I was packed, passport ready to go, even an extra hour early to the airport. There was still one item missing I was unaware of. You don’t have a visa? These were the harsh words that came from the american airlines attendant while attempting to print out my boarding pass. I had no clue what she meant. I wasn’t planning on working in India, wasn’t planning on being a student or conducting research… so why did I need a visa? I was wrong. I have not traveled a ton but I have traveled to Mexico, Belize, Canada, and The British Virgin Islands all of which requires only a passport and no visa.

Lucky for me there is an India Visa Center in Houston, TX about 4 hours south from Dallas. I’ll be driving down tonight, staying in a hotel, and then getting my visa Friday. I have rescheduled my flight for Sunday and the flight from New Delhi to Ahmedabad on Monday. With all this being said here is some information if you ever find yourself needing an India Visa.

Types of India Visas

• 6 Month – $75
• 5 Year – $165
• 10 Year – $165

• Tourist Visa
• Business Visa
• Transfer of Tourist Visa
• Transfer of Business Visa
• Transfer of Entry Visa
• Conference Visa
• Transit Visa
• Entry Visa
• Employment Visa
• Student Visa
• Research Visa
• Missionaries Visa
• Journalist Visa
• Permit to Re-enter Within 2 Months

Rush India Visas

Most people can just apply by mail and be just fine, however if you do need a rush india visa here is some information that might help. There are 5 locations that you can apply in person.

• Washington DC
• New York, NY
• Chicago, IL
• Houston, TX
• San Francisco, CA

Same day india visa applications must be submitted in person to the Outsourcing Office between 9:00am and 11:00am (you will need an appointment that is selected at the end of the online application form). Pickup for same day applications is usually between 5:30pm and 6:00 pm. They do not guarantee the visa will be issued same day. Applications must be received before 11:00am or else you will be issued the visa the following day.  Please note that even the overnight fedex includes a 4 to 5 day processing time.

India Visa Resources

• Travisa Outsourcing

So tomorrow I will be heading off to India for 6 weeks.  The feelings of excitement and nervousness are overwhelming.  Tomorrow I fly from Dallas to Chicago to New Delhi, where I will spend one night before heading off to Ahmedabad.  Ahmedabad is about 300km north from Mumbai in the South Western state of Gujurat.  I’ll be living with two friends that I have worked with over the past year and a half.  Kapil and Harry.  I’m just as excited to meet them as I am to be consumed with the vast culture of India.  I look forward to all the colors of clothes, smells of street vendors and traffic I will soon be overwhelmed with.  My plan is to keep this blog up to date while I’m away and continue to post images of the exicting things I’ll experience.

Some places I’ll be traveling:

• New Delhi
• Ahmedabad
• Girnar
• Diu
• Mumbai
• Goa
• Jaipur (The Pink City)
• Agra

Here are my 2010 Resolutions/Goals.  I hope you will keep me to them and I plan to complete them as well!

Read the entire Bible

Learn to speak enough spanish to carry on conversations with complete strangers

See 2 Wonders of the World

Start on my MBA

Travel to 2 new continents

Start 2 web apps

Create an iPhone app

Read 2 books a month

Update this blog once a week