India visas

[Cruise 4ever]

Hi, has anyone been on a cruise starting from Oman and visiting India, Sri Lanka? I’m confused by the visa situation. Do we need visas for Oman as only going from the airport to the ship. In India do we need individual visas or if we go on a ship’s trip are we covered by a group visa? ( this happened when wevisited Russia) 

thank you

[Thejuggler]

Oman should be no more than a stamp in your passport.

 

India you will all need a visa, but I'd take advice from the cruise company on how it is done.

 

Getting an Indian visa for an individual has always been a challenge of patience, at the moment the online e-visa system isn't open to UK residents which means even more diffculties.  
 

Cruise companies may however have different arrangements.

[sleepingcat]

India: each passenger needs their own visa, and. this applies even if you dont get off the ship.  Getting an India visa  in the UK is tedious: we had to go to the consulate office in Birmingham twice before ours were sorted. The photo requirements are different from the UK ones, check carefully. And it is quite expensive. My advice: start early and get as much info as possible.  Our company (P and O) did not do this for us, we did it ourselves.

 

Sri Lanka: we needed tourist visas, but that was because we flew in to catch the ship up in Colombo (an emergency operation in Singapore was involved, don't ask). So again, check carefully and early. 

 

Oman: for us this was a port call on RTW cruise, after Mumbai call.  We did not need visas, but if you are flying in you might (as we did in Sri Lanka see above). Can recommend a visit in Muscat if that is where you are boarding, the port is beautiful and the royal palace spectacular. Good Luck.

[Britboys]

Would just emphasise that you need to start well in advance to get the Indian Visa at the moment as it is a nightmare. Friends in Leicestershire have had to go to the London Consulate to get theirs. Some folks have even had to cancel travel plans as it took so long...

[Thejuggler]

18 hours ago, Britboys said:

Would just emphasise that you need to start well in advance to get the Indian Visa at the moment as it is a nightmare. Friends in Leicestershire have had to go to the London Consulate to get theirs. Some folks have even had to cancel travel plans as it took so long...

This is now out of date as the e-visa system is once again open to UK residents.  It will still be painful to complete, but at least you don't need to visit a consulate!

[Britboys]

3 hours ago, Thejuggler said:

This is now out of date as the e-visa system is once again open to UK residents.  It will still be painful to complete, but at least you don't need to visit a consulate!

I have friends who started the process a week or two ago and they are having to go to the London Consulate from Leicestershire...

[Thejuggler]

E-visa was only made available again on Monday this week, 5 December. Two weeks ago a visit was required.

[edinburgher]

In India do we need individual visas or if we go on a ship’s trip are we covered by a group visa.  NO GROUP VISAS.

 

The India visa system is a nightmare. We had to apply for full visas on two occasions when cruising and had to go to the consulate,twice each time,(hand in and collect) which fortunately could be found in our city without the need for additional travel.  They also had at that time, a photo cabin which took the correct size photos for the visas (an unusual size) although we had to take the exact amount of coins needed with us.

 

The main reason for needing full visas was due to the ship having a port of call in Port Blair, Andaman Islands.  This is a Protected Area AND NOT ONE OF THE PORTS PERMITTED ON AN E-VISA.  Not only that, but due to its protected status, in addition to an actual visa, an additional PROTECTED AREA permit had to be applied for. On return it was attached to the passport page alongside the visa.

 

And we had to apply for longer term visas as the entry level one for cruise passengers only allowed entry to India twice, and we had more than two ports the first time.

 

All in all it was a nightmare each time and having done it twice over the years, decided we would never again go on any itinerary which included a call at  the Andaman islands or had more than two Indian ports.

 

HAVING SAID THAT YOU REALLY DO NEED TO PERSEVERE, BECAUSE WHEN WE WERE BOARDING IN DUBAI,THE INDIAN VISAS WERE VERY CAREFULLY EXAMINED, AND THOSE WHO HAD  A VISA BUT WITHOUT THE EXTRA ANDAMAN ISLANDS PERMIT, AND THOSE WHO HAD NOT REALISED THAT PORT BLAIR WAS AN INDIAN PORT AND HAD NO INDIAN VISA AT ALL, (ON THAT SECOND TRIP IT WAS THE ONE AND ONLY INDIAN PORT OF CALL)WERE GIVEN THE CHOICE OF EITHER NOT BEING BOARDED IN DUBAI, BUT BOARDING IN ANOTHER PORT BEFORE REACHING INDIA  BUT^ ONLY ONCE THEY HAD OBTAINED THE CORRECT PEPERWORK, OR

 

 BOARDING IN DUBAI, BUT LEAVING IN A PORT IN ANOTHER COUNTRY BEFORE ARRIVAL IN INDIA AND REJOINING AT THE FIRST PORT AFTER INDIA.  ALL AT THEIR OWN EXPENSE.

 

 

ONE COUPLE WHO WERE BRITS RESIDENT IN SPAIN WERE VERY LUCKY AS THEY HAD E-MAILED PANDO AND BEEN TOLD THAT NO VISAS WERE NEEDED FOR THAT ITINERARY AND HAD BROUGHT THAT PANDO REPLY WITH THEM, SO PANDO HAD TO ARRANGE THAT FOR THEM  BEFORE ARRIVAL IN INDIA AND THEY WERE ALLOWED TO BOARD..

 

NEITHER OF THESE TWO TRIPS WERE RECENT AND RULES AND REGS MAY WELL HAVE CHANGED SINCE THEN,BUT YOU SHOULD CHECK VERY VERY CAREFULLY AND THOROUGHLY BEFORE APPLYING AS WE FOUND THAT THE CONSULAR STAFF WERE THEMSELVES VAGUE ON THE RULES SPECIFIC TO CRUISE PASSENGERS, AND SOME  PASSENGERS HAD RECEIVED INCONSISTENT INFO FROM PANDO STAFF..

 

CRUISE PASSENGER INFO WAS DIFFICULT TO FIND ON THE WEBSITE, MAY BE EASIER TO INTERNET SEARCH SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF "INDIAN VISAS (OR EVISAS) FOR CRUISE SHIP PASSENGERS".

 

VERY SORRY IF CRITERIA HAVE CHANGED SINCE OUR EXPERIENCES, thereby wasting your time reading the above, but if they are the same, at least you have been alerted to possible pitfalls.

 

 

Edited December 12, 2022 by edinburgher