Visa free travel / Visa on Arrival for Indians

Dilliwala

1. You say control, I say protection...

2. This is true in a lot of countries. As an Indian pp-holder my pp was stamped on exit from, wait for it.......both Germany and Switzerland, last year.
Re Chennai, it is a known fact that the bureaucrats there are more thorough, therefore more Indian than the rest . It's more relaxed up here (departure checks).

3. Apply for clearance at the nearest POE office well before day of departure. As I mentioned, among other things like job-contract, etc, employers' credentials are also checked.

Nick-H

You say motive; I say method!

But do they stamp the passports of their own citizens? Mind you, you picked a couple of the European countries that are known for their thoroughness. I recall travelling to Paris one day, on the train... London end, everything checked, everything searched; Paris end, Yeah, passports, we've seen enough of those today, just get on the train!

Hmmm... Pity, that!

Thanks! Over.... ummm, a certain age, is one of the exemption points, so if Mrs N ever does decide to become a house maid in Saudi, her passport now says "ECNR"

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kiramakora

I am not going to get into this conversation of arguing semantics. However, ECNR provisions are currently implemented to protect Indian citizens from exploitation abroad. A citizen with an ECNR on their passport should not be interrogated at point of exit in India.

However, Nick as you point out ... you are logistically accurate, that there is certain level of uncertainty ...

... however, this is no different than having a legitimate visa and being grilled at LHR or being denied entry because the officer deemed the trip to be on her hands .

Indojingai

In first look the list in th OP looks to be right.

But Kiramakora's (creepy crawly ) list 'looks' better.

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kiramakora

Shit. I didnt even check the OP list - its a WIKI! I should totally contribute. My "mehenat" (hard work) is to waste! Actually, I update my internal list pretty often as I am on a quest to 100 countries by 30 (1 yr left) .

BTW< why is my list creepy and crawly ?

Indojingai

He he .. this tells me you're not a Hindi speaking guy.
Kiramakora = pest, in Hindi.

Dilliwala

I don't think there's anything sinister in that. Checks have to be done, stamp or no stamp, the stamping part is a mere formality. Over the last 25 years the GOI has had enough problems dealing with pp fraud by many, including terrorists. If they can't catch someone on the way in, better to catch him on the way out, rather than not at all.
And u may not have seen this yourself, in some cases GOI is actually helping out other govts like the US. E.g. if an airline detects a fake pp or visa at check-in they are required to deny boarding to such a person. Let's say they don't - then immigration does apprehend such cases at times, at least in Delhi they have reading machines. So, in such a case, I don't think the concerned foreign govt will be complaining about GOI's exit procedures!

kiramakora

Aah ... I did not get the connection, and yes I know what my handle stands for ... tho, Hindi is not my mother-tongue ... "Bangali" is .

Nick-H

I don't think so either, and I'm not complaining about monitoring people leaving the country. The fact that the UK has largely not done this over the years has probably lost them a criminal or two.

But I have never been stamped in or out of my own country, and I was surprised to learn, earlier in the thread, that it does happen.

I would have said, however, that UK has no power (other than the arrest of a wanted criminal) to prevent a person leaving the country --- in this day and age where, however real the threat may be, civil liberties are being removed fast, and I'm sure they'd find a reason if they wanted to.

In fact my Indian wife was quite surprised that my country really couldn't care less whether I stay or go, or where I go!

On the basis of recent news items, it might have made for better reading if you had said, passport fraud by many, including politicians! I'm astonished that people have the gall to attempt travel on someone else's passport --- but apparently the problem is not just here in India.

There are always anomalies in such things too. A citizen of the EU does not need a passport to travel within the EU. But how does a British citizen most easily prove that he is an EU Citizen? With a passport, of course!

I think I first acquired a passport for travel within the United Kingdom! Travel to the Channel Islands (Jersey, Guernsey, etc), for a Brit, does not require a passport (or didn't last time I flew; maybe domestic flights these days requre more than they did then).

Then I took up sailing. When a plane or a commercial ferry arrives in the Channel Islands, the authorities can be fairly sure where it started. When a yacht arrives ---- it could be from anywhere in the world, and it becomes necessary to prove one's citizenship on entry, and they do come and check before anyone is allowed to go ashore.

kiramakora

I really do not understand what you are trying to say here. Anyways, do citizens of ANY nationality get stamped while exiting U.K.? I have an Indian passport and just left MAN for a flight to ORD, and I did not have to pass through ANY passport control. So your country not stamping your own passport is an irrelevant point as NO passports are stamped. Sort of the same exit procedure in U.S.A. (unless you travel from the 10 pilot "check out" airports). Your argument of exiting EU zone does not apply as Schengen and larger EU has a one-border policy.

Nick-H

It began with my pointing out that India controls exit as well as entry, and moved on to a conversation based on terms, understandings and, errr... stuff. I wasn't arguing anything about EU.

Hey... You had to be there!

kiramakora

Cool. No worries. I was just very confused - which could be attributable to having waited in this pain-stakingly long line at BOG.

PortieOwner

I wish the Indian passport made it easier to visit EU countries. If we get stuck in Paris due to missed connections it would be nice to be able to leave the lousy airport and see a little bit of Paris but that can't be done if travelling on an Indian passport.

Nick-H

kiramakora...

...

IndiaMike...

We are like this only

Dilliwala

I'm stating the obvious here:
The Indian govt REALLY doesn't care (altho they shud) about pp fraud being done in the name of earning a quick buck (as the pols were doing), their main concern is when it's being done to seriously hurt the country (in/exfiltration of terrorists or their aides, financiers, etc)
Of course u'll argue that ALL pp fraud seriously hurts this country.