How To Obtain An Indian Visa In Kathmandu

Sunday –

• Receive advice to get to the Indian Embassy early.

Monday –

• 8:45am – Arrive at Indian Embassy 45 minutes prior to opening.
• Take a number – 79 to be specific.
• Realize you may not be able to drop off your Telex form today (cutoff is 12pm).
• Security guy suggests I return at 8pm to get a lower number for the next morning.
• Later that night, enjoy dinner with Natalie, Sara, and their friend Cameron and skip the extra visit to the Embassy.

Tuesday –

• 6:30am – Arrive at Indian Embassy 3 hours prior to opening.
• Take a number – 36
• Realize the earlier numbers all went to people who came the night before.
• Chat with one of the English guys I met in Sinuwa on the Annapurna trek, eat breakfast, waste time.
• 9:15am – Queue is formed outside Embassy gate, ten people are allowed in at a time.
• Pass through security check, fill out Telex form, and stand in right queue at Visa/Telex window. Left queue is for people who dropped off their Telex forms three days prior.
• 11am – Drop off Telex form, pay small deposit, and leave.

Thursday –

• 7:30pm – Take taxi to Indian Embassy to pick up lower number.
• Arrive at same time as two English girls I met Tuesday in line.
• Obtain number 26, with understanding that we're each to provide a small “gift” the next day.

Friday –

• 8:30am – Having secured a lower number the night before, I'm able to arrive later in the morning.
• 9:15am – Queue up for entry to Embassy, pass security, line up in left hand queue at Visa window.
• 10:30am – Confirm I was cleared for a new Visa, drop off Visa application and passport, and pay full fee.
• 3:30pm – After eating lunch, booking a flight to eastern Nepal for the travel day to India on Sunday, and spending time on the internet in Thamel, return to cafe outside Embassy.
• 4pm – No numbers this time, we all pass through security and wait outside the Visa window for 20 minutes before the guy starts handing out passports. As names are called, people smile and it feels like you've won a prize (and you deserve one after patiently going through the whole process).
• 5pm – Return to Boudha victorious!

Other Tips –

Be sure to bring a black pen, one passport photo on the day you drop off your passport, sufficient cash, and a good sense of humor!

Dave Lee

Dave is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Go Backpacking and Feastio. He's been to 66 countries and lived in Colombia and Peru. Read the full story of how he became a travel blogger.