Hi all,

I plan a trip to Iran, Pakistan and India. As I want to stay as much time as possible in India I need to apply for the visa as late as possible, so in Islamabad preferably. Searching the hubb about this subject the best information I could find is more than a year old (from Luckro, 3/11/2011):

VISA FOR INDIA : regardless of the Indian embassy in Islamabad website claiming it takes up to 4wks for foreigners applying for an Indian visa (which I think applies mainly to Pakistani citizens), for most other foreigners it takes around 5 days, possibly up to 10, and currently costs 4,100 Rps (c$50). This is for a 3mth tourist visa. I’m told 6mths is not available from Pakistan, though should be from the embassy in your home country and perhaps some Indian embassies elsewhere.

So now my questions:
1. Is this information still valid?
2. Are there any special administrative hurdles to be prepared for?
3. Is it still impossible to get a six month visa?
4. What are the best alternatives for Islamabad?

You make me happy with your answers (and other people too)!

Thanks, Mathew

__________________
Voorbij de horizon / beyond the horizon: www.wonderfultravels.nl

I just got my passport back with 3 month single entry visa! I did apply for six months...

High Commission of India has outsourced the visa applications to Gerry´s FedEx in December 2012. I guess we we´re the very first foreigners to apply visa from their office in Islamabad...

We delivered all the papers they wanted and after one week they returned unprocessed passports because there was no covering letter attached. You have to fill your phone number, email, address etc. for several times to application but they can´t ask if something is missing... Instead they let you wait for five working days for nothing.

So make sure you TWO copies of web application form, two colour photos, two copies of your passport, two copies of Pakistani visa and two covering letters where you explain your travel plans and why you did not apply the visa from your home country.

I even attached copies of CPD and IDP to make things sure! And they gave the visa in five working days!

Islamabad Drop box office stand at G9 Markaz, where there many many budget hotels nearby, none with secure parking though. It is possible to use drop box in Lahore or some other town too, but then the delivery time is longer.

I recommend to apply Indian visa from Ankara, if that suits your time table. There they will give it in three days without filling the lousy web form. They use printable paper form and you can visit straight in the embassy.

We got a 1yr multi entry business visa for india before we left (they still had the weird 2 month reentry restriction which has been lifted.). Glad for it, we've been across the border a few times now and have spent quite a lot of time in the area. The flexibility is very convenient. Getting the Indian visa in Pak from what I've heard can be fairly fast or really slow.

I got my india visa in Islamabad last year in September.

I filled out the forms online, filled out another simple form at the diplomatic compound 'reception/security' centre, it took a week to process.

No covering letters, etc. Plenty of foreigners getting visas there.

Please pm for more details.

Fern

__________________
https://fernsforays.wordpress.com/

well, agree to all above.
but as suggestions, better if you apply for indian visa not in Pakistan
something funny but if you go through the posts all over, you may find it logical
btw, wellcome to Pakistan

Anybody information if this is still correct? I am Iran and the embassy told me over the phone that normal processing time is 10 working days but for foreigners it might take up to 20! working days.