Visa

I’ve been preparing and planning for my trip to India for months now but it all falls onto one little stamp in my passport, the V-I-S-A!  I’ve spent weeks debating which visa to get and for how long and what the rules are for changing a visa once already in the country.  It’s actually fascinating to learn so much about it.  I officially applied for a tourist visa for 6 months.

I am stuck between a rock and a hard place right now because I don’t want to buy my plane ticket without my visa in hand. However, if I wait until I get approved the price of the tickets go up and if I plan and go later, my visa is going unused.  For instance, lets say that my visa gets approved on the 11th of October but I plan to leave on the first of November, my visa will still expire April 10th, not April 30th. It’s good for 6 months from date of issue.  I want to maximize my time in India and not cut it short due to expiring visa.  From what I understand, I am able to apply for an visa extension, which I might end up doing.

So can you see my dilemma?   I have spoken with a travel agent in the area about the cost of flights and such.  Currently, my projected departure is October 26th.  With any luck, my visa won’t get denied and I’ll leave before Halloween!