Today I ended up being denied boarding at CDG. I booked the trip through a physical travel agency with no assistance for the visa application. I applied in plenty of time and got the approval. Except I put the 9th (the day I left France) as the date instead of the 10th, which is the arrival date in India. That’s what caused the denial. I’m guessing I don’t have any recourse? Thanks for your replies.

I'm looking for any recent info (2024) on entering Myanmar from Ranong in Thailand, as well as the journey up to Mawlamyine. Are there any restricted areas?

Has it gone back to 30 days for visa exemption? Valid from when? And is a flight ticket mandatory for leaving the country? Thanks!

Hi everyone!

I’m planning to go to Thailand for 90 days (departure on 20/06).

- I thought I’d read that the processing time for the E-Visa had been reduced to just a few days since June 2025 (so very recent). Can you confirm? However, on the embassy’s website and when I try calling them, they’re still quoting 3-4 weeks. Hasn’t this been updated yet? Because I’m starting to sweat here…🤪

- I was a bit hasty in declaring the funds to prove my solvency. Should I wait for their response rather than submitting a second visa application, which might conflict with the first one?

Thanks for your feedback! Have a great day

India is introducing an electronic arrival card for foreign travelers. The measure is effective for all travelers starting October 1st.

India is now adopting the electronic arrival card. Presenting this "e-Arrival Card" is now mandatory for all arrivals in India as of October 1, 2025. This formality replaces the paper card previously filled out on the plane or upon arrival. India aims to streamline traveler tracking. The requirement applies to travelers of all nationalities, both adults and minors, for all entry points into India. It’s an additional mandatory formality alongside the e-Visa or visa. The e-Arrival Card must be completed online within three days prior to arrival in the country. Available in English only, it’s free and can be done on the official Indian authorities' website. The document is valid only for the declared arrival day. "This means you’ll need to complete it for each new arrival," clarifies RapideVisa, an agency specializing in visa services. Travelers must provide standard information to obtain the document (passport number, purpose of stay, countries visited in the 6 days before arrival, etc.).

Once completed, a document with a QR code to present to authorities upon arrival is generated. With this new system, India aims to facilitate traveler tracking and reduce congestion at airport counters. Nearly 19 million international visitors traveled to India in 2023. Among them, 189,000 were French.

Source: https://www.lechotouristique.com/article/inde-une-nouvelle-formalite-obligatoire-pour-voyager

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WaPqVyUmuY

Hi, I really struggled to fill out the e-visa form. I uploaded my passport and everything correctly, but when it came to payment, it failed three times (on different devices). I'm a bit disheartened and don’t know what to do next. Is using PayPal a better solution?

Thanks for your tips. Marsyork

We're leaving on January 28th for a trip around Rajasthan. I'm trying to fill out the online form to get our visa, but when I reach the 3rd page and hit submit to move to the next one, everything gets erased and I can't continue. I've tried from multiple computers, our iPhones, and different browsers—nothing works. Has anyone else run into this issue? Thanks

Hi there,

We’re a group of 7 people heading to SRI LANKA in March.

We’re transiting through Mumbai (Air India flight), then after a few hours, we’ll take a SriLankan Airlines flight to Colombo.

The return trip follows the same route 26 days later.

The issue is about the Indian visa.

1- Do we need an Indian visa since we’ll only be at Mumbai Airport for a few hours (no checked baggage)?

2- Do we need a double-entry visa?

Thanks for your help—everything I’ve read online is pretty unclear.

Hey Fellow Travelers,

I was caught off guard when the Malagasy consulate in Scandinavia informed me they don’t issue entry visas for Madagascar—what’s the point of a consulate, I wonder! They advised me to apply at the Malagasy embassy in London. So, I started filling out the online form, but the price for the visa made me do a double-take: nearly 200 €!

But apparently, you can also get it on arrival! Has anyone tried this before? I’d love to know if the process takes a long time (I’ll be landing in Nosy Be, exhausted after nearly 15 hours of travel), what the cost is, and—since corruption isn’t just a word—whether you absolutely have to grease the palm of the official(s). This is because I almost took the next flight back when I arrived in a country I won’t name. Even though all my documents were in order—passport, visa, vaccinations, hotel reservation—the immigration officer initially refused to stamp my passport. I later found out I was supposed to slip at least $10 into the document when presenting it... Thanks! /d

Hi there

I’ve received my e-visa for India. Now, if I understand correctly, I need to confirm the status of my ETA. Is the ETA the same as the e-visa? Do I need to print the document? Thanks

Hello my fellow travelers,

I’m leaving for 43 days in India from January 19, 2026, to March 1. How do I handle my e-visa if I don’t necessarily want a one-year visa? The one-month one will be too short... darn it!!

I just found out there’s an additional formality for the visa that came into effect on October 1. Could someone explain to me what it involves and exactly what I need to do? I’d really appreciate it—thank you so much in advance!

Wishing you all wonderful end-of-year celebrations, and may 2026 be filled with love and travels for each of you.

Régine

Hi there,

I’ve been reading conflicting info about whether an Indian visa might be required for a few-hour layover in Mumbai.

Do we need anything besides the Sri Lankan ETA if we’re just transiting through India without leaving Terminal 2 at the airport? We’re flying from Brussels via Frankfurt and then Mumbai with Lufthansa.

Thanks so much—I’m totally lost here! 😅

Hey fellow travelers! 🙂 I’m heading to India in January with a tourist multi-entry ETA (is it still called an e-visa?). First things first, if I’ve understood correctly: I can enter and exit India as many times as I want, as long as my total stay doesn’t exceed 180 days in a full year and no single stay goes over 90 days. Okay, that’s the theory. Now, how does it work in practice? I plan to spend 3 months in India (Rajasthan, then the Ganges Valley up to Varanasi, then Sikkim), then head to Nepal for another 3 months (Kathmandu, Pokhara), and return to India for 3 more months before flying back to France. But here’s the thing—I’ve got the impression (maybe I misunderstood) that renewing the Indian visa has to be done in Kathmandu or Pokhara, and only in one of those two Nepali cities. Yet, on *Le Routard*, I thought I read that you just need to "cross the border and come back," meaning you can enter Nepal at any border point, which would be way more practical... Imagine someone who wants to spend 6 months in northern India and starts from Shimla—they’d have to travel all the way to Kathmandu, then back to Shimla, crossing a big chunk of Nepal just to renew their Indian visa. That seems pretty convoluted, especially since the northwest border with India is so far from Kathmandu. I used this example because I originally wanted to spend 6 months only in northern India, and while waiting for clear answers, I’ve planned an alternative route (the one I described at the start of this post).

Could someone explain exactly how this Nepal border crossing thing works for renewing an Indian visa (and getting another 90 days, within the 180-day annual limit, of course)? How long does it take? How much does it cost?

Can’t wait to hear from you, and thanks in advance for your valuable insights! 🙂 !

Hi there, I’m looking for info on the visa for India: duration, cost, and a reliable website to apply. Thanks!

Hey fellow travelers! 🙂 I'm planning a trip to India in January 2025 for 3 months. This will be my second trip to India. The first time was in 2009, when I was just 21 (doesn’t make me feel any younger!). My issue is this: on the India visa application form, I’m asked if I’ve been to India before, and if so, to provide the visa number from that trip. The problem is, since 2009, I’ve changed passports (and no longer have the old one), so I can’t fill out the form correctly. I thought about answering "no" to the question ("Have you been to India before?"), but that stresses me out because I hate "cheating" or lying. Especially since I figure they might cross-check their databases, and it could seem odd that I answered "no" when I’ve actually been there before. Maybe my visa could even be denied. So, I’d love to know if any of you have been in this situation and how you handled it. Looking forward to your replies! 🙂

Hi there, I have an e-visa valid until 11/8/24. I’m heading back to India on 11/3 for 5 weeks, so I applied for a new 5-year e-visa. Problem: in the visa section, I didn’t enter the number of my current visa—I put NA (not applicable). I’ve already submitted the application and can’t edit it anymore. I haven’t paid yet. 1) If I pay, could the 5-year visa be denied because of this NA? 2) If I don’t pay, will the application be canceled? If so, how soon? Thanks

hi, Is it possible to enter Sri Lanka with a continuation ticket to India without having a valid Indian visa for the planned departure date from Sri Lanka? That way, I could get my visa during my stay in Sri Lanka. I have a valid Indian visa that expires mid-stay, and I can only apply for a new one once the current one has expired. Thanks

Hi everyone, Two years ago, I got a 5-year visa. But I had to change my plans and haven’t used it yet. Do you think it’s still valid? I’d like to go to India at the beginning of the year. I’ve got a big doubt. Do you know where I can find this info? Thanks a bunch!

Hi everyone,

I booked my round-trip ticket from Paris to Phnom Penh (way too quickly, of course) because I’d like to start in Laos. I’m traveling from November 5th to December 3rd. So, I’m wondering: when I arrive in Phnom Penh on the 6th and take a flight directly to Laos without leaving the airport, do I still need a visa for Cambodia? Also, which airport in Laos would you recommend—Luang Prabang or Vientiane?

Thanks so much for your advice!

Hi everyone, I’d like to take a trip from France to Malaysia and Thailand like this:

Paris to Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi

Langkawi to Koh Lipe

Bangkok to Paris

I’m wondering if I’ll run into any visa issues on arrival since I won’t have an outbound flight ticket from Malaysia and I won’t have an inbound flight ticket to Thailand. If you’ve got any tips or have done this trip before, I’d really appreciate your help.

Thanks so much.

Hi there, We’re planning our trip and want to spend 3 MONTHS in Madagascar, but we’re getting really conflicting info about visas. Apparently, it’s not possible to get one at the airport. We contacted the consulate in Marseille… and they don’t know either. The phone number for the embassy in Paris is no longer in service… Anyway… help! If anyone’s gotten a 3-month visa, could you shed some light on this for us? Thanks so much.

Hi,

I’m planning to travel to China very soon, and I read in this article that getting a visa is really complicated. Can anyone confirm? Thanks so much. Nicolas

hi there since the forum is back up, let’s try to gather some updated info. first off, arrival formalities are changing—starting January 1st, you’ll need to fill out an electronic form before arrival. This replaces the paperwork you used to fill out on the plane or at the airport (for air arrivals). Here’s the link: https://www.arrival.gov.kh/. for visas, the same options remain: e-visa, visa on arrival, or visa at the embassy. The standard price is $30 on arrival, but at land borders, be prepared for a small "extra" for "cigarettes or coffee." don’t forget your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after your return. regarding airlines, prices are pretty high for carriers like Singapore, Qatar, Emirates, Vietnam Airlines, and Thai. EVA Air is a great Taiwanese airline with slightly lower fares, but ongoing pressure from mainland China and quasi-blockades could cause delays or issues—something to watch. there are cheaper Chinese airlines, but friends from China advise being cautious with connections. Worth double-checking. transport is evolving too—there’s now a highway from Phnom Penh to Kampot. Soraya, a well-known bus company, has disappeared. More highway projects are in the works. Buildings are popping up fast, just mentioning this for those who haven’t been to Cambodia in a while.

Hi everyone, For an Egypt e-visa application, they ask online: Country you’re traveling from Now, if you’re French but leaving from Italy, for example, what do you put? Has anyone been in this situation before? Thanks

Hi, We're heading to Zanzibar in 6 weeks. I've been stuck for several days on the website https://visa.immigration.go.tz/ because we need to specify whether we're employed or self-employed, but the "employer" and "profession" fields are grayed out. It's a roadblock—I can't move on to the next step. I thought it might be a temporary bug, but that's not the case. I've tried filling out the form on my computer using two different browsers, on my phone, but I keep getting stuck at the same step. I emailed their contact address but haven't heard back. Has this happened to any of you? I don't know how to resolve this issue, especially to get our visas before our departure. Thanks for your help. Stéphanie

Hello, We’re planning to travel to Indonesia (Sulawesi with family) next July and August for a stay longer than a month (about 6 weeks). I’ve seen that it’s possible to get a 60-day visa before departure, but I’ve also read about people having a lot of trouble getting it (some even didn’t manage and had to leave without it). We absolutely need to have these 4 visas BEFORE leaving because once we’re in Sulawesi, I’m not sure we’ll be able to go to an embassy to request a visa extension after 30 days.

In short, how can we **100% guarantee** that we’ll get our 4 60-day visas before our trip this summer?

Thanks for your valuable tips!

Elodie

Hi everyone, and thanks in advance for the tips—it’s always great to find people who take the time to reply. Thanks so much.

I’m heading to the Philippines at the end of August. I plan to stay for a few months, so I’ll need to apply for a long-stay visa extension while I’m there.

During my first month in the Philippines, I’d like to spend a week in Malaysia. With the extension, I’ll have a 59-day visa for that period.

My question:

Can I leave the country for a week and come back during my 59-day visa? Is this possible, or will it cancel the visa?

Thanks so much for reading! Best regards, Boris

Hi,

Is the land border crossing from Ranong to Kawthaung in Myanmar still possible? Can you get a Myanmar visa at the border, and if so, for how long?

Thanks

Good evening, I booked a one-month stay in an Airbnb in Thailand. Is the booking confirmation enough for the 3-month single-entry tourist visa?

Hello, We’ll soon be moving to Madagascar long-term. As a French national, I need to obtain a short-stay visa that can be converted to a long-stay one. To do this, I have to send the required documents to the Madagascar embassy in Paris. No issues with that procedure so far. If I get this visa, once I arrive in Madagascar, I’ll need to provide the same documents to the Ministry of the Interior in Anosy. I’m trying to find an email address or website for the Ministry to check which documents I need to submit (I think they ask for additional ones). If you have any info on this, I’d appreciate your replies. Best regards, M. Buisson Eric