A slight increase in visa fees
 

The High Commission of India has revised the visa fee for Tourist Visa and Research Visa for all UK nationals with effect from17 January 2013. All applications submitted in person or sent by post should be as per the revised fee.

Please Note: All applications submitted in person or received by post on or after 17 January 2013 with the incorrect fee will be returned back to the applicants.

Date of Notice: 11 January 2013.

All the applicants are requested to include the service fee of £10.20 per application while organising their payments.

These figures only apply to UK passport holders it seems

Tourist Visa Up to six months .............................. £82 plus processing £10.20 £92. 20
Up to 2 Years (maximum stay of 180 days per visit) ........£277 plus processing £10.20 £287.20
(so that will be the cost of a 0ne year Tourist visa)

The Tourist Visa fee for UK National for more than 2 years and up to 5 years is £507
Applicants are required to include the VFS service fee of £10.20 to the Visa fee.
So a total of £517.20 if they actually offered a 5 year visa!


How come I'm always first with the news then?


Oh, and the above info is a precis of what has been put on the VFS website today.
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Re: A slight increase in visa fees
 

A business visa for up to 2 years is going up from £173.80 to £287.20

Can anyone with reason to know, confirm if the UK have just increased visa fees for people from countries that require a visa to visit the UK.

H.

Re: A slight increase in visa fees
 

IF I could get a 5yr tourist visa I`d be very happy to pay the £517.20 for it.

i`d also be quite happy to pay £277 for a 2 yr visa!!

Visa doesn`t run out till Oct but in UK in May for Ma`s 80th birthday so maybe try applying for a 5 yr visa then......could be interesting!!

Re: A slight increase in visa fees
 

This move is so encouraging brits to come to Goa......or are they going to add VOA for Brits at Goa in the very near future!!!!!!!!!

Re: A slight increase in visa fees
 

UK is not on the list of the next batch of counties announced.

But that list was released about a year ago, and no progress so far.

And VOA only for 30 days, with restrictions before re-application.



Turds



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Re: A slight increase in visa fees
 

I wonder if the online application form gives you the option of applying for a 2 or 5 year Tourist Visa? Will know in March when I need to renew.

Interestingly enough, Russian Nationals applying in the UK only pay total GBP 42.20 for all visa categories.

I also don't like the sound of "Please Note: All visa fee once tendered are non–refundable"
at the end of the pricelist - sounds like a licence to fleece tourists, take their money for a longer-term visa, but only grant a six month or 1 year visa.

Time will tell.:sneaky::sneaky::sneaky:

P.S. I wouldn't call the increase "slight", more like "let's put UK tourists off";)

Re: A slight increase in visa fees
 

Firstly Iain, can I apologise for the "slight increase" reference, it was a maybe feeble attempt at irony?

Had I put "Look at this massive *****-off extortionate unjustifiable racist increase in visa fees aimed at British tourists only, because they are stupid enough to keep paying these fees rather than bail out and go somewhere they are welcome"................

it would have been a bit of a mouthful, and maybe subject to censorship by the Stasze?

Of course the Russians are still paying the same, as is the whole rest of the world............. chip on shoulder philosophy?

As to longer visas, as in 2 or 5 year? I admire your sense of humour, but as of 30 secs ago, no change, nor realistically is there any likelihood?

This has been the case for years, apply for a 1 year T visa, but only granted 6 months............. no refund of cost difference

Some years back some long-stay Brits

(can I emphasise, genuine applicants on tourist visas, not tweekers pretending they are entitled to mickey-mouse business visas for non-existant businesses........... is it a coincidence that a longer term tourist/business visa is the same cost for Brits or have the Injun bureaucrats spotted a reality?)

attempted to take this to court in the UK as selling a product and not supplying. It was dismissed as being invalid due to diplomatic immunities.

So, they can do what they bl@@dy well want, and there is no recourse other than to walk away.................... which so many of us have done.



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Re: A slight increase in visa fees
 

Think I'd be really p***** off paying for a 2 or 5 yr visa, and only getting a 6 month one.

& Yes, I did like your subtle irony:rofl::rofl::rofl:

Re: A slight increase in visa fees
 

Oops - time to get that Santa hat off. Need to search around for another avatar. Perhaps "Heat & DUST" would be apt.............

Re: A slight increase in visa fees
 

Much is being said about VOA elsewhere, so here is an expansion of my previous post..........

Before everyone gets too excited about VOA, here are a few points to consider....

A list of additional countries was released and reported in the Times of India on May 12th 2012, and is still pending. This included France and Russia, but not the UK.

Dabolim airport in Goa, the point of entry for up to 100,000 charter tourists from UK, and far more from Russia and other countries, does not offer VOA, in spite of regular assurances of its introduction.

VOA is only valid for a maximum of 30 days, can only be used twice in a 12 month period, and seems to still have the 60 day gap attached to it, so of little use to travellers.

It also carries the following conditions
Available to a person.....
Whose sole objective of visiting India is recreation, sight seeing, casual visit to meet friends or relatives etc and no other purpose/ activity;
Who does not have a residence or occupation in India;
Who holds a passport with minimum six months validity, and a re-entry .permit if that is required under the law of the country of nationality of the applicant;
Who is a person of assured financial standing ( the production of a return ticket and availability of sufficient money to spend during his stay in India may be considered sufficient for this purpose).
Who is not a person-non-grata to the Government of India;
Who is not considered an undesirable person and is not the subject of a black list or any warning circular or other restrictive list

And is only available at a handful of Indian airports

Re: A slight increase in visa fees
 

And if you are applying to a non-London office (to comply with their "regional rules", you have even less time!

From VFS website..............

Date of Notice: 11 January 2013.
The High Commission of India has revised the visa fee for Tourist Visa and Research Visa for all UK nationals with effect from 17 January 2013.
The revised visa fee is applicable from 16 January 2012 onwards at this office due to the transit time. Applicants can submit the applications with the existing visa fee until 16 January 2012 at all offices in London, Birmingham and Edinburgh

Re: A slight increase in visa fees
 

And whats the betting that the 5 yr visa will only be available to indians living in the uk that haven`t got PIO or OCI.

Will be interesting to find out.

Re: A slight increase in visa fees
 

You are probably right ,Jill - should know around 3rd week March when I'll be back in london to renew. I'd be happy with a 1 year , 2 yrs would be a bonus - anything over that I really can't see it happening.

Cheers
Iain

Re: A slight increase in visa fees
 

It has just been pointed out that the morons at VFS can't even get the year right!

Re: A slight increase in visa fees
 

Certainly massive increase in prices but is it reciprocal? Visa to visit UK for Indian person is relatively more expensive.

Some are still travelling there though!!

http://www.londonandpartners.com/med...-tourist-boost