Hello Everyone, Namaste 🙏😊
How are you doing? Few decades back being a passport holder in India was no less than a luxury. Back in 80s and 90s having a passport and traveling abroad was only considered for the rich people and for middle class it was no less than a dream. With time this scenario has changed completely now people are going abroad very frequently and on regular basis. Many middle class Indians have settled themselves abroad on Work Visa. Apply for a passport is very easy and convenient process here in India. I also got my passport just recently last year. Any citizen can fill the passport application form online or offline and can get a appointment from passport office. However there is a waiting period of about two to three months depending on the cities for getting the appointment for a regular passport. But there is also a option of Tatkal (Immediate) Passport which also bears few extra bucks but will give appointment within a week. As I was in no hurry for the passport, i choose normal passport. Then there is a fee for the passport paid online and then we can book appointment as available in the schedule. We also have the option to choose date and time slot as per the availability and our convenience.
As passport is the international document and the topmost identity card for any citizen, its issue requires a through checks and requirements such as Police Verification, Address Proof, Education Certificates, Identity Proof. Then Passports are issued only after physical verification processes at Regional passport offices of the government. On the day of appointment one has to go to his appointment venue at the allotted time. We need to carry all our essential original documents and photos for verification. During appointment, our lives photos, Finger prints, Eye Scans are done. Our supporting documents are verified. Then our application is submitted. After that police verification is done to verify the address credentials of the applicant and then after which the passport is delivered to our address. As i hadn't had the chance to travel abroad, i am not aware much about the visa process. Many countries also provide Visa on Arrival which is a great thing. Then I don't think for tourist Visa there is so much hassle. I will definitely make my first visit abroad in next 3-4 years. Just like any other person I had always been fascinated with the idea of traveling abroad, visiting new places and knowing about others places.
Cultural exchange is the best part of traveling. I usually come across many tourists visiting India and its always a pleasure to interact with them. They are always so excited about gaining knowledge about people and places here. They enjoy the Indian food, festivals, culture and traditions. It's good to see how traveling and easy visa/passport process have given rise to travel. Many people are now traveling abroad for work, business, education, healthcare services etc. Nowadays Universitir and colleges are adopting cultural exchange schemes where they give scholarships and Visas to students from abroad. It's also depends on the hospitality and friendly regulations a country offers to its visiters. Seeing how the world economy is booming and how well we are collaborating with each other, the people will want to and also had to travel more and more.
The global travel restrictions should be a little more at ease and friendly in terms of regulations and budget as well. The major constraint in foreign traveling is the high cost. For budget friendly foreign vacations one can prefer countries having soft currency as compared to your native country. Then there are many travel hack and tricks one should adopt before going on a foreign trip. With internet and online services, it has become so easy to travel abroad. Just arrange everything online, pack your bags, grab your passport and you are set to fly off.
This post is in response to today's Inleo writing prompt. If you are looking for topics to write on, do checkout the post for April month prompt here: @leo.tasks/april-inleo-monthly-calendar-now-here