15 Common Mistakes that can leave you stranded at the Indian Airports

You have been planning for a trip since long, bookings have been confirmed,
clothes purchased to look your best, luggage is all packed, Facebook check-in
has been updated and you head to the airport to find out that you have been
denied boarding! Now that will be a very embarrassing and an agonizing
experience.

The reasons for denial can be numerous but in most of the cases simple
oversight of mandatory conditions to leave the country or enter the final
destination can lead to a horrific and a costly experience. I have jotted down
some of the reasons for which precautions should be taken to ensure there is no
spoiler for a memorable vacation.

FOR RESIDENT INDIANS

OK to Board

Vacationers to the Middle East may be outraged to find out that they have been
denied boarding because they failed to obtain an OK to Board clearance from the
airline.

Fake E-Visas have been used in the past to enter the Middle East only for
passengers to be later deported. The cost of deportation is borne by the airline
and hence airlines have made it mandatory to get the visa verified prior to
departure.

Tip

Request your visa issuing authority to forward the visa to the airline for an OK to
Board clearance. There is a small fee that is charged for it.

OK to Board Guidelines

Emigration Check Required (ECR)

Passports in India state whether an emigration check is required before you are
allowed to leave the country. Till 2007, no mention on the passport meant ECR
was mandatory and the POE had to endorse the passport before travel whereas
after 2007, no mention implies that ECR is not required. An unnecessary
complication has spoiled travel plans for a number of tourists in the past.

Tip

Study your passport and look for any mention of an ECR. In case it is required,
visit the protector of emigration and get the condition deleted on your passport
by presenting the mandated documents

ECR Guidelines
Marriage Blues

You applied for a visa declaring your new marital status or mentioned the new
surname in your airline ticket and failed to get your passport updated; a common
occurrence that can spoil your trip. There have been articles on women
passengers having mention of their spouse name on the visa, while it is absent in
the passport.

Remedy

Get your passport updated, it is the best long term solution; nonetheless you can
always carry the proof of your marriage and present it to the immigration officer
on request

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Spouses-name-not-on-passport-Carry-
proof-of-marriage/articleshow/54823036.cms

Vaccination Certificate

Visiting a country infected with yellow fever or polio, be prepared as you will be
expected to have your vaccination certificate in order to be allowed to board the
flight.

Tip

Go through the directives issued by the bureau of immigration or the ministry of

health and family welfare to understand the procedure for obtaining the
certificate of vaccination for foreign travel. It is in the best interest of the health
and safety of the passengers only.

http://mohfw.nic.in/showfile.php?lid=2634, http://boi.gov.in/content/health-
regulation

Schengen Visa

Schengen Visa allows access to 26 countries; however visitor information

explicitly states that the visa should be applied only from the country of your first
arrival or where you plan to spend most of your time. The rule is often ignored by
travellers, but there have been instances where airlines like Lufthansa have
refused boarding citing this requirement.

Tip

Your itinerary needs to prove you are travelling to the country from where your
visa was issued. Have some documentary proof to substantiate your claim.

Visa on Arrival

Have you read an intriguing article on destinations outside of India, where visa is
not required and booked your tickets? You may be in for some rude shock when
asked to produce certain accompanying documents which you were not aware of.
Visa on arrivals are very convenient, however every country has certain
conditions which need to be fulfilled to be eligible for VOA.

Tip

Read the conditions for visa on arrival very carefully. Online articles can be
contradictory at times and should be verified from the embassy.

Permission from the Indian Courts

In an unlikely scenario, if there are criminal charges pending against you in any
court in India and you plan to travel without the requisite permission, the
immigration officer can deny you exit from the country and can also trouble you
with some further interrogation

Tip

Always report your plan to travel outside of India to the court where the matter is
pending and take the necessary permission.

Air-Side Transit Visa

Transit Visa is required in case you plan to visit the country which is not your final
destination and where you have a flight connection, however England insists on
an airside transit visa even if you do not intend to leave the airport, Australia
requires a transit visa if you stay at the airport for more than 8 hours. You can be
refused a boarding pass if you do not have the transit visas despite your
intention of not visiting those countries.

Tip

For all connecting flights, check the rules of transit since every country has its
own conditions which a traveller is supposed to know.

Intent to Return Back

Immigration officials have of late become very strict on ensuring that you intend
to return back to India after your foreign trip. Any indication that may prove
otherwise can put your travel plans in jeopardy

Tip

Carry proof of financial means; return flight ticket, hotel reservations and any
other documentary evidence that justifies your intent

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/400-indians-denied-boarding-based-on-their-
economic-profile-in-last-3-months-immigration-dept-plans-surprise-
checks/1/736675.html

Overbooked Flights
Airlines tend to overbook flights in the anticipation of a few last minute
cancellations. At times the cancellations do not happen and you can be in for
some distress due to denied boarding. A very frequent reason with all airlines,
you need to be prepared slug it out at that moment

Tip

If an airline denies boarding due to overbooked flights, you have legal right to
compensation up to 400% of the fare. In case you agree for an alternate flight
within 24 hours, you can be compensated for an amount equivalent to 200% of
the fare.

http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/airlines-to-pay-huge-
compensation-for-flight-cancellation-or-denying-boarding-to-flier-2920024/

FOR TOURISTS AND NON RESIDENT INDIANS

E Tourist Visa

Tourists entering India need to be aware that India does not offer Visa on Arrival,
instead India issues an E-visa which needs to be availed before entering the
country. There have been numerous instances when tourists have landed in India
only to find that they did not have an E-visa.

Tip

Indian government has an online portal to grant an E-Visa. It enlists the countries
whose citizens are eligible under this initiative. Read the details on the website
along with the FAQs to avoid last minute glitches

https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/tvoa.html

Restricted Entry Permit

Nationals of a few countries are granted limited visas, which restrict movement,
require reporting to

the nearest police station and also specify the point of entry/ exit in the country.
Visitors to India on these limited visas have been subject to inconvenience for
not adhering to the conditions of their entry permit.

Tip

Be aware of the conditions on which the visa is granted. You need to report to the
local police station regularly and permission needs to be sought to enter any
other city than permitted on the visa.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india/the-mad-mad-world-of-indian-and-
pakistani-visa-rules/story-YtkZGlA7Nk191gFmf8jHTJ.html
Out of Funds. Prepare for any eventuality

A fun filled vacation is about to end, you exhaust your cash since you are about
to head home and reach the airport only to find that your flight has been
cancelled or you missed it. Such lapses of judgement can be traumatizing and
you need to be prepared for it.

Tip

Always keep some emergency money to be used only in extreme conditions. A

credit card with an unused credit limit and online funds always come in handy.

Stamp of Arrival in India

There have been reports from some airports, when the immigration officer has
failed to stamp the passport on arrival into the country. Absence of an entry
stamp on the passport is considered an illegal entry and can lead to problems at
the time of departure.

Tip

Never leave the airport without verifying the entry stamp on your passport. In
case the stamp is not present, make it a point to go back to the immigration
officer and have your passport stamped.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/No-arrival-stamp-on-Indians-
passport-at-Mumbai-airport-he-cant-return-to-UAE/articleshow/47930826.cms

Re-check passport pages

A scam reported over a few airports is of missing passport pages, which can land
you in a soup on your way back home. Be very cautious while handing over your
passport to anybody and recheck the pages of your passport to ensure
everything is in perfect order

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/Watch-out-your-passport-
might-have-missing-pages/articleshow/1485097964.cms