OBTAIN AN INDIAN VISA
I came across the following article from Outside.com that may make obtaining an India Visa much easier: India Visa on Arrival. If anyone goes this route could you please let me know and I will update my information accordingly. Let the Indian travel headaches begin. Because this is an Indian Visa everything I've noted below could change without notice...you'll understand once you start traveling in India. Travisa handles India Visa processing in the US: https://indiavisa.travisaoutsourcing.com/homepage
An Indian Visa costs about $160.
1a. VISIT THE TRAVISA OFFICE WITH COMPLETED PAPERWORK OR
If you live in New York, Chicago, Houston, San Francisco or Washington, DC you can schedule an appointment at the Travisa office in these cities. If not you’ll need to mail your passport and forms to their offices. It’s worth calling Travisa to confirm the process - the call will be a disaster - if you think US companies’ India call centers are bad, wait until you get on the line with a representative of an Indian company’s India call center.
1b. UTILIZE THIRD PARTY AGENCY TO HANDLE VISA PROCESS (ADDITIONAL COST $100 PLUS PRIORITY MAIL)
Travisa wasn’t able to answer several questions plus you would need to obtain a Post Office Mail Order to make payment instead of cash, check, or credit card so I went through a third party agency. I used CIBT which is a major agency catering to the Fortune 500 to assist with Business Visas. CIBT is equally difficult to reach and discuss the process with a representative - fortunately they have an office in most major US cities and you can drop in to discuss and ensure paperwork is correct before submitting your visa application.
2. COMPLETE AND SUBMIT PAPERWORK (MAY NEED TO OBTAIN A NEW DRIVERS LICENSE)
The visa application requires your original passport, passport size photos, a visa application form, and evidence that you live where you say you live - which requires you to have a driver’s license with the address of your current residence. Cable, renter’s insurance, and electricity statement with your name and address do not qualify…even the DMV paperwork that shows you’ve registered your vehicle at the current address doesn’t qualify. If the driver’s license address is current you’ll need to obtain a new drivers license…crazy. I thought it was just me jumping through these hoops but I’ve talked to other travelers to India who faced the same issue.
YOU MAY ALSO NEED TO HAVE BOOKED YOUR TICKETS AND INCLUDE THE ITINERARY WITH THE VISA APPLICATION.
3. YOU MAY NEED TO SIGN AN ADDITIONAL FORM INDICATING YOU WILL NOT BE SELLING YOUR PHOTOS AND VIDEOS FOR A PROFIT
About a week after submitting my visa application I had to sign another form indicating I was not a professional photographer who would be selling photos and videos after returning from the trip. I’m fairly certain I had to sign this form because I listed NBCUniversal as my employer.
4. WAIT 10 DAYS
Visa turnaround time is quick once Travisa receives the application. I paid for expedited CIBT agency service so the passport would be mailed back via USPS Priority Mail. As of March 2014 Travisa does not have expedited visa processing services.
OBTAINING AN INDIAN VISA OUTSIDE THE US
This can be a pain as well - it’s typically more expensive and the 5 or 10 year multiple entry visa may not be an option. So if you are like me and want to visit the country several times instead of in a single shot you’ll need to get the visa in the US.
It seems that most people who are traveling try to obtain the visa in Kathmandu. I looked into obtaining the visa in Singapore and a requirement was that I be a permanent resident. Much easier to apply in US before leaving rather than try to figure out the India visa on the road. It will vary by country.
An Indian Visa costs about $160.
1a. VISIT THE TRAVISA OFFICE WITH COMPLETED PAPERWORK OR
If you live in New York, Chicago, Houston, San Francisco or Washington, DC you can schedule an appointment at the Travisa office in these cities. If not you’ll need to mail your passport and forms to their offices. It’s worth calling Travisa to confirm the process - the call will be a disaster - if you think US companies’ India call centers are bad, wait until you get on the line with a representative of an Indian company’s India call center.
1b. UTILIZE THIRD PARTY AGENCY TO HANDLE VISA PROCESS (ADDITIONAL COST $100 PLUS PRIORITY MAIL)
Travisa wasn’t able to answer several questions plus you would need to obtain a Post Office Mail Order to make payment instead of cash, check, or credit card so I went through a third party agency. I used CIBT which is a major agency catering to the Fortune 500 to assist with Business Visas. CIBT is equally difficult to reach and discuss the process with a representative - fortunately they have an office in most major US cities and you can drop in to discuss and ensure paperwork is correct before submitting your visa application.
2. COMPLETE AND SUBMIT PAPERWORK (MAY NEED TO OBTAIN A NEW DRIVERS LICENSE)
The visa application requires your original passport, passport size photos, a visa application form, and evidence that you live where you say you live - which requires you to have a driver’s license with the address of your current residence. Cable, renter’s insurance, and electricity statement with your name and address do not qualify…even the DMV paperwork that shows you’ve registered your vehicle at the current address doesn’t qualify. If the driver’s license address is current you’ll need to obtain a new drivers license…crazy. I thought it was just me jumping through these hoops but I’ve talked to other travelers to India who faced the same issue.
YOU MAY ALSO NEED TO HAVE BOOKED YOUR TICKETS AND INCLUDE THE ITINERARY WITH THE VISA APPLICATION.
3. YOU MAY NEED TO SIGN AN ADDITIONAL FORM INDICATING YOU WILL NOT BE SELLING YOUR PHOTOS AND VIDEOS FOR A PROFIT
About a week after submitting my visa application I had to sign another form indicating I was not a professional photographer who would be selling photos and videos after returning from the trip. I’m fairly certain I had to sign this form because I listed NBCUniversal as my employer.
4. WAIT 10 DAYS
Visa turnaround time is quick once Travisa receives the application. I paid for expedited CIBT agency service so the passport would be mailed back via USPS Priority Mail. As of March 2014 Travisa does not have expedited visa processing services.
OBTAINING AN INDIAN VISA OUTSIDE THE US
This can be a pain as well - it’s typically more expensive and the 5 or 10 year multiple entry visa may not be an option. So if you are like me and want to visit the country several times instead of in a single shot you’ll need to get the visa in the US.
It seems that most people who are traveling try to obtain the visa in Kathmandu. I looked into obtaining the visa in Singapore and a requirement was that I be a permanent resident. Much easier to apply in US before leaving rather than try to figure out the India visa on the road. It will vary by country.