I am planning a ride back from Nepal to UK next year. I will be in India for 3 months intially then intend to go to Nepal to purchase a Royal Enfield (you cannot purchase one legally in India as a foreigner and non-resident) and start my ride from there.

The new India visa rules stipulate that you cannot reenter within 2 months of exit. I have heard it is possible to get a "Reentry Permit" in Kathmandu that would allow me to reenter before the 2 months is up. Has anyone done this?

Or, the overland border post is pretty lax and they would probably waive the 2 months rule on my ride back into India. Has anyone experienced this?

Thanks.

Get a multiple entry Indian visa. It costs no more than a single entry.

Crossing your fingers and hoping for a lax border post is very chancy. Why would they "probably waive the 2 month rule" ? If you are refused, what will you do then? And if you did get through, how will you then exit India with the bike and no suitable paperwork, presumably through Pakistan?

If/when you've passed the border,(Birgunj/Raxaul?, or the Sikkim one?) why not post your experiences on HU?

The 2 month re-entry wait applies to Multiple Entry Visas also.

We're in the same situation, about to enter India from Pakistan and then wanting to visit Nepal before returning to India.

I believe that the border is fairly lax with this restriction - apparently the re-entry restriction was brought in to stop migrant workers simply going across the border and returning shortly afterwards to gain a work permit.

The restriction was not intended for travellers, though may directly affect us. I will be able to post more information in the next couple of weeks.

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Take care on Indian roads! But you'll be expert after Iran and Pakistan!

Rich & Zowi - I look forward to hearing how you got on. The issue I heard with the Re-entry Permit is that they may obly give you 15 days in India the second time rather than the full remainder of your visa. Not asn issue for me but may be for you. The other alternative is a double entry visa where you specify date sof exit/re-entry/exit. This dates can be changed after you have the visa.
Thanks.

Thanks, Caminando. I will be super careful!!

Apply for a double entry and explain your plans and rough dates.We did this in march and had no problems.
metita

hi there
we started the process for an Indian visa recently (whilst in nepal) and they are being real sticklers with officialdom! currently it appears that they WILL NOT issue multiple entry visas for anyone....regardless of the pleas made. They have also only been issuing 3 month visas and not 6 months. it appears that most Indian embassys are the same as we had the same probs when we applied in Pakistan for our first Indian visa.

the border posts between India and nepal are also pretty official. the Neaplise in the West may be more 'open' to suggestion....but the Indians....as far as we have found...nope.

they are adhering to the ...'you must be out 2 months before re-entry'...really strongly. A friend of ours - a British passport holder, currently working in nepal had been into india one one visa and wanted to apply for another and he was told adamantly ( we were there at the time) No visa. You must be out of the country ie India for 2 months before you can apply. he had only used 20 odd days of his 3 months visa for India but this made no difference - it was still 'No visa'.

yes - it is mainly for migrant workers - but it appears that for the Indian embassies and border controls...are indeed apply it to all regardless of passport.

lets hope this visa issue eases up but since we have been in this part of the world its only been getting worse not better....so dont count on getting a multiple entry 6 month visa.

just plan on worst case scenario - 3 month single entry with the need for a 2 month break between each new Indian visa.

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www.2ridetheworld.com

I just talked to a friend who organizes pilgrimages to Buddhist sites in India and Nepal. He has had to cancel the Nepal portion of his most recent trip (to Lumbini - the birthplace of the Buddha), because of the changes in the Visa regulations. If the officials won't budge for religious pilgrims, I can't see them making exceptions for adventure bikers.

Hi,

I applied for and got a Multiple Entry, 6 month visa with re-entry from Pakistan, Bhutan and Bangladesh from the London Consulate (or rather via VFS the outsourcing agency) in August 2010. The re-entry bit is printed on the visa so it's quite specific otherwise you cannot re-enter India within two months of leaving (as many people have said). The re-entry bit is so that I can return to India from those specific countries within two months of leaving -- ie. I can arrive from Pakistan then pop into Bhutan and Bangladesh for a few days apiece (neither of which I have visas for -- more fun for later).

All the details at India is go — Moto Travels

Cheers,

Ian

Hi all,

We are in India now and fly back to Spain for a wedding in 12 days. So we'll have to manage to reenter this country.

We were told the 2 months issue in the Embassy in Switzerland where we applied. But the Embassy in Madrid outsourced the visa service to an agency and they (wrongly!!!) told us: you get to India and register during the first 14 days of arrival and then there is no problem (so we bought these flights). First, you can only can only register in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkota and Amritsar (no other city, we saw the official document in Agra). Thus, came back in purpose to Delhi to the FRRO, as they call it (Foreign Regional Registration Office), in R.K. Puram Sector-1, East Block Nr.8. Very difficult to find, so ask for the Hyatt Hotel, the place everybody knows (AIIMS Metro station, yellow line, then autorickshaw), and it's right behind.

Once there, they refused to stamp/register, whatever. The first guy said no problem, you come back and then register. But we insisted and could talk to the chief and said: "always problems with Spaniards. NO, register after second visit, when you come back, ask for special permit to reenter when you are in Madrid". "Well, the guy did not mention special permit, authorization". "I am the boss, I tell you". So, we phoned the Embassy and they said it could be exceptionally done. Otherwise, we understood from them that we could apply for a new visa (also valid for 180 days, 90 days maximum stay) and the previous one would be canceled.

Conclusion: we'll try the new visa -paying again- to be sure(r) that we are not refused in Delhi airport (we also wanted to extend the visa to visit Nepal and come back, but NO WAY, they wouldn't do it). I understand that we would not have to register, since that would be our first visit with the new visa. Otherwise, some kind of stamp in the passport, cross-fingers and register.

I hope it helps. Especially for us to enter again! :-)

Regards,

Esteban

Some information from our trip, we just returned from India a few days ago.

We were concerned about the 2 month rule, and could find no real information regarding the rule. But were worried that it may be an issue

We traveled overland into Nepal from India on double-entry visas - spent about 10 days in Nepal, then returned to delhi via Kathmandu on Kingfisher Air.

Got to the airport and had absolutely no delays or questions - back in no problem, there were probably 20 people on the flight in the same situation.

I spoke with a couple of tour leaders who said it has NEVER been an issue with any of their groups. They toured many nationalities back and forth weekly.

When I applied for my visa requesting double entry, they asked no questions and I provided no details for flights etc.

Both my wife and I are Canadian.

Don't know if this helps, your experience may vary!

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Hi all,

More info, although not sure if it really helps... Too messy this India.

After getting to Spain (with a return flight Delhi-Madrid), we inmediately went to the Indian Embassy to get the special endorsement authorising us to come back overriding the two months gap rule. My father was going to be operated too, so I did not mention a wedding as the reason to come to Spain.

Answer from the f*c*ing India official: well, you don´t justify the urgency. -What urgency? He undertakes a backbone operation (it was actually true). -No, the urgency to come back to India before two months. - I wouldn´t have come back to Spain otherwise, I was misinformed.

After a plain refusal by the damm guy, we asked to talk the Counsellor, who finally agreed to give us such special permission... tomorrow (after 5 hours waiting in the damm Embassy, it was not enough). "Please, do not be misled, this is not intended to discourage tourism". "Well, there is a total confusion out there thay you should consider then".

Next day, other 5 hours there. Crazy thing. But got it, after paying 25 euros each for a simple stamp, which actually was REALLY required by the guys checking the passports when arriving to Delhi airport.

So, after that, we had to go to REGISTER to FRRO in Delhi and then they told us: you can do it anywhere in India (why didn´t you tell that before??? We waited the weekend for nothing here in Delhi, supposedly was only in 5 cities!). But... you need a document form issued by your hotel (form C, if I remember) telling that you kind of "live" there (the document is the same for resident and stupid like us, not difference, apparently, since it´s the same but issued by your landlord in the other case). O course, they did not tell this in our previous visits, but at least accepted to receive it by fax and the sigh (not hindu, fortunately) of our hotel was efficient enough to send it that day.

Then they issued a paper with our photo that says we have to give it back when leaving the country definitely, otherwise you may go to prison (as usual in Indian rules). And we understood that (it means, we cannot affirm it, we just inferred it) this 2 months rule does not apply to people going to Nepal or Bangladesh or Buthan and coming back to India, but to those going to other not neighbouring countries.

Conclusion: do not leave India to come back, just leave FOR EVER (and avoid coming back again if you can!). Modest opinion, since anything they told us may change, be wrong or be misunderstood by the border official and you will be in deep shit.

Regards from Thailand after Nepal (still keeping the paper with us),

Esteban

Hello all,

I've re-entered India recently twice ( 3 visits ) and hope this clears up some of the confusion and much frustration about the Indian entry process.

Yes, to re-enter in less than the 60 day minimum re-entry period you need an exemption. This requires a personal interview at the Indian Consulate in the country you wish to re-enter from. I did mine in Thimpu ( Bhutan ) and Kathmandu (Nepal ). Both needed bookings and then usual waiting etc. but on the ground the staff were as helpful as can be. The re-entry endorsement in my cases were noted as a specified date and were checked at the crossings.

Please understand if you are traveling alone people often take much more interest with the paperwork than might otherwise be the case.

The FRRO was something more of a mess. I did the "registration" at Dharamsala ( next to McLeod Ganj) at the nominated office and took 5 hours. Others had been there for 2 days !.. Officially any Police superintendents office has to be acceptable for this task as I met travelers stuck in Leh who did it there.

3 weeks later when crossing the Wagan border to Pakistan the form was "waved away" - "not interested".

One tip in all this is please make sure you have all your stamps and exit documetation as I've been chased twice for proof I exited India with the motorcycle. Seems their internal systems can't handle entry and exit border points being different.

Manic and careless drivers balanced by amazing scenery, places and people.

I hope this helps.

Cheers.
Frank

Any other recent experiences on re-entering India and if this rule is still in place?

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