Bryson7

Hi,
Can anyone advise me if it's still possible to get Indian residency ?
I do NOT wish to register property, just to do things like have a bank account, maybe buy a car etc. etc.
Am I correct in saying that the 183 days doesn't have to be done in one stretch ?. Thankyou
Regards
Bryson

a_f_d

Bryson7 said:
Depends what you mean by Residency - FEMA / FRO / Tax / other
just as well 'cos you can't - not in Goa anyway.
Assuming you're a Foreign National you can have a NRO account for 6 months which the bank may allow to run over; if you mean a Resident A/c then I have spent over a year so far trying to convert a NRO a/c to resident without any success.
haven't tried buying a car, have got a driving licence after a lot of hassle. afaik there are no rules to say you have to be resident but the last of a long list of things I was asked for was 'resident permit' - I managed to get a FRO Residential Permit which was grudgingly accepted.
FEMA does not mention that it has to be continuous (for what that's worth). The FRO however won't give you a Residential Permit until you've been in the country for 'nearly 180 days' and it expires when you leave (so you don't get much use of it on a 1 year visa, and bugger all on a 6 month-er.
This may not be accidental <G>

hth - AndyD 8-)#

Bryson7

Thank you a f d,
Sorry not 100% clear, do you have to have some form of Residency status to own a scooter or car in Goa?
Just how legal is it "borrowing" (renting) a "friends" scooter or car?
Anyone know of anyone who has been involved in a serious accident using a vehicle "borrowed" from a friend. Just wondering how they got on insurance wise.
I am a F.N

k800mer

You have to be a resident to buy a car, if you borrow one the insurance should cover you as in India it is the vehicle that is insured not the driver. That is always supposing the vehicle is insured to start with. If you do 'borrow' a vehicle you need an international driving licence and you should get a note from the owner to say he is lending you the vehicle and always carry some cash for on the spot 'fines'

emsirrah

NB - keep the "fine" money well away from any other cash.

Sat in Bernards one day when this first time tourist came in and said he had just been "fined" the equivalent of £40 for not wearing a helmet. Seems he got his wallet out when asked to pay the fine and the cops obviously summed up how much there was in it and told him "that will do nicely".

k800mer

You are right about not showing lots of money, the usual fine seems to be about 100 rupees. As the crash helmet rule only applies to the driver and then only on the 'motorway' its best to use other roads if you do not have a crash helmet. I would not advise hiring a motor bike anyway. my OH has a motorcycle licence and is an experienced rider and we still came a cropper on some sand on a bend in the road. Just lucky there was no other traffic at the time.

emsirrah

Seems that the fines have increased somewhat from 100rps. This is the "official" fines from Goa Police website.

http://goagovt.nic.in/police/html/tr...20offences.htm

No 1 - General Provision for punishment of offences (where no other penalties are provided for the offence) and for violation of Traffic signs.
What traffic signs??????????????????

and is this one for Buses only-----

Racing and trial of speed (without written consent of the State Government)



again whilst we were earwigging - walking towards Navtara in Mapusa a couple of weeks ago on a Friday (the cops are often just a little bit past the Nav on a Friday but have been seen other days) and this young Brit on a scooter was saying to the cop "but I only have 200rps on me - cop - No I need more.
Often sit in the Nav and watch what is happening over the road and it is not only Foreigners they pick on.

a_f_d

k8oomer said:
or a two-wheeler, or get a beginners licence - apparently - but no-one seems to know why (where it says so) or what 'resident' means. When I asked the boss man at the RTO where it said I had to 1) provide an affidavit 2) be 'resident' - he said "show me where it says you don't"!!!

AndyD 8-)# cheers (_)?

P.S This is the crux of the matter of course - FEMA residency is 'a matter of law' = i.e you can't get a paper to prove it, and in India no paper means - no nothing!!!

johnny five

Hi k800mer
Can I first point out that your earlier post about renting/borrowing a vehicle here sort of ignores the legal side, those vehicles with black and yellow plates, that actually carry insurance for hire (at extra cost), are licensed for hire (at extra cost), and pay road tax for hire (at extra cost).
Whilst the majority of these are two wheelers, which you make it clear above that you advise against, any four wheeler with yellow and black plates (yes including taxis) comes into this category.
I was sorry to hear that you had an accident on a bike here. We have been lucky that in 15 years plus at a minimum of four months here we have not (touch wood)! Can I ask if your husband still rides bikes in the UK, because with the cheap and nasty version of "re-surfacing" that we get in UK now, with grit collecting at just the wrong places for a bike, not to mention the "wet leaves" in the Autumn, and black ice on un-salted roads due to government cutbacks..............well all in all, I find I have to be far more wary of road surfaces in the UK than here. Demented Indian drivers, of course, is another matter!

k800mer

Hi Johnny five,
You are right of course there are bikes and cars you can legally hire but I think quite a lot of the bikes hired out in Goa are not legal, and yes the OH has given up riding bikes. Where we live its mostly country lanes which could be good for bikes but are too full of chelsea tractors and hugh lorries and yes the roads are in a worse state than those around Baga and Calangute. In fact we can tell when we have driven from Surrey into Sussex as the roads suddenly improve. I am glad you still ride your bike in Goa long may you enjoy it.