Visa for India 2018

[auntiedodo]

Does anyone know for sure what kind of visa we need to sail from Singapore to India next year? One site tells me "e-visa" and another tells me "tourist visa"...I don't want to make a mistake.

[tomatosauce]

As of 12 months ago the e-visa was only available for those entering India via a specified airport and is not valid for sea ports.

[Gwendy]

Please check official Indian gift website. While people here are well meaning, the rules change frequently and you need to get it right. Be aware that you may need a multiple entry visa depending on how many ports will be visited,

[auntiedodo]

The Indian e-Visa (eTV) is valid for entry through 16 24 designated Airports and 3 designated seaports: NEW!!! SEAPORTS!!!!

• Ahmedabad
  
• Amritsar
  
• Bagdogra
  
• Bengaluru
  
• Calicut
  
• Chennai
  
• Chandigarh
  
• Cochin
  
• Coimbatore
  

• Delhi
  
• Gaya
  
• Goa
  
• Guwahati
  
• Hyderabad
  
• Jaipur
  
• Kolkata
  
• Lucknow
  
• Mangalore
  

• Mumbai
  
• Nagpur
  
• Pune
  
• Tiruchirapalli
  
• Trivandrum
  
• Varanasi
  
• Cochin Seaport
  
• Goa Seaport
  
• Mangalore Seaport
  

[stouennais]

The Indian e-Visa (eTV) is valid for entry through 16 24 designated Airports and 3 designated seaports: NEW!!! SEAPORTS!!!!

 

• Ahmedabad
  
• Amritsar
  
• Bagdogra
  
• Bengaluru
  
• Calicut
  
• Chennai
  
• Chandigarh
  
• Cochin
  
• Coimbatore
  

• Delhi
  
• Gaya
  
• Goa
  
• Guwahati
  
• Hyderabad
  
• Jaipur
  
• Kolkata
  
• Lucknow
  
• Mangalore
  

• Mumbai
  
• Nagpur
  
• Pune
  
• Tiruchirapalli
  
• Trivandrum
  
• Varanasi
  
• Cochin Seaport
  
• Goa Seaport
  
• Mangalore Seaport
  

We are on a Celebrity cruise next March that docks in New Mangalore, Goa and Mumbai. I emailed the e-visa official website for India and they informed me that it would not be possible to disembark in New Mangalore or Mumbai with an e-visa. You need to apply for a full visa which is disappointing.

 

 

I take it that New Mangalore is different from just Mangalore.

 

 

Obviously it is more complicated getting the tourist visa but we will have to do it.

[cganesh]

Check with a company that specializes in Indian visas and confirm with RCI that you need a visa. When we did the initial Dubai to Singapore visas weren't required for any of the ports (Goa, Cochin, Penang, Kuala Lampur, Singapore). The immigration agents actually boarded the ship to stamp passports for our visits. We did travel to India for a three week stay about 4 yrs ago and went thru a visa expeditor to get our visas since e-visas weren't available at that time. I imagine a lot will depend upon how much time you'll be staying over after your cruise if it's ending in India.

 

Cherie

[FLACRUISER99]

Official e visa information https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html and https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/index.html

[icsys]

From the official India Visa website https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html

 

- Applicants of the eligible countries/territories may apply online minimum 4 days in advance of the date of arrival with a window of 120 days.

- Biometric details of the applicant will be mandatorily captured at Immigration on arrival in India.

- The validity of e-Visa will be 60 days from the date of arrival in India. Double entry is permitted on e-Tourist Visa

- e-Visa is valid for entry through 24 designated Airports and 3 designated seaports (Cochin, Goa, Mangalore).

 

If you are travelling to any sea ports other than the three listed or visiting more than two ports then the eVisa is not acceptable.

 

For any assistance you can send email to indiatvoa@gov.in

[joandian]

Just be aware there have been delays for those using evisas since they have to have biometrics done once they arrive in port. Tour operators are advising to get regular visas as they won't hold tours waiting for those with evisas.

[icsys]

Does anyone know for sure what kind of visa we need to sail from Singapore to India next year? One site tells me "e-visa" and another tells me "tourist visa"...I don't want to make a mistake.

I'm guessing you are sailing on Mariner, 9th April, Singapore to Dubai. We are on the same sailing.

An e-visa is perfectly acceptable for this itinerary as there are two stops - Cochin and Goa.

 

RCI recommend using VisaCentral as their preferred visa partner and VisaCentral state the following:

India: Please note that Royal Caribbean will accept either the India e-visa OR the India tourist visa.

Further, if you select Mariner Of The Seas to start a visa application it only offers an e-visa.

 

Just be aware there have been delays for those using evisas since they have to have biometrics done once they arrive in port. Tour operators are advising to get regular visas as they won't hold tours waiting for those with evisas.

Even more good news:

31.12.17 The Indian Government have relaxed the procedures for cruise passengers arriving with an e-visa.

Cruise tourists arriving with e-visa are now exempted from the requirement of biometric enrolment for a period of three years i.e. till 31.12.2020.

This will make immigration clearance of such passengers faster, leaving them with more time to spend on shore.

 

Sources:

VisaCentral

Press Information Bureau Government of India