We’re finally in Koh Lanta after a fairly stressful final week in India. We were due to arrive here on the 11th of November, but thanks to a load of bureaucratic crap (and rude embassy staff – don’t get me started…), we only just arrived yesterday. So I thought I’d share my experience in the hope that other Indians don’t have to face the headaches that I did.
I applied for a visa to two countries: Thailand and Cyprus. Being an Indian national, I am only allowed to freely enter 53 countries out of 196 countries in the world. Not freely per se but that is the number of countries where Indians can get an on arrival visa. The list of these countries can be found here.
The Cypriot visa is what caused me most of the hassle. I used a travel agent, which was my first mistake. They had no idea what they were doing, and kept requesting further documentation instead of telling me what I needed right from the start. Hence, the massive delays and changes to our travel plans.
This post will give you an idea of what you need to apply for a visa to these two countries. I’ll start with the easy one: Thailand.
My Thai visa
When applying for a Thai Visa
- Indians get a 15-day on arrival visa to Thailand. This means that as long as you have a valid hotel booking, a couple of passport size photographs, 1000 Thai baht and, most importantly, a valid passport, you can stay in the country for 15 days. This visa cannot be extended unless you have some serious illness and can’t manage to go to the airport. Here’s the link for some more information.
- If you want to stay for more than 15 days, you need to go for the second option, which is to apply for the visa while you are in India via VFS Global. It’s a pretty straightforward process and the visa is easy to get. You pay the same amount of money that you would pay for the on-arrival but you get to spend 15 days more in Thailand. Here’s the link to the VFS page.
Now comes the difficult one: the Cypriot visa.
Indian passport – a source of both pride and frustration
When applying for a Cypriot Visa
- The only way an Indian can obtain a Cypriot visa is via the Cypriot embassy in the country they’re residing in. Since I no longer live in the UAE, I had to apply for the visa in India at the High Commission of the Republic of Cyprus in New Delhi (location map).
- The embassy staff are rude and impolite. Please read all visa application requirements before you head there to submit your application. Find the list of requirements here.
- If getting sponsored by a citizen of Cyprus, Indians need a letter of invitation certified by the mayor of the sponsor’s village/town along with a bank guarantee letter of 855EUR with the application. This bank guarantee needs to be approved by the Bureau of Immigration in Nicosia before submission to the embassy in New Delhi, and must be obtained by the person who is sponsoring you.
- Sponsor’s passport and Cypriot ID copies are a must.
- Please do not book your tickets before you get your visa. The visa validity is completely up to the certifying officer in the embassy.
- You will need to fill the application form which can be a little hard to find on the embassy’s website.
- One last thing: submit your application at least 10 days before your date of departure as the embassy does not entertain any last minute applications.
- The visa takes 4-5 workings days to be processed. This is including the day you apply for the visa.
In the end, the wait and the torture are worth it. Both Thailand and Cyprus are beautiful countries and you will have an awesome time traveling there.
Tips
I have only one word of advice: do not trust an agent or the embassy. It’s better if you do the work yourself. Get your documents ready and make the application a priority from your end. Call the embassy before you make the trip there just to double check the requirements.
Do you have any visa woes to share with us?
Well, I suppose being a Malaysian has it’s perks, we can gain entry to more countries than you do, and more easily. Except that we can no longer get 10 years visa with the US anymore. In fact, since our government declared us a Muslim country, whoever who goes for the visa interview with a beard will have it tougher to get the visa approved.
Don’t you just love stereotyping? Sigh.
Hai, Ankit.
I need visa for cyprus, but i didn’t no anybody in cyprus,
I am from tamilnadu INDIA.
How can i get it,Please help me
Hi, if you make a booking with a hotel in Cyprus you won’t need a sponsor letter or bank guarantee. You can find more information on the links that Ankit posted 🙂
how can i get link that ankit posted
Hi Sadham. The links are in the article and are highlighted in blue.
Hi Sadham. The links are in the article and are highlighted in blue.
hai Ankit, please clear my doubt,
can i find a job in cyprus by a visiting visa
No Sadham. You can’t work on a tourist/visit visa in any country worldwide.
No Sadham. You can’t work on a tourist/visit visa in any country worldwide. You can find a job but unless you have a work permit, you will not be legally permitted to work in the country.
Hi Ankit..your post is indeed very helpful! I plan to travel to Cyprus in mid-July. In one of the links of High Commission, it says that salaried employees, need to have a letter addressed to cyprus high commission validating the proof of salary etc..is that really important?
Additionally, it also states that the confirmation of the hotel booking is required from the hotel manager. i don’t really want to book the hotels, till the time i get my visa done.
Thanks a ton for this info Ankit!! Can you give a rough idea of the sufficient amount of money to be shown in our accounts in india to convince the embassy enough!! I have an invite . Also do you have to show tax returns from India ? Along with these documents ? If you reply would be great!! Thank you 🙂
Heloo. I have a agent he demanding 300000rs for Cyprus work permit for 2 years. So can i trust. And if possible you can talk me on whatsapp or fb so plzz. Msg me. I need help. My number is 8460231882
My id is – thakkarharsh27@yahoo.in
Heloo. Ankit
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/86644379dc523a60344d31906a14da359b3e31a1d0b930753d72844f8e0384f3.jpg Transit Visa to Bangladesh-misleading
Three day transit is allowed in Bangladesh airport, as per online information. On my way from Laos and Myanmar to India a few months ago, I took a transit stop at Dhaka, only to be arrested (kind of) by immigration authorities.
They denied transit visa existence and transferred me along with three Europeans to a hotel under their control. Hotel like the Dhaka international airport was stinking and full mosquitos.
Why would anybody want to go to Bangladesh of all the places in the world? I have a reason. During Bangladesh independence war, a number of professors and students were massacred citing revolution started in the campus. As students in Andhra university we sympathized with the dead and idealized Muzibur Rehaman. Wanted to see where it all happened.
After a sleepless night in the prison like hotel, I booked the next flight home. But not before I could manage to visit the Dhaka university and Muzibur memorial. University students appreciated my interactions and I was happy I could fulfill my dream.
Friends at home wondered why after all India has done in helping their war of independence and spending billions on the refugees, Indian travelers are treated this way!!
Anyway lesson learned