Dear Centre Coordinators,

Madhuban would like to caution the double foreigners with Tourist/e-Tourist Visas to ensure you have checked the following before planning/leaving for India on your Madhuban trip:

1.  Those who have a 10-year tourist visa, especially Canadian passport holders, should check whether the visa is still valid. This is because after Covid years, this particular 10-year visa seems to have been made invalid. We had one case last season, and another case last week, where on arrival the double foreigner was informed that their visa is invalid; they were given a two-day entry visa, and then had to go through the procedure of uploading all their documents onto the e-FRRO site (Foreigner Registration Regional Office) and apply for an exit visa. Most of the time, the exit visa is valid for only 15 days.

2.  Those double foreigners whose passport has expired, but they still have a valid Indian Tourist Visa on their old passport, must have the old passport with them showing the visa or a copy of the old passport showing the visa. You cannot travel otherwise. One double foreigner somehow managed to enter India, but as the old passport had been handed in at their native country and not returned to them and they did not have a copy, again the two-day entry visa was issued, and the same above procedure had to be followed.

All this was after many hours of interrogation and waiting at the airport. Another case came to light today, where the double foreigner was not allowed to board the flight to India. In such cases, it is important to carry a copy of the old passport with the valid Indian visa, and this appears to be sufficient to show the authorities at the airports.

Please take time to ensure that everything is in order to avoid inconvenience and tension.

Many thanks.

In Baba's yaad,

BK Shashi