Huge numbers of Brits have had to cancel their trips to India due to a last minute change to visa procedure, it has been reported.
People heading to the south Asian country from the UK now have to attend visa processing centres in person.
The rule - which replaces the online process - came after Home Secretary Suella Braverman said that Indians are the “largest group of people who overstay” their visas, and that people didn't vote for Brexit to have an open borders agreement with India.
Brits have now started to receive messages from their travel agents and third-party visa agencies warning that they need to make applications in person following an announcement from the Indian embassy.
Have you had issues getting an Indian visa? Email webtravel@reachplc.com
This is proving difficult if not impossible for many people, given that appointments at India’s nine visa processing centres in Belfast, Birmingham, Bradford, Cardiff, Edinburgh, central London, Hounslow, Leicester and Manchester are fully booked for more than a month.
Now huge numbers of people are facing the prospect of cancelling their trips to India, potentially missing important family events and losing money on flights and accommodation.
Before this week, Brits could apply for a paper visa to India via post.
Citizens of 156 other countries are able to do the process online, but the UK has been banned from this, along with nations including Algeria, Burkina Faso, Lebanon and Pakistan,
Frustrated would-be travellers have expressed their irritation at not being able to travel.
"How are our UK friends supposed to book a visa appointment to attend my 's wedding in India if there are no appointments available at all and nobody is answering our emails or calls?" one woman asked the Indian High Commission online.
"We have been trying to contact you for three weeks now."
Another unhappy customer added: "We are due to fly to India this Thursday. Due to fly. We are not flying.
"They didn't process our visas. £5,000+ holiday gone. I do blame Braverman. I'm still £5,000 out of pocket. Travel insurance doesn't cover this."
Jeannette Findlay was due to fly from London to Delhi with British Airways, before receiving a text from Visa Genie.
It said “effective immediately, the Indian embassy has advised that all applications must be made in person", the Times reported.
"We believe this sudden change is unfair to you and potentially very expensive.”
In response to the reports, the Indian high commission has claimed that the visa rules were not changed at the last minute.
Instead, it claims that British applicants have always had to apply in person at VFS Centres, and that third party agencies had been collecting fees and then heading to the centres themselves.
The Commission said that the matter was being investigated.
