Spouse's name not on passport? Carry proof of marriage

TIMES OF INDIA

NEW DELHI: Their bags are packed, they're ready to go.But they can't leave on a jet plane just yet. Indian travellers often commit mistakes while planning international trips, due to which they are not allowed to board flights or deported from their destination.

A Delhi couple heading to Dubai on honeymoon were not allowed to board the plane at IGI airport on Wednesday as the woman's visa identified her as "wife of " x, while her passport, issued before marriage, had her name alone.

The couple managed to fly out later, but travel industry veterans said, in such cases, it's best to carry proof of the marriage. If you are married and the name of your partner is not on the passport, remember to carry a marriage certificate along. In case you don't have it, carry an affidavit or marriage photographs along with some other proof," said Sharat Dhall, president of travel portal Yatra.com. "If someone's passport has an emigration clearance required (ECR) stamp, they need to get emigration check done prior to departure," he added.

According to leading travel agents, this is just one of several mistakes that result in last-minute heartbreaks for travellers. "Almost on a daily basis, we have people returning from airports or being deported due to common mistakes," Anil Kalsi of Delhibased Ambey Travels said.

One of them, he said, was not checking the transit visa requirements before booking flights with layovers. "People look for lowest fares and end up buying tickets without keeping in mind transit visa requirements. For example, people flying from India to the US via Canada, or India to Canada via the US, buy tickets without realising that they would require a transit visa for Canada and the US," he said, "Such people are sent back from origin airports."

If you're flying from India to New Zealand or Fiji via Australia, you will need an Australian transit visa, Kalsi added.

Another mistake is ignoring the validity of passports, especially while travelling to countries that offer visa on arrival. "It is common to see tourists being deported from Bali (Indonesia offers visa on arrival) as they land with passports due to expire in less than six months (from date of return) and are denied visa," Kalsi said.

Dhall of Yatra.com added, "Passengers must ensure their visa and passport details match in terms of name, passport validity , details and date etc. Travel dates and visa dates should be matched particularly for Schengen visa."