The new rules for Indian tourist visas that took effect earlier this year have caused a great deal of angst for visitors to India.
Not only is the rule, which requires travelers on multiple entry tourist visas to have a 2 month gap between visits, being inconsistently publicized and applied, it is also having a detrimental impact on many who legitimately need to travel to India.
This letter was recently brought to my attention. It's from a gentleman of Indian descent who wasn't even allowed back into India to attend his mother's funeral. He was not informed about the new rule when he last departed from India in late December 2009, nor was a re-entry restriction stamped in his passport. The Indian consulate in Amsterdam, where he was stopped during transit on his way to India from the US, was unsympathetic about his case. I can't imagine the extent of the mental anguish this man went though, although he outlines it well in his letter.
Situations such as this are appalling, and I'm sure are not isolated incidents. The ad hoc implementation of the new visa rules will not only negatively affect tourism to India when the country really needs it, but also negatively affect they way India is perceived.
And as one reader of this blog also mentioned, it's hardly fair that the Indian government has not reduced the price of tourist visas accordingly, to take into account the two month gap imposed on travel.
Have you been affected by the new Indian tourist visa regulations? Share your visa issues here.