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| Passport
& Visa |
You
must have a passport with you all the time. It's
the most basic travel document. Also ensure that
your passport will be valid for the entire period
you intend to remain overseas, if your passport
is lost or stolen, immediately contact your country's
embassy or consulate in Delhi and also to nearest
police station.
Apply for Passport
The best time to apply for a passport or to renew
is during the fall and winter. Before any trip,
be sure to check your passport's expiration date
and, if necessary, renew it as soon as possible.
You can apply for passport:
» Passports Australia Citizens
» Passport Canadian Passport
» Passport New Zealand
Passport
» Passport
United Kingdom Passport
» U.S. State Department Passport Services
Visa
You need a visa to visit India. But if you are
coming from Nepal you only need Identification,
and visa is issued at the airport only. Note that
with a three month visa, your entry to India must
be within 30 day's from the date of issue of the
visa. Also, the six month visa is valid from the
date of issue of the visa, not the date you enter
India five month after the visa was issued, it
will be valid only for one month not the full
six month. If you enter India the day after it
was issued, you can stay for the full six month.
General Regulations for applying for
Visa
Passport valid for a minimum of six months beyond
the date of intended departure from India should
accompany visa applications.
Paste one photo and staple the other one on the
form at specified place.
Foreigners holding other nationalities (other
than the country where applying for visa), should
submit proof of long-term (at least three years)/
permanent residence in the country (where applying).
For citizen of other countries, reference has
to be made to their country of residence for which
an additional fee is applicable and will involve
extra processing time. Please refrain from
making inquiries about the status of application
during this time.
Type of Visas
Tourist Visa
Is given for 6 months normally, rest specifically
depends on the country of residence. The applicant
is required to produce/submit documents in proof
of his financial standing. Tourist travelling
in groups of not less than four members under
the auspices of a recognised travel agency may
be considered for grant of collective tourist
visa.
Business Visa
Valid for one or more year with multiple entries.
A letter from sponsoring organization indicating
nature of business, probable duration of stay,
places and organizations to be visited incorporating
there in a guarantee to meet maintenance expenses,
etc. should accompany the application.
Student Visa
Are issued for the duration of the academic course
of study or for a period of five years whichever
is less, on the basis of firm letters of admission
from Universities/recognized colleges or educational
institutions in India. Change of purpose and institutions
are not permissible.
Transit Visa
Are issued for a maximum period of 15-days with
single/double entry facilities to Bonaire transit
passengers only.
Visa to Missionaries
Are valid for single entry and duration as permitted
by Government of India. A letter in triplicate
from sponsoring organization indicating intended
destination in India, probable length of stay,
and nature of duties to be discharged should be
submitted along with guarantee for applicant's
maintenance while in India.
Journalist Visa
Are issued to professional journalists and photographers
for visiting India. The applicants are required
to contact on arrival in New Delhi, the External
Publicity Division of the Ministry of External
Affairs and in other places, the Office of the
Government of India's Press Information Bureaus.
Conference Visa
Are issued for attending conferences/seminars/meetings
in India. A letter of invitation from the organizer
of the conference is to be submitted along with
the visa application. Delegates coming
to attend conferences may combine tourism with
attending conferences
Employment Visa
Are issued to skilled and qualified professionals
or persons who are engaged or appointed by companies,
organizations, economic undertakings as technicians,
technical experts, senior executives etc. Applicants
are required to submit proof of contract/employment/engagement
of foreign nationals by the company or organization.
General Visa Information
Duration
Depends on the type of visa applied.
Fees
The fee structure depends on the nationality of
the passport holder and type/duration of visa
applied.
The existing fee structure is:
| Transit
Visa |
5
$ |
| Visas
with validity up to six months |
30
$ |
| Visas
with validity up to one year |
50
$ |
| Student
Visa |
50
$ |
| Visas
with validity between one to five years
|
100
$ |
Visa fees indicated in US$ are payable in local
currencies as well. Visa fees are not refundable
except in cases where a visa already issued is
cancelled thereafter.
These are
indicative price, please confirm with the Local
Indian Embassy
Visa Extension
Delhi- MHA- Director (F), Lok Nayak Bhawan, Ist
floor, Khan market, New Delhi-110003.
Tax Clearance Certificates
If you stay in India for more than 120 days you
need a 'tax clearance certificate' to leave the
country. This supposedly proves that your time
in India was financed with your own money , not
by working in India or by selling thing or playing
black market.
Basically all you have to do is find the Foreign
Section of the Income Tax Department Jaipur and
turn up with your passport, visa extension form,
any other similar paperwork and a handful of bank
exchange receipts (to show you really have been
changing foreign currency into rupees officially).
You fill in a form and wait for anything from
10 minutes to a couple of hours, you are then
given your tax clearance certificate. We have
not heard from anyone who has actually been asked
for this document on departure, but I recommend
you to obtain one to be on safer side.
Photocopies
Keep photocopies of your important travel documents,
which obviously should be kept separate from the
originals in the event that these are lost or
stolen.
Take a photocopy of the first page of your passport
(with personal detail and photograph), as well
as a copy of the page with your Indian Visa, a
photocopy of your travel insurance policy, and
keep a record of the traveller's cheques you have
exchanged, where they were encashed, the amount
and serial number. Encashment receipts should
also be kept separate from your airlines tickets
and your credit card, It's not a bad idea to leave
photocopies of your important travel documents
with a friend or relative at home.
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