Do we need visas for India stopoff?

Have a question? Ask our expert Simon Calder

A flight from Manchester to Chennai (pictured) could get held up in red tape (Vivian Richard)

Q We are having problems understanding an issue with visas in India. We are due to fly to Chennai from Manchester with Jet Airways, then on to Colombo with SriLankan. We have read conflicting reports on whether we need an Indian visa or not. We have tried to contact SriLankan to see if they will allow our baggage to be checked through to Colombo. But they haven’t given us a definitive answer. What’s your advice?

TP

A This is a very unusual routing between Manchester and Colombo, not least because you must most definitely obtain a visa. You are obliged to get tangled in Indian red tape because Jet Airways does not fly from Manchester to Chennai. It flies from Manchester to Mumbai, where you will be expected to collect your baggage and pass through customs and immigration before the short domestic flight to Chennai.