REUNION PUBLISHES LIST OF INDIAN TRAVEL AGENCIES FACILITATING VISA WAIVERS
(Posted 21st November 2014)
New Visa waivers are in effect since August this year for Indian citizens wishing to visit Reunion for a period not exceeding 15 days and insider sources from the island are confirming and upward trend of arrivals from India as a result.
A number of Indian travel agencies were designated to process the Visa waivers for their clients and the French Embassy in New Delhi has now published a comprehensive list of those agencies to make it easier for wannabe visitors to select the right one to make their arrangements for flights and hotels.
A total of 56 such selected agencies across the country are based in such major cities like Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Indore, Kolkata, Mumbai, Nagpur, Pondicherry, Pune and Raipur.
These travel agencies are however required to in turn use the services of a designated incoming agency, or DMC, based on the island of Reunion to make local arrangements for meet and greet services, hotel and resort bookings and related added services like car hire or airport transfers.
As a reminder, the approved agencies must provide the traveler with a voucher containing the following inscription in French and English: ‘This trip takes place in the framework of the decree of 27 June 2014 concerning the exemption of visa for Indian tourists / Chinese traveling to Reunion for stays of up to 15 days’. This document then facilitates the problem free uplift of such passengers by airlines flying to St. Denis’ Roland Garros International Airport.
The accredited agencies must also notify, between 24 to 48 hours prior to travel, the PAF (Police Aux Frontieres) giving the identity of travelers who benefit from the visa exemption indicating their name, date of birth, passport number and dates of stay.
This procedure is valid for all Indian passport holders residing in India and any part of the world. However, this procedure is not valid for tourists falling into the VFR category, that is to say to the Indian nationals visiting family or friends. Such visitors, wishing to stay with their families or friends, must always apply for a proper visa through the French Embassy or Consulate in their respective countries.
For added information click on the links shown below
Embassy of France in New Delhi
More details about Reunion can be found via www.reunion.fr.
2 Responses
Can the hotel where an Indian is staying for his vacation issue the inscription ‘This trip takes place in the framework of the decree of 27 June 2014 concerning the exemption of visa for Indian tourists / Chinese traveling to Reunion for stays of up to 15 days’. We are travelling via Air Austral. Will the above voucher issued by a hotel be valid for visa on arrival?
Please contact either IRT, the tourism board of
Reunion of their immigration department for an
update and response to your question.
Thanks for reading my blog.
W.