Hopefully the Herald has it wrong - but who knows. Happy New Year everybody.

Regarding the visa photo 2"x2". Friends had the new size photos done at a photographers to send with their application. Now they have found out from an agent that the rule has changed in that the head in the photo has to be between 1" to 1.3/8" in size and the centre of the eye to be 1-1/8" to1-3" from the bottom of the photo. New rules came out last thursday.

Hope this helps - VFS have outlined the full requirements for visa photos on their website and stated that applications will be rejected if they dont comply with their spec. Here is the link:

http://in.vfsglobal.co.uk/touristvisa_photospecs.html

Veri

The site is very helpful thank you!

I called them as we are currently living in Spain (UK citizens) but wish to go to Goa for 6 months to a year,they were very helpful and were able to point us in the right direction. We have opted to go back to our hometown and obtain the visas over the counter..........post here is terrible.

Hi there.

Don`t wish to put the dampers on your trip to Goa - but the current visa situation is that you can only spend a maximum of 180 days in the country and then you have to have a gap of 2 months before returning! Even if you get a 1 year visa!J

Thanks for that MsJ5, they did state that it was only for the 180 days at a time, they failed to say that there has to be a gap of two months. Not put a damper on my trip 6 months better than none.

Thanks again

Sharon

Friends arrived yesterday - when visa's arrived back it had their photo on it. Like on the new driving licenses, but why they have had to have new sizes is anybodies guess.

Interesting - this is only the second photo visa I've heard of - perhaps they are having teething problems with the new equipment - I read somewhere that it is from US so of course it will expect US size photos (it was years before US computers/ programs/ printers would recognise A4 paper).
This is all part of Chidambaram's great universal database - it was written up in the press a few months back, but I don't have a link to the story.

AndyD 8-)#

P.S. Is the visa photo in b/w?

Will ask tomorrow - they just said it was shrunk to the tiny photo on the driving licence.

I have an Indian driving licence from 5 years ago and yes the photo is miniscule

the new visas with the photo are purple in colour and have several new security anti forgery features. this seems to be the standard for new visas and the photo is also shrunk to about half inch by half inch.

If they are going to shrink the photo to put it on the visa why increase the size first. Although I suppose it keeps it in proportion.

From reading various articles, I think they are using technology from USA, and the Yanks are the other major user of the 2"x2" photo........

Because they like being awkward and making us jump through hoops! It is a pity that they have not had the gumption to put the new photo booth in their office before making this rule.

The VFS info. states that there are photo booths in all centres except Manchester, Glasgow, & Cardiff. Is this not true? If it is true how are the queues?