Visas

[birch tree]

What site is the best to go on for a India visa

[woozlebear]

Visa genie, excellent service

 

Sent from my SM-T813 using Forums mobile app

[JoePDX]

If you are willing to do a little of your own legwork - which you might even have to still do going through an agency, go directly to the official site for Indian Visas. Cox & Kings. Their website (at least in 2017) is a little hard to follow, but as long as you have all your details ready and follow their instructions, including following the checklist, you should have your 10 year visa in approx. 2 weeks from when you overnight your packet. Their website has a tracking feature so you will know what step it is along the way. I spent probably a couple hours doing mine, then when I did my husband's it was less than an hour, since I knew what to expect.

 

https://www.in.ckgs.us/

 

Joe

[JoePDX]

Here is a cut/paste from a post I did to our roll call for our 2017 cruise that started in Mumbai. Note: check into the eVisa and whether it applies now - as rules have changed.

 

Good luck!

Joe

 

 

I spent most of today doing the applications for our Indian Visas. Such a fun time! :eek: Actually it was a fine day to do this, as we got an unexpected 13 inches of snow overnight, so homebound we were....

 

Here is the starting point. India has outsourced acceptance of applications for all of their US based embassies to Cox & Kings Global Services.

 

www.in.ckgs.us

 

Their website, along with that of the Indian Government, where you get directed midway through the CKGS process to fill out your actual application, is not very user friendly.

 

NOTE: The Indian eTOURIST visa is NOT VALID for cruise travel.

 

Here are a few tips:

 

1. Have all your details - passport, addresses, US based emergency contact addresses, etc. ready. Once you start the process on the CKGS site, you have 90 minutes to complete it (including the Indian portion) or risk having to start over.

 

2. You need an electronic "passport style" photo that you will upload as part of the Indian govt. application. Take it in advance. It can't be the same photo as is in your Passport (??). I was able to take ours with our digital camera against the kitchen wall (needs to be white or light background). You also need to print out two copies of this photo that are 2"x2". I used this free service to format the pictures: https://makepassportphoto.com/services.php

One of the photos is pasted to the Indian Visa Application Form, one is sent along with all your other paperwork to CKGS. (We wound up getting our done at Walgreens - they provide both a printed photo and an electronic one.)

 

3. All went pretty well until I got to the part where I needed to enter the information for the UPS or FedEx shipping. Try as I might it wouldn't take our address as being valid. I had to call CKGS to have them fix both of our applications at this same point. The second rep told me the problem was I was using IE. :confused:

 

4. Once you get to the final step, you need to print a whole bunch of documents from the CKGS site, including the Document Checklist, your payment receipt, the shipping label and a bar code that is taped to the outside of the envelope.

 

5. If you need to suspend the process at some point before you enter your credit card details, make sure you have written down your Tracking Number: This is assigned after you complete the Indian Visa Application. It will start USA...... If you then need to go back in to complete the application, you will not go to the logical "MY ACCOUNT" button, but instead, click on the VISA button, then choose the THIRD option "Already Filled In Government OnLine Visa Form" You will need your tracking number and passport number to get back in.....

 

Both times that I had to call CKGS the wait time was around 15 minutes. So patience is necessary. :rolleyes:

 

I will be sending all the documents out tomorrow, so fingers crossed it all goes swimmingly.

 

Good luck everyone! If you have questions, I'm happy to try and help.

 

Joe

[mom says]

What site is the best to go on for a India visa

 

What country do you live in? Different countries= different processes. Also, are you staying in the Indian ports or venturing off on your own (Taj Mahal).

 

If you hold a US passport (as the PPs have assumed) and are just doing port excursions you're covered by the E visa, which IS valid for cruisers as of earlier this year. It will be on the Indian embassy website.

[Cirdan]

NOTE: The Indian eTOURIST visa is NOT VALID for cruise travel.

 

This is old and obsolete information.

 

Indian eVisa is valid (see President cruise roll of call, for a copy of an email sent by Celebrity Cruises).

[cruisestitch]

The OP asked: What site is the best to go on for a India visa

 

 

Without knowing the nationality of the OP, it's really not possible to answer the question accurately.

[gerelmx]

What site is the best to go on for a India visa

 

 

http://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/tvoa.html