Indian Immigration officials

batistuta · Jun 16th, 2006, 14:51

Hi Guys,
I am an Indian citizen living in Bangalore.I will be going abroad
for the first time to Sri lanka or Thailand in 2 weeks time.
I want to know the questions asked by Indian immigration
authorites before i board my flight.
AS it is visa on arrival ,i wont have the visa with me,the only
documents i will have would be return ticket and travellers cheques. i dont have any proof of identification other than passport.
Will the Indian immigration officials have problems with that and will they ask any hotel confirmation .
I will be thankful for any advice,

Regards,
Batistuta.

ladyvetphd · Jun 16th, 2006, 14:54

From my own experiences, you probably will not be asked anything. At the most a Q. like where are you travelling to?
Don't worry, enjoy your trip.

batistuta · Jun 16th, 2006, 14:57

Hi,
Thanks a lot for the quick reply.I just asked Raj travels who are
quite well known and the agent told me that immigration officials ask for hotel confirmation and i was wondering wht for and also petrified as i dont have a credit card.

Regards,
Batistuta.

P.s .If anyone else had a different experience,pls share

redthreadzen · Jun 16th, 2006, 17:00

Don't worry, mera dost, all travelers the world over worry a little that there going to get away alright. But remember people "indians" travel Overseas all the time and it's just another day at the office for the imigration Officials. So be relaxed, polite dress well, and act as though it is your right to travel. After all, it is.

bahut acha maza dost

Nick-H · Jun 16th, 2006, 17:06

Quote:

you have a right to travel too.

Well, Actually... Emmigration is controled in India, as well as immigration.

Batistuta, you should check out if your passport is stamped "ECR", Emmigration Clearance Required and, if it is, if it affects any country you intend to visit. If stamped ECNR, I guess you are OK.

capt_mahajan · Jun 16th, 2006, 20:03

besides taking the filled up emigration form, (half of which you have to bring back these days), and the ECNR stamp Nick mentions, most immigration officials dont ask you a single question in India. Have heard of cases where they have asked for a bribe (for what) from mainly uneducated people going out (to the middle east, eg) but this was some years ago, In maybe 80 trips or more out of india, I have never been hassled at all.

Raj travels may have mentioned the hotel q as one which the immigration guys in Thailand will ask. That seems more likely.

greenchutney · Jun 16th, 2006, 20:14

its a normal question to ask which hotel you are staying by immigration in sri lanka or bangkok. i doubt indian immigration has any stake or interest in that. besides if you are going through raj travels, they are a tour operator, arent they?..arent they arranging for everything [hotels, transfer]?..

the visa-on-arrival at bangkok is approx $30 [Rs 1300]...so make sure you have that or is raj travels taking care of that?..its advisable to have a credit card or travellers cheques for travels..just because its not safe to carry a pile of cash around but if you are going in a package tour..everything should be arranged for you with you paying it up front here at home.

you should be check your ECR/ECNR like Nick said..and change it if its ECR..it takes a long beaurocratic day at the passport office to do that..

Nick-H · Jun 16th, 2006, 21:12

Mrs N has an ECR passport, but it has not affected out trips to UK.

The first time we went the emmigration woman asked us all kinds of questions. I think she was just jealous because this handsome foreigner wasn't taking her to UK

. The next twice we went there were no questions at all.

greenchutney · Jun 17th, 2006, 00:13

nick..you prolly got lucky there with the ECR..but you dont want to leave any subjective evaluations especially in dealings with indian beaurocracy. there are always surprises, there is some 1850's Act that they could cite or the bored agent at the counter randomly might want to pick on you.

if you have ECR on passport..make sure you tell the agent that or get it cleared preferably much ahead of the travel.

Nick-H · Jun 17th, 2006, 00:29

Hmm, yes, I know it can be a problem. There is a list of countries , as part of the stamp, to which it does not apply, which includes UK.

Yes, I've experienced Indian Govt officials 'interpreting' W H I T E as "black"

ECR is aimed (I'm told) at protecting young, not-so-educated, Indians from running to countries where they get treated very badly as employees --- although plenty of them seem to end up in those countries.

I've forgotten the requirements for ECNR, but one of them is any university degree ie the guy is educated so should know what he is letting himself in for. Probably also enough cash in the bank, so not exactly looking for a sweatshop job.

batistuta · Jun 17th, 2006, 05:18

Hi Everybody,
I am relieved now that my emmigration worries have been put to rest.I do have an ecnr stamped on my passport and i called raj travels just to ask abt emmigration rules and i intend to travel by myself and not take any packaged tours.
According to visa on arrival for both Lnka and Thailand, no prior hotel booking confirmation is needed ,so i maybe safe there.
Thanks a lot to the info imers,you are such a great help.

Best Regards,
Batistuta.

batistuta · Jun 17th, 2006, 06:51

[quote=greenchutney]its a normal question to ask which hotel you are staying by immigration in sri lanka or bangkok

Hi Greenchutney,
Do i need to booking confirmation for hotels or just the name of the
hotel is enough?.Its not mentioned for visa on arrivalin the embassy
websites..
Pls suggest, and thanks a lot for all the information.

Regards,
Batistuta.

greenchutney · Jun 17th, 2006, 07:23

i have been asked this question many times...its random though.

just take a print out with you of a couple of guesthouses/ or some addresses and phone numbers.. and say you are going there...you dont need reservations.

regardless of whether they ask you or not..make sure you have something planned out..it helps sometimes..

sshekhar · Jun 17th, 2006, 08:07

I came to US when I was 17 and the reason I got ECNR was because I was young. As far as I remember ECNR means that the emigration officer doesn't have to worry about the passport holder evading taxes and taking off. This is what I was told when my passport was being issued. So if you got your passport before you started working or if you were pretty young you usually get a passport that says ECNR.

edwardseco · Jun 17th, 2006, 09:08

Wasn't there some restriction on young women going out? I remember something in Hyderabad with all the instant & temporary marriages out to the middle east..

Jun 16th, 2006, 14:51	#1
batistuta Maha Guru Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,729	Indian Immigration officials Hi Guys, I am an Indian citizen living in Bangalore.I will be going abroad for the first time to Sri lanka or Thailand in 2 weeks time. I want to know the questions asked by Indian immigration authorites before i board my flight. AS it is visa on arrival ,i wont have the visa with me,the only documents i will have would be return ticket and travellers cheques. i dont have any proof of identification other than passport. Will the Indian immigration officials have problems with that and will they ask any hotel confirmation . I will be thankful for any advice, Regards, Batistuta.

Jun 16th, 2006, 17:00	#4
redthreadzen Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: melbourne, Australia Posts: 36	you have a right to travel too. Don't worry, mera dost, all travelers the world over worry a little that there going to get away alright. But remember people "indians" travel Overseas all the time and it's just another day at the office for the imigration Officials. So be relaxed, polite dress well, and act as though it is your right to travel. After all, it is. bahut acha maza dost

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Jun 16th, 2006, 14:54	#2
ladyvetphd Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: mumbai, india Posts: 325	From my own experiences, you probably will not be asked anything. At the most a Q. like where are you travelling to? Don't worry, enjoy your trip.

Jun 16th, 2006, 14:57	#3
batistuta Maha Guru Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,729	Hi, Thanks a lot for the quick reply.I just asked Raj travels who are quite well known and the agent told me that immigration officials ask for hotel confirmation and i was wondering wht for and also petrified as i dont have a credit card. Regards, Batistuta. P.s .If anyone else had a different experience,pls share

Jun 16th, 2006, 20:03	#6
capt_mahajan (in charge of navel affairs) Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: India Posts: 10,105	besides taking the filled up emigration form, (half of which you have to bring back these days), and the ECNR stamp Nick mentions, most immigration officials dont ask you a single question in India. Have heard of cases where they have asked for a bribe (for what) from mainly uneducated people going out (to the middle east, eg) but this was some years ago, In maybe 80 trips or more out of india, I have never been hassled at all. Raj travels may have mentioned the hotel q as one which the immigration guys in Thailand will ask. That seems more likely.

Jun 16th, 2006, 20:14	#7
greenchutney Account Closed Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: planet earth Posts: 1,578	its a normal question to ask which hotel you are staying by immigration in sri lanka or bangkok. i doubt indian immigration has any stake or interest in that. besides if you are going through raj travels, they are a tour operator, arent they?..arent they arranging for everything [hotels, transfer]?.. the visa-on-arrival at bangkok is approx $30 [Rs 1300]...so make sure you have that or is raj travels taking care of that?..its advisable to have a credit card or travellers cheques for travels..just because its not safe to carry a pile of cash around but if you are going in a package tour..everything should be arranged for you with you paying it up front here at home. you should be check your ECR/ECNR like Nick said..and change it if its ECR..it takes a long beaurocratic day at the passport office to do that..

Jun 16th, 2006, 21:12	#8
Nick-H Loud-mouthed, Noisy Bird Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 26,856	Mrs N has an ECR passport, but it has not affected out trips to UK. The first time we went the emmigration woman asked us all kinds of questions. I think she was just jealous because this handsome foreigner wasn't taking her to UK . The next twice we went there were no questions at all.

Jun 17th, 2006, 00:13	#9
greenchutney Account Closed Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: planet earth Posts: 1,578	nick..you prolly got lucky there with the ECR..but you dont want to leave any subjective evaluations especially in dealings with indian beaurocracy. there are always surprises, there is some 1850's Act that they could cite or the bored agent at the counter randomly might want to pick on you. if you have ECR on passport..make sure you tell the agent that or get it cleared preferably much ahead of the travel.

Jun 17th, 2006, 00:29	#10
Nick-H Loud-mouthed, Noisy Bird Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 26,856	Hmm, yes, I know it can be a problem. There is a list of countries , as part of the stamp, to which it does not apply, which includes UK. Yes, I've experienced Indian Govt officials 'interpreting' W H I T E as "black" ECR is aimed (I'm told) at protecting young, not-so-educated, Indians from running to countries where they get treated very badly as employees --- although plenty of them seem to end up in those countries. I've forgotten the requirements for ECNR, but one of them is any university degree ie the guy is educated so should know what he is letting himself in for. Probably also enough cash in the bank, so not exactly looking for a sweatshop job.

Jun 17th, 2006, 05:18	#11
batistuta Maha Guru Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,729	Hi Everybody, I am relieved now that my emmigration worries have been put to rest.I do have an ecnr stamped on my passport and i called raj travels just to ask abt emmigration rules and i intend to travel by myself and not take any packaged tours. According to visa on arrival for both Lnka and Thailand, no prior hotel booking confirmation is needed ,so i maybe safe there. Thanks a lot to the info imers,you are such a great help. Best Regards, Batistuta.

Jun 17th, 2006, 06:51	#12
batistuta Maha Guru Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,729	[quote=greenchutney]its a normal question to ask which hotel you are staying by immigration in sri lanka or bangkok Hi Greenchutney, Do i need to booking confirmation for hotels or just the name of the hotel is enough?.Its not mentioned for visa on arrivalin the embassy websites.. Pls suggest, and thanks a lot for all the information. Regards, Batistuta.

Jun 17th, 2006, 07:23	#13
greenchutney Account Closed Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: planet earth Posts: 1,578	i have been asked this question many times...its random though. just take a print out with you of a couple of guesthouses/ or some addresses and phone numbers.. and say you are going there...you dont need reservations. regardless of whether they ask you or not..make sure you have something planned out..it helps sometimes..

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Jun 17th, 2006, 08:07	#14
sshekhar Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 131	I came to US when I was 17 and the reason I got ECNR was because I was young. As far as I remember ECNR means that the emigration officer doesn't have to worry about the passport holder evading taxes and taking off. This is what I was told when my passport was being issued. So if you got your passport before you started working or if you were pretty young you usually get a passport that says ECNR.

Jun 17th, 2006, 09:08	#15
edwardseco Maha Guru Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Land that shakes and bakes. Posts: 3,931	Wasn't there some restriction on young women going out? I remember something in Hyderabad with all the instant & temporary marriages out to the middle east..