My stay in Kathmandu for Visa 25.12.06 - 3.12.06

stevebenaulim

Just read another reply you gave someone on visas to Sri Lanka.
Its either a bad hangover, PMT, or got out of bed the wrong side.
Lighten up, your not always so up tight.
Maybe your invested in the stockmarkets???.
Ive spoken to good reliable friends who have got these visas.
If you insist master, i will get them photocopied and send them to you??.

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Savages, the bloody lot of them

Shivani Skydancer

An English friend just got back this week from Kathmandu to Mcleodganj and he got a 6 month visa without hassles!! (It didn't matter that he already had a just about to expire visa that he got in the UK).

I'm about to go and hope all goes equally well for me!! It'll certainly be an adventure - 2 days travel just to get to the Nepalese border!!

davyd

Kathmandu visa update

to knowledge of all who want to get new tourist visa in Nepal if they already aplied there - it seems that redundant and ridiculous rule not allowing repeated application for Indian tourist visa in Kathmandu is in force again. (Last year I met there one German girl who applied successfully for second consecutive 6 month tourist visa).

Even it's not possible to go through Thamel travel agents for hefty fee as these three notorious guys in Indian consulate gone crazy or just afraid of uncovering their small corruption (as though nobody in Delhi does not know their filthy business).
They still issue visas for first timers, duration (3 or 6 months) depends on particular country.

Indian newspapers publish articles that India is recieving very few tourists now, but for Indian bureaucracy it seems nothing changes. Such a pity for India.

Haylo

Thanks for the information.

I'd argue the characterisation of it as a "redundant and ridiculous rule" though. The tourist visa is exactly that. A visa issued for the purposes of tourism. After spending at least six months in India, AND going straight back for at least three months, anyone applying for yet another back to back tourist visa is almost certainly NOT a tourist. People trying to live in India on a tourist visa will find this clamp down disappointing, but the Indian government is only closing a previously exploited loophole, not making new rules.

Sorry, but I genuinely cannot make out the meaning of this sentence. Are you saying that the Thamel travel agent can no longer bribe the Indian consulate staff? Or that the Indian consulate staff now accept bribes only directly? Or that the Indian consulate staff no longer accept bribes?

Whichever, it appears that you are making a serious accusation here!

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Malx

I wonder if anyone would have any idea on the following...

I have been working in India the last 18 months (with a proper employment visa) but am now leaving my job and hope to go travelling around the country for 5 months and will need to get a tourist visa from either Kathmandu or Sri Lanka. Do people think there will be a problem with that the same way there is for people renewing tourist visas?

davyd

They (3 Indian officials with names like Mr Wangchuk and Mr Sharma, you can find their names on website) give away mostly 3 months single entry Indian tourist visas. It's hardly can be said that 3 months is living in India, it's barely enough to attend some cooking or yoga course. However those who agreed to get such short visa should know that applying for any kind of visa in Kathmandu again is impossible.

Almost all travel agents in Thamel or anywhere else have direct mobile phones of these 3 Indian officials and may relieve travellers of waking up early and standing in queue. The fee (it's from 200 US dollars to 250 Euro, very openly advertised in their offices) is apparently divided between these officials and travel agents. I had impression that travel agents as usual take only small commission (maybe 10%), how these officials legalize the rest is anybody's guess.

Haylo

I was under the impression that three month visas were given to people who were reapplying for a further visa, straight after their previous one expired, which would have meant at least nine months. If three months is the length of visa given for the first application it's not generous.

It sounds like blatant corruption is being openly advertised, BUT I'm sure they'd argue that the travel agents are simply advertising that they will "stand in line" for tourists, which would not be illegal.

It is of course possible that, as you say, more than that is going on. The fee certainly seems high for such a mundane service as standing in line, but tourists being ripped off is not evidence per se of corruption. I'd be wary of making such a libelous statement without solid evidence to back it up.

jackstrawdc

Wow, this is incredibly confusing. I'm part of a large expat community here in Bangalore, although we don't talk much about visas it seems. Everyone (i mean EVERYONE) talks about the "Nepal run" or "Bangkok run" to go and get your new visa. It's an annoying part of living here. If this is illegal, you might want to tell the Prime Minister and others who are practically begging foreigners and NRIs to move to India and spend money.

But, back to the point of the thread: Is there any clarity here? Can we still fly to Nepal, get in various lines, and then walk away with a 3 or 6 month visa as a pro forma exercise?

dzibead

It's not as easy as it used to be. However, if you already have a longer term multiple-entry visa (e.g., one year, or ten years) and don't actually have to get a new visa in order to return to India, it's no problem to go to Nepal or any other place and simply return to India on the existing visa. If, on the other hand, you actually need to get a new visa in order to enter India, here's what the website for the Indian High Commission in Kathmandu (http://www.south-asia.com/Embassy-india/consular.htm) now says (and it's pretty clear that these stricter rules were developed in response to people applying for back-to-back tourist visas on quick "visa runs", which the Indian Govt is trying to discourage):

"General Information for Visa Seekers

# Applicants are advised to obtain Indian visas from the Indian Missions located in the country where they normally reside. The Embassy of India in Kathmandu will normally entertain visa applications only from foreign nationals residing in Nepal. However, transit/tourist visa applications from foreigners visiting Nepal for short periods will be entertained.

# Applicants are required to be present at Embassy of India, Kathmandu for interview before grant of visa.

# Transit Visas are not extendable in India and are operative from the date of issue. Such visas are meant only for bona-fide transit and not for general purposes like tourism.

# Tourist Visas which are now valid for 6 months are issued only to those foreigners who have no residence or occupation in India and whose sole objective in visiting India is recreation, sight-seeing or casual visits to friends and relatives. Tourist visas count from the date of issue and cannot be extended or converted into any other category in India.

# Repeated applications for tourist visas will not be entertained .

# All visas other than transit visas are issued only after telex clearance is received from the Indian Mission in the country to which the applicant belongs. This process takes around 1 week after telexes are sent. Applicants should therefore be prepared to wait for one week after telex clearance is sought before visas are issued to them . Telex clearance charges are Nrs. 300/-.

# References made to the authorities in India take at least 8 weeks for examination and clearance. Applicants are advised not to make repeated enquiries from this Mission during this period.

# The Embassy of India in Kathmandu is the sole authority for dealing with all matters concerning issue of India visas to foreign nationals in Nepal. Applicants are advised not to contact any other agencies/individuals for this purpose. Visa application forms are available, on request, at the Embassy.
Applicants are required to furnish two passport size photographs while filling up the application form."

__________________
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palerider

This seems pretty clear, yes?.
I get the impression that some people have the wrong end of the stick when it comes to visas.
Like it says, a tourist visa is for a tourist, to flit around the country, gregariously giving money to all and sundry, and generally getting into the spirit of India.

It isn't for the purposes of saintly unselfish volunteer work, or finding a partner you can't bare to be torn from or getting a dodgy job in a bar somewhere.
It just seems we've been questioned quite a few times on this site about how to best slip through the net and get granted a lomger visa than anyone else.

If you're not doing the touristy thing, and you have been volunteering, or screwing people on a permanent or semi permanent basis, or you have a job in a bar or a shop or a film, then you're violating the terms of the tourist visa.

Which bit don't you understand?.
In any country I've been to, if you violate the visa, you get chucked out. Or jailed, or punished. The same goes for India.
Why should it be different.
If you get caught working in the U.S. for instance, they're not exactly happy to have you there.
In Australia, there are periodic amnesties for visa abusers who wish to become citizens, but they are few are far between.
If people have a ten year visa, and can't get an extension straight away, what's wrong with that?.
There are twenty seven other countries , very close by, that can be explored.
India isn't the only place on earth with a vibrant tourist industry.

I 'spose i just don't see the obsession with having to stay longer than six months at a time.
Cambodia, Vietnam, laos, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Thailand, Indonesia, new Guinea. All of them are infinitely interesting.

Even Australia has some nice things to see.

You can stay at my place if you ccome to Oz. I'll give you some volunteer work to keep you happy.

Thousands of sheep to crutch, and not a visa official in sight.

Snip Snip

__________________
I always wanted to be someone when I grew up, I realise now that I should have been more specific.

davyd

my advice to all who seek to get new 6 month visa is to go to Bangkok or Colombo (as some people advised) instead of Kathmandu. at least in Bangkok VFS has no problem issuing back to back 6 month multiple entry visas. of course i presume they check passports on list of persons blacklisted by Indian embassies but overall it's much more pleasant experience than rude guys in Indian consulate in KTM.

ryler78

Due to prior travel commitments before coming to India, it looks like my 6mnt visa will actually be more like 5mnts as the start date is when you receive it, not when you arrive.

I had planned to arrive in Delhi and then move onto Nepal for trekking while the weather is good. I am now considering leaving it till the end of my trip so I can go there, do my trekking and pick up another 6mnt visa. Argh, the pain of having an Australian passport.

dzibead

We've been hearing reports that people who apply for tourist visas in Kathmandu have been getting only 3 month visas, even if they had longer visas before. So better have a Plan B in place just in case you don't get as much time as you hope to.

ryler78

It's unfortunate. I was looking forward to an extended amount of time in India and it seems to be getting shorter and shorter.

Anyway, I will deal with it when I get there. I will also be hitting up Colombo which sounds like the place to go for the visa instead of Kathmandu .

Leo Usherwood

Helloo,
I'm traveling in Nepal at the moment and was planning on heading down into India but have decided to stay in Nepal instead. Due to the change of plan my flight home is booked from to leave from Delhi on the 5th of June and can't be transferred to Nepal.
I'm planning on flying into Delhi from Kathmandu and spending 3 days in the city before my flight home.
I'm relitively sure I can do this on an Indian Transit Visa but please let me know if I'm wrong. Any info on where i can get the Indian Transit Visa in Nepal, how much it'll cost and how long it'll take to come through would be veery welcome.
Thank you





Moderator note: I've moved your post here Leo - where it seems more at home.