Reasons Georgia Is India's Best Schengen Option
If holders of Indian passports are experiencing problems in obtaining Schengen visas this summer, Georgia presents a more straightforward vacation option. Entering this nation, which is located at the meeting point of Europe and Asia, requires an electronic visa.
Georgia is a nation that is situated between Asia and Europe.
Delhi can be reached by plane from Tbilisi, the nation's capital, in five hours.
An e-visa is required for Indian passport holders to enter Georgia.
It's not exactly like Europe. It is firmly planted in Asia and has one foot on that continent. For tourists looking to venture outside of the typical travel destinations of continental Europe or Southeast Asia, the former Soviet nation of Georgia is simultaneously a novelty and a mystery.
To start with, obtaining a visa for Georgia seems to be simple, but more on that later. And there's the simplicity of flying. After just five hours on a direct trip from Delhi to Tbilisi, you're landing in Georgia.
So, the benefits of taking the family on a vacation to this small nation a few months ago exceeded the drawbacks. I was in possession of a valid visa for both Schengen and Japan, which let Indian citizens to enter Georgia without a visa. For those that don't, Georgia requires an electronic visa, which is available through their immigration website.
Now, even if the procedure appears to be rather straightforward at first glance, the truth is that applying for an e-visa using their portal requires a great deal of patience. It's a horrible payment gateway. Every time you click the last step, errors appear.
The method is straightforward: select an odd hour to use the e-visa application. The portal isn't quite ready to handle with a lot of traffic at once; so, logging on late at night is advised.
After you complete this task, the other portions are rather simple. The visa's outcome is the source of the issue. Even if all of your paperwork is in line, you could still be rejected because, well, the battle was personal. 72% of Georgian visa applications are denied.
Give yourself plenty of time if you intend to take a holiday to this Caucasian nation. You receive a response to your application in five business days. You have ten days from the date of the result to submit a new application if your first is denied. If not, then congratulations and get on that plane.
Delhi-Tbilisi-Delhi is connected by Indigo three times every week. As promised by its low-cost airline, there's no free food or entertainment on the aircraft (thank you, Airbus A321). However, you sure can get your instant poha by paying a bomb on the flight. You do get drinking water in paper cups though.
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