Getting the Visas

[Franconian]

Hi folks,

I start my journey from Australia to East Timor, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, India, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey etc. in October 2010.

Can I obtain the required visas on the way?

Getting a visa on arrival in East Timor, Indonesian visa at embassy in Dili etc. ?

It would be considerably more expensive at the embassies in Germany or Australia.

Cheers,

Frank

[olyflyer]

Hey ya Frank

I know us Aussies get the visas on arival in Denpasar (Bali) and they cost $25-30USD if I remember rightly

I imagine you might be able to sort it out once there, maybe in the port

***Ahhh Wiki travel to the rescue East Timor travel guide - Wikitravel

'The general rule is that travelers from anywhere in the world can get a 30 day tourist and business visa quite easily on arrival to East Timor at Dili Airport or Dili Seaport by filling in a simple form and paying US$30 in cash. Note however that "visa on arrival" is not available at the land border, where most travellers apart from Indonesian and Portuguese nationals must have obtained a visa or "visa application authorisation" in advance. "

[Franconian]

Hey Oly,

That should work. Getting the "Visa on Arrival" at Dili airport and the Indonesian Visa at the embassy in Dili. (Hopefully a 60 day tourist visa...)

Someone told me that the Indian visa must be obtained in the home country? Is this true? My plan was to get it in Thailand.

How is your planning going Oly?

[olyflyer]

I leave in 35 days and have 17 days of work, got another XChallenge in Oregon to pick up for the trip with more farkles than my old one

when you back in Oz?

here is some more off of Wikitravel for India

Visas
Citizens of most countries with a few exceptions like Bhutan and Nepal need a visa to get in. Depending on your purpose of visit, you can get a tourist visa (six months), a business visa (6 months, one year or more, multiple entries) or a student visa (up to 5 years). A special 10 year visa (US$150, business and tourist) is available to US citizens only. An Indian visa is valid from the day it is issued, not the date of entry. For example, a 6-month visa issued on January 1 will expire on June 30, regardless of your date of entry.

As of 1 January 2010, India has introduced a new visa-on-arrival scheme, which is available to citizens of Finland, Japan, New Zealand, Luxembourg and Singapore at the airports in Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata for a stay of up to 30 days. The visa-on-arrival costs US$60, is valid for a single entry and is not extendable. In addition, there is a minimum two month gap between the expiry of one tourist visa and the issuance of the next.

Many Indian embassies have outsourced visa processing in full or in part to third party companies, so check ahead before going to the embassy. For example, in the USA, you must submit your visa application to Travisa [4], not the embassy. Applications through these agencies also attract an application fee, above that which is detailed on most embassy websites and should be checked prior to submitting your paperwork. In addition, many Indian embassies only offers visas to residents of that country: this means you should get your visa before you leave home, instead of trying to get in a neighboring country (although, as at August '09, non-residents are able to apply for visas through the Bangkok embassy for an additional 400 THB "referral fee").

Rules and validity of visas will differ based on citizenship. Check the website of the Indian embassy, consulate or high commission in your country [5] or contact the local office [6].

It's wise to ask for a multiple entry visa even if you aren't planning to use it - they cost the same, are handed out pretty liberally and come in handy if you decide last minute to dip into one of the neighboring countries. However, as of February 2010, even on multiple entry visas there is supposed to be a two month gap between leaving India and coming back into the country. Most border officials don't police this rule yet, but you may be asked for details of your flight home and be made to pay a small bribe (approx USD$5 or so) to get them to sign you back in to the country. This is especially true at smaller land entry points. Be prepared.

There are other categories for specialised purposes [7]. The missionary visa is mandatory for anyone who is visiting India "primarily to take part in religious activities". This rule is meant to combat religious conversion, particularly of Hindus to Christianity. There have been cases where preachers have been deported for addressing religious congregations while on a tourist visa. You don't need to be worried if you are just on a religious tour of churches in India.

If you are on a Student, Employment, Research or Missionary visa, you need to register within 14 days of arrival with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office where you will be staying. If the place you are staying at doesn't have one, you need to register at the local police station [8]. All visitors who intend to stay more than 180 days also need to be registered.

Overstaying a visa is to be avoided at all costs as you will be prevented from leaving the country until you have paid some fairly hefty fines and presented a large amount of paperwork to either the local immigration office or police station. This while process is unlikely to take less than 3 days, and can take much longer if you include weekends, numerous government holidays and the inevitable bizarre bureaucratic requirements.