Indian tourist visa from Nepal
April 25, 2015 12:55 AM Subscribe
I have been planning on heading to India soon, and was going to go through the visa process here in Bulgaria, but I have just found a deal on a multi-city flight, entering Nepal and returning to Bulgaria from New Delhi. Help me sort out my visa situation!
I am a Netherlands national currently residing in Bulgaria. I want to travel to India in the next couple of weeks, and was prepared to go through the visa process here, but I've just found a really good deal on a flight early next week that would take me from Bulgaria to Nepal, and in 6 weeks or so take me from New Delhi back to Bulgaria.
There's no way I can get my Indian visa processed here before my flight to Nepal, so I need to know what the situation is for foreign nationals in Nepal trying to get a tourist visa (1mo or so) for India.
Is it possible to do visa-on-arrival at the land border crossing between Nepal and India? Do I need to go to the Indian embassy in Kathmandu? What is the wait time like there for Indian tourist visas? Am I running a risk by flying into Kathmandu with no Indian visa but a return flight from India?
Note that as a Dutch citizen I will not have eligibility for the new Indian e-Tourist visa-on-arrival until June 15 and so that doesn't really apply here.
Any help or input is appreciated, thanks MeFi!
I am a Netherlands national currently residing in Bulgaria. I want to travel to India in the next couple of weeks, and was prepared to go through the visa process here, but I've just found a really good deal on a flight early next week that would take me from Bulgaria to Nepal, and in 6 weeks or so take me from New Delhi back to Bulgaria.
There's no way I can get my Indian visa processed here before my flight to Nepal, so I need to know what the situation is for foreign nationals in Nepal trying to get a tourist visa (1mo or so) for India.
Is it possible to do visa-on-arrival at the land border crossing between Nepal and India? Do I need to go to the Indian embassy in Kathmandu? What is the wait time like there for Indian tourist visas? Am I running a risk by flying into Kathmandu with no Indian visa but a return flight from India?
Note that as a Dutch citizen I will not have eligibility for the new Indian e-Tourist visa-on-arrival until June 15 and so that doesn't really apply here.
Any help or input is appreciated, thanks MeFi!
I've crossed 3 different Indian/Nepali land borders several times.
Is it possible to do visa-on-arrival at the land border crossing between Nepal and India?
NO! Sometimes there is just a guy in a shack. Are you aware of how hot it is right now in India? In May 2013 I did the most common crossing on my way to Gorakpur and spent a week without the weather dipping below 38Celcius (even at night). During the day it was routinely above 45.
Do I need to go to the Indian embassy in Kathmandu? What is the wait time like there for Indian tourist visas?
Yes, absolutely. It could take a week.
Am I running a risk by flying into Kathmandu with no Indian visa but a return flight from India?
Yes, it is a risk. I've spent over 3 years in those two countries traveling. How long is your trip? These things change a lot- for a couple recent years india restricted visa hoppers from going back and forth to Nepal... You may not be able to get an appointment right away or get a visa for more than a month. Do you want to spend significant time and energy obtaining and worrying about a visa? Pre-monsoon is the worst time for North-Central india. Unless you'd book another flight from Kathmandu to Delhi and head for the mountains, this will be sweletering. How will you travel? Trains fill up months in advance, and tatkal/tourist quota berths are not always easily available.
One other option is to just wait for more comfortable weather. India has just started to roll out on-arrival visa services (applied for online, given at major airports). Unfortunately, the Netherlands is not on this list yet. Feel free to message me. Good luck!
posted by maya at 1:53 AM on April 25, 2015
Is it possible to do visa-on-arrival at the land border crossing between Nepal and India?
NO! Sometimes there is just a guy in a shack. Are you aware of how hot it is right now in India? In May 2013 I did the most common crossing on my way to Gorakpur and spent a week without the weather dipping below 38Celcius (even at night). During the day it was routinely above 45.
Do I need to go to the Indian embassy in Kathmandu? What is the wait time like there for Indian tourist visas?
Yes, absolutely. It could take a week.
Am I running a risk by flying into Kathmandu with no Indian visa but a return flight from India?
Yes, it is a risk. I've spent over 3 years in those two countries traveling. How long is your trip? These things change a lot- for a couple recent years india restricted visa hoppers from going back and forth to Nepal... You may not be able to get an appointment right away or get a visa for more than a month. Do you want to spend significant time and energy obtaining and worrying about a visa? Pre-monsoon is the worst time for North-Central india. Unless you'd book another flight from Kathmandu to Delhi and head for the mountains, this will be sweletering. How will you travel? Trains fill up months in advance, and tatkal/tourist quota berths are not always easily available.
One other option is to just wait for more comfortable weather. India has just started to roll out on-arrival visa services (applied for online, given at major airports). Unfortunately, the Netherlands is not on this list yet. Feel free to message me. Good luck!
posted by maya at 1:53 AM on April 25, 2015
Response by poster: Oh my, that horrible earthquake may just change my plans.
maya - Thanks for the tips. I was aware of the weather but you've given me a lot to consider with regards to border crossings. I had been assured by some friends in India that it's all very easy no problem, but I thought I'd ask for a second opinion.
Thanks all!
posted by jpziller at 6:25 AM on April 25, 2015
maya - Thanks for the tips. I was aware of the weather but you've given me a lot to consider with regards to border crossings. I had been assured by some friends in India that it's all very easy no problem, but I thought I'd ask for a second opinion.
Thanks all!
posted by jpziller at 6:25 AM on April 25, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by taff at 1:49 AM on April 25, 2015 [6 favorites]