Indian Visa Info

by Rick
(U.S.)

Little Lhasa

Tashi Delek Patricia,


I am planning to live in Little Lhasa (Dharamsala or McLeod Ganj) for the next year (leaving Feb.) Can you tell me how I can live there continuously without having to fly to Nepal every 6 months to renew my visa?
My visa is good till 1016, but it says every 180 days I need to renew it.

Many thanks and blessings to you and yours.
Rick


Tashi Delek Rick,

Thank-you for your mail.

Sometimes a few lucky people have been able to get a US ten year visa that doesn't say that they need to renew. Most long term visas though will state on it that you must renew or leave the country every 180 days like yours does. In all my years of traveling and living in India, I have never come across a way to get around this regulation.

I found though that this was wonderful excuse to travel to beautiful Kathmandu every 6 months, not so bad! You can always go somewhere else like Thailand, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh or Pakistan etc. if you are tired of Nepal.

I do know of one girl who just crossed the border of eastern Nepal and turned around and came right back again.

The above information is what the Indian visa Toronto office has said but it is also good to check on the Lonely Planet web site on the thorn tree branch for other peoples experiences. This information can be very up to date. Also check indiamike.com.

Indian visa regulations are constantly changing and most of the time, the Indian immigration officials have no clue about recent updates so be careful!

I was once very lucky to get a 5 year tourist visa from Singapore and I didn't need to renew or leave the country at all in the whole 5 years! That kind of visa is pretty rare though, I just happened to be in the right place at the right time for once!


I hope this helps you,

Take care and enjoy Little Lhasa with the wonderful Tibetan people. Make sure you go and visit with the Dalai Lama!

Patricia from Tibetan Life


Update!

Just heard this from someone...(Dec. 18th, 2009)

"I just got a new 5-year visa from the Indian embassy yesterday and they put a STAMP on my visa that says there should be a gap of at least 2 months between two visits to India on a Tourist Visa. In case of a requirement to visit India within 2 months permission should be .... (illegible) ... for specific reasons for another visit within a short period in all such cases. Registration would be required within 14 days of
arrival."

Best to check the current situation just before you leave for India as these regulations keep changing.

...do remember when dealing with the Indian authorities that patience is a virtue!

patricia