Hi Ilites, I am a US passport holder and I also have OCI (overseas Citizen of India). Now, that Aadhar card or voter ID is the only acceptable form of ID everywhere in India, what is the ID I should carry to travel domestically? I do own an apartment in India (but yet to get electricity connection to get monthly bills to use as address proof). Now, here are my questions, if I can get answers, it would help during my India travel, next month. 1. Foreign passport holders with OCI, are they charged the same as Indian residents with regard to hotel tariff, domestic airfare, entry ticket for safari, museum etc., ? I read a lot of answers in the forums, but not many hotels and other areas are aware of the so called OCI rules- to be treated at par with NRIs. Pls let me know if you have personally travelled with India recently and if so, your experience??? Recently I read in a forum that the local Indian pays Rs.20 towards entrance fee for Taj mahal, but a foreign passport holder has to pay Rs. 750. IF this be the case everywhere in hotels, monuments, air fares, I don't want to visit India. 2. Other than aadhar and voter id, drivers licence, what is the acceptable ID with photo and local Indian address. I heard that I can get one thro' post office, but is it acceptable. The main reason for my querry is that I plan to travel to Rajasthan and few other places on a trip with a couple of friends, and I am hesitant to carry my US passport and OCI to all the places due to security concern. I am sure there may be plenty of OCI holders in our forum and can you pls clarify the above based on your personal experience? Thx, GPriya.
Indian citizens are also required to show Aadar card to register in hotels. Foreign citizens are required to show their passports; the hotels have to copy the ID page and Visa page of the guest and keep it for some length of time. This is the ID one has to carry for travel within India, by Airlines, and stay in hotels. Museums, Monuments, etc.. that are government owned, charge more for foreigners, than natives. Taj Mahal is one such place. OCI card holders would face varying opinions of the gate keepers. Enforcing every government policy is like that vonly, no? Strangely enough, these places do not require the locals to produce any ID while getting an entrance ticket. Bringing up the possession of an OCI, could cause unnecessary hassles for the visitor, who already speaks the local vernacular, and has a desi-look, and manners. IMO, the major benefit of the OCI is the ability to visit under short notice -- like funerals. The thing costs not more than the cost of a 10 year multiple entry visa of the old times, and this thing is good for life.
Thx Nonya for the detailed info. I am also well aware of all the OCI benefits (if any in particular) as I have OCI for the past 10 years and because of AADHAR talk these days, I was wondering, if being a foreign passport holder (though OCI) whether hotels charge extra. Obviously NOT. Thx again,
