A very dear friend has a daughter who will be getting married in Delhi in July and she’s asked me to go with her. Neither of us are experienced travelers and I’m trying to decide if I can possibly afford to go. But all that aside, I think I need to hurry and get a Visa. I’m asking for help because the website seems confusing. Should I get a 10 year or 30 day Visa? It seems I have to wait until 34 days before leaving to get a 30 day Visa, and that seems to cut it close…but the 10 day Visa process is handled by an outside company and takes much longer?
If anyplace will have someone who can advise me, it’s CC, and I would be much appreciative of any guidance. Thank you!
Don’t wait for that visa, get it as soon as possible – Indian bureaucracy is unpredictable and less than reliable. You don’t want a delay with the visa ruin your trip. And you won’t get on a plane to Delhi without it.
Thank you! The online option seems easier to deal with. I will try to get a Visa as soon as I can, while I look for travel deals. I honestly can’t afford it, but I hate to let my friend down…
I got a visa last year to India. India constantly changes the company that they subcontract visa processing to because the consumer complaints are so bad. It took 6 weeks and I’m in a city where I could process in person. In the last year they’ve cycled from Travisa to one other company to Coc and Kings. All those increase the likelihood of lost passports exponentially, and I read online about many such instances.
It was one of the more difficult visa experiences I’ve had, and I would absolutely NOT sail merrily along thinking I could wait til 4 days before. Have any of you who are proposing this option ever done it? Indian bureaucracy is terrible. It’s part of what Modi is trying to do to relieve it and make it easier for people to visit and companies to do business.
DD and friends were living abroad and wanted to include India on their home trip. They could not get visa information from where they were…never mind the visas themselves. They ditched the idea.
They were also floating the idea of a visa on arrival - but stay was limited to 10 days. You might want to look into that. I agree with @Pizzagirl - the bureaucracy is just crazy. The earlier you get started on this, the better.
July is also a peak time for travel to India. Expect tickets from anywhere in the US to Delhi to cost over 1000$, easily. You can get great fares (800-900$) if you travel off-peak times, but not in summer or around Xmas. We are looking for tickets in Dec and the fares right now are about 1400$.
I was in Mumbai last year, and then Mumbai and Uttar Pradesh in late March / early April. I got sicker than a dog from the sanitation or lack thereof, and I have a pretty robust constitution and immune system and know enough not to drink the water or eat street food. Trust me, take Imodium and maybe even get an antibiotic to have on hand. Honestly, I doubt I’ll ever go back to India. The last time I was that ill was having the flu (the real flu) about 10 years ago.
So it turns out that getting the Visa is the easiest part of the trip? I applied online at the tvoa site given above, uploaded a photo and a pdf of my paasport and got an e-visa back within 12 hours. Sounds too good to be true - should I be suspicious?
The email came from " noreply-vss@nic.in"
Bummer, Pizzagirl. India can be a tough place. I love it, but I understand why some/many people find it overwhelming. And if you get that sick, well, no wonder you don’t want to go back.
@scoutsmom, definitely prepare your stomach before you go. Head to Whole Foods and get some over-the-counter acidophilus pills. Take them as directed - they will build the flora in your system. Continue taking them in India.
DH travels a great deal internationally to some pretty wild places. He used to get sick all. the. time. But once he started the acidophilus regime before departure, he hasn’t been sick once. Not in India. Not in Mongolia. Not in Cambodia, Mexico or Timbuktu. (OK, he hasn’t been to Timbuktu. Poetic license.)
I’ve been to India a couple of times and haven’t gotten sick – but then, I also take acidophilus pills before going to the 3rd world.
But I did get the the world’s worst case of pink eye. (Too much playing with kids at an orphanage.) Scoutsmom, bring hand sanitizer when you go.
Coincidentally, my daughter is going to India in November for a friend’s wedding (as well as will perform at it). It is expensive to fly there. I didn’t know a visa is required. I wonder if she knows. After reading this thread, I’ll check with her. She likely knows as she booked the flights.
Just curious if you need any special credentials to perform a legally binding wedding ceremony in India. Have not heard of flying to another country to perform a wedding ceremony, but it’s a charming idea as long as the law permits it.
She is not performing the wedding itself! She is singing and so on, as a performer (and friend). My daughter is a professional performer. The friend who is getting married is now a doctor but used to be in my daughter’s college a cappella group and is a wonderful singer herself. Several friends are going to India as guests at the wedding and will all perform in some capacity as well.
