Indian visas asks have you been to India before

[dinsey123]

Trying to fill out the form but it asks have you been to India before. Wife has but on her, old Indian passport.
If I hit yes, it brings a drop down with the visa details, assumes that you needed a visa to visit last time. Can't answer no as have been before but won't let me put on Indian passport.

Anyone.....

[ban.s]

choose No
(as you are applying as a British national)

[dinsey123]

Hi Bans, thanks for the quick reply.

Wife has just got a British passport and we only found out that she has to surrender her passport before she can do oci or tourist visa.

Ideally we would like to go down the oci route as not point paying the visa fee then oci but we have time constraints, need it done within next three weeks.

Will try and get surrender done this week in person then visa. Any chance we can do the visa application at the time we hand the paperwork in for surrender (bearing in mind we have the forms with us completed) or will we have to wait for the certificate to come back then apply. Some say you can apply with the receipt information to hand but real question is if we can do it at the same time.

Another side not if anyone can help, both my kids have oci, but have since been issued with new British passports, we have the blue cards for oci as well as the old passport with the card stuck in. Are we okay if we take both passports old and new or will be have to transfer to new one?

Thanks

[ban.s]

passport surrender and visa are two separate processes and they are handled by separate departments in HCI. AFAIK it's unlikely they will accept both applications together.

re. kids with OCI i believe it should be fine as long as you carry both the passports (new + old with oci sticker) and OCI booklet. I know few people who travelled without any issue. Immigration officer may ask you to get the OCI transfer done for your next visit.

[dinsey123]

Thanks for the reply.

So the journey seems,

Surrender and then wait for certificate to come in the post

Then make appointment for visa with the certificate in hand

Then wait for the visa to come back.

Can I not make the application for the visa without waiting for the certificate? Ie they know its in the system.

Got three weeks to get this done, going tomorrow to hounslow to surrender, thinking of doing the online visa bit this evening and seeing what appointments are available.