Indian Visa Advice
 

Just had an invite to India for a wedding in a few days time which will be a fab experience. However I need to get visas it seems [@£30 each:eek:]. It takes 15 days to process by post, but you may get lucky in person in London if you start queuing at 0700 outside the embassy:eek:

This is an absolute PIA and I was therefore considering the Birmingham embassy - anyone any thoughts [would avoid congestion charge :)]

Thanks

D

This might help - it says 3 day turnaround, but seems to cost £60

India Visa Fast Track

Had to get a few in my time but only been to the brum office. My experience...

Plan to be there the whole morning.
Get there an hour before it opens.
Take someone with you so you can go for a pee without losing your place.
Take a book.
Check your paperwork 1,000 times because if there is the tiniest of errors on it they will find it and chuck you to the back of the queue.
Dont bother trying to be friendly and warm and polite, they look at you like you are **** and pretend to not speak english.

That said, its really not that bad, just dull and tedious but do remember this is the peak holiday time for Goa as well as people travelling back home so myabe take two books. :thumb:

Nothing new there then:)

Chip

:lol1:

Yep - sounds like as much fun as getting my British passport once...

And call me cynical, but I aint sending a cheque and my passport to a PO Box in Essex!!!!

Thanks for the advice & nameste!

D

Namaste, Diesel.:)
It doesn't take as long as 15 days even by post unless, there is some hiccup ( if you have forgotten to state something on the form etc.). Some of my family members (they are British citizens) got it within 5 days by post in April. Other good options have been given to you above anyway. Enjoy your visit.:thumb:

HI - I've had to do this many-a-time and can say stay away from the Birm COnsulate unless it really is easier. It's a typical case of people in a power-trip - they look at you like sh1t and I'm indian lol - not that it matters :)

Saying that, they have got better in the last year or so.

If you want to go to the Brum one then get there for 9am and you'll need to plan to stay for the whole day as you'll need to pickup the visa in the afternoon unless you pay the express fee (£15 - I think??) in which case they'll do it there and then.

Let me know if you have any q's as it's a once- in a year trip for me !!

jai

I got a visa from the High Commission in London a few years back and was amazed at the friendly service and 1 hour turnaround. Having connections does help then :thumb:

Enjoy the wedding! :)

Diesel, ask around some travel agencies, they often offer fast visa services (but not sure if that fast!). I used them for my Russian visas, fantastic.

ive not read the other threads but a lad on our opffice had to go to mumbai rapido
he had to go to birmingham and get a vsia issued thast morning, as i understand it the do 200 a day this way,

he went down the night befoire turned up did what he had to do picked it up later on back to man and flew out later that night hes due back at on monday

i understand bom is a turd of aplace though and he stayed at the airport bcos its so mingin

You're kidding me?

Can't you claim asylum? :lol1:

:lol: :lol: :lol: :thumb:

Not sure what is quite so hilarious about those last two posts but travel does certainaly broaden some minds. >idea<

Thanks for the other advice guys, and heres to queuing! Call it revenge for the Raj;)

D

Here's betting that you find it a stinking sh1t hole. Props for the PC attitude though :thumb:

Yes mate, the Taj Mahal is a right ****-hole, and you cant get a proper Tikka Massala ANYWHERE there.

Get out more maybe???

D

It amused me the way you had to qualify your opening statement 'which will be a fab experience'.

It's like the wedding no one dared slag off.... oh it's in India... how 'fab'. We can swap places with 100 Indians.... we leave the UK, they enter.... then we can sh1t our guts out for a week. :lol1:

What you call 'qualify' some might call conversational or maybe showing a bit of enthusiasm. Apologies if I am being over-effusive and am making you choke on it :p

Well if an involuntary guffaw counts as 'choking' then apology accepted. In the meantime enjoy your PC wedding in India. I assume the Indian spouse stands to gain more than the English one? ;)

Ohh, its all between Indians Bill. Thanks for your interest though.

Could bring you back some fresh spices and save you a packet - as long as it wont offend of course...

I'll now stop letting you use me to bump up your crappy post count, whoever you are!

Bye

D

:lol:

I got mine back in about a week when I sent it to the PO box in Essex, But that was a January application, so not exactly peak holiday time:)

BTW Mumbai is a stinking sh!thole of a place, due to it being heavily over populated, and it's built on a sub-tropical swamp:( The Holiday Inn is nice though:thumb:

Delhi is nicer, less humidity and less crowded, but just as many nutters barely in control of motorised road vehicles:eek: Once you start heading north of Delhi, into the Himalayan foothills, there are some fantastic sights, but it does start to get properly cold:)

I find Bolton Market:thumb: to be plenty cheap enough for that sort of thing anyway:D

This is where I stayed in Shimla.



Oberoi Hotels & Resorts:Wildflower Hall: Welcome



This is where I stayed in Kerala


Kerala Pictures,Kerala Photo Gallery,Images of Kerala



This is where I stayed on my way back from the Taj Mahal



Taj Hotels - Taj Lake Palace,Udaipur


All depends on what you can afford Critical Bill old boy:thumb: