visa from Colombo. Then another 6 month business visa from Colombo. So 3 in a row, all just short trips.

Three Hits, then Out

Now I am in Colombo again, and I've had my first hiccup. 2 in a row is okay (at Colombo only, 3 in total), but they won't give me a third one (4th in total). They said fly to your country. No visa allowed at all. (They gave no indication of this on my second visit, quite the opposite.)

I haven't been to NZ in 10 years, it's a long way and I've got my bike and other stuff in a rented flat in Bangalore, and client / business appointments. Hmmm. They eventually gave me a one month tourist visa.

Bottom line - Colombo's good for 2 back to backs, not 3.

Also the process in Colombo is slower now - it used to be four working days. This time you first have to get a stamp that allows you to come back and actually apply two days later - adding two days to the process.

The good news in a new airline called Mihn Lanka has return flights for @ $120 US / 5000 Rs. from south India (I went from Trichy) and no charge to change dates within 72 hours.

Fourth Shot

I'd like to avoid flying all the way to New Zealand to get a visa if possible.

Has anyone been successful in getting a fourth visa, preferably business, by going to another neighbour - ie can you get 2 in a row in Colombo, then 2 in a row in Katmandu...

So I have a month in India before another run - can anyone recommend somewhere closer to NZ in this situation - Thailand, Nepal, Bangla, Pak?

I guess since if you can get a new visa for one week every 6 months, it's basically had a 1 1/2 year visa, and that can't go on forever. I do intend to be here long term so will go through formalities, but was hoping for another 6 months before spending up on the long flight.


And just in case... has anyone got a business visa from NZ recently? Last post (2 yrs old) I saw said there was only a 30% sucess rate for some reason.

That's todays drama. Time flies and I was having fun - I'd like to get back to it...

wonderwomanusa

Enough is enough, Will_Marks. I've just read substantially the same message from you four times in a row; it's not necessary to repeat yourself on every visa thread, as anyone wondering about visas or knowledgeable about them will be reading them all.

It's especially annoying when you bring up a thread and post to someone who had similar questions 6 months or a year ago.

Thanks for your attention.

Will Marks

Hey WW,

Thanks for your post. I understand your point.

I have tried to augment my questions / posts with helpful supporting information.

Many people may only be subscribed to certain threads, but still have specific, relevant, first hand experiences despite the fact that they, like me, don't read IM daily.

I was intending to address each of them and hope their updates were helpful to others also, rather than just PM them.

Since there are a number of possible outcomes, each post, in theory, addresses a subtly different possible approach.

I apologise for any annoyance you've felt and hope it's offset by helpfulness to myself and others.

Thanks for your dedicated and thorough participation in the forum and the help it gives when situations seem to get a little tricky.

Best Regards,
WM

Nick-H

My advice would be to post in full in one thread, and then in the other, say the specific bit to that thread and give a link to the main comment.

Identical, or more-or-less identical posts are deleted as when discovered by a mod who is in tidying-up mood: they are against the forum rules.

sirensongs

For Will Marks:
Try Thailand. Never heard of anyone having a problem repeatedly in Thailand. (that is, with repeat back to back applications.)

Druk Air has a $100 flight to Bangkok directly from Bodh Gaya, if that helps.

Good to know about SL and the 2x rule.

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Will Marks

Hi sirensongs

Thanks for the tip - looks like i will try Thai; it's also on the way to NZ if required. I'll post again in 5 weeks with an update.

Good idea - I hadn't thought of it, but i'd love to be able to go via Bodh Gaya. I've got great memories of the seasonal mist around the tree from a new years eve with the monks and nuns a few years ago

All I could find on the Druk website were return fares for INR12500. http://www.drukair.com.bt/fare.php. Can you possibly let me know where did you saw the $100 fare?

btw great blog - happy diwali