Indian Visas Were a Struggle | Motohiro Tsuchiya, Vice-President / Professor, Graduate School of Media and Governance

I recently attended a conference on Japan-India university collaboration held in Hyderabad, India. This was probably my fourth visit to India, but all previous trips had been to Delhi. This was my first time visiting a different city.

However, as is always the case, obtaining an Indian visa is difficult. I recall that in the past, I had to fill out paper forms and take my passport to the Indian Embassy in Tokyo. Now it is online. And it is incredibly difficult!!! Perhaps my understanding is lacking, but even when I input the required information, errors occur repeatedly. When a page reloads due to an error, previously entered items are overwritten on their own, forcing me to re-enter them. Then, another error. This cycle continues endlessly. I tried tweaking the input content little by little, but I couldn't figure out what was wrong.

I finally gave up and, as part of university business, asked my secretary, Ms. I, to handle the proxy input. I thought I was just being incompetent and hoped that Ms. I would be able to do it easily. However, even Ms. I struggled, and it took several hours before a receipt email finally arrived in my inbox. I felt truly sorry.

Mr. N, who accompanied me, seemed to navigate through it more smoothly than I did, though he also faced some trouble. My problem was entering the previous visa number; no matter how many times I entered it, it wouldn't pass. Since Mr. N was visiting India for the first time, he didn't have this requirement, which is likely why it was relatively smoother for him.

However, there was still a trap. After transferring in Singapore, we arrived at Hyderabad Airport and faced immigration. My visa should have been successfully obtained. However, they told me to produce a paper document. I showed them the printed email. But they said that wasn't enough. While panicking, I flipped through the clear file I had brought, and found that Ms. I had printed out a different document for me. Apparently, that was what was needed. When I asked Ms. I later, she said she didn't think it was necessary but printed it and put it in just in case. Ms. I is amazing!

Looking to my side, I saw Mr. N facing the same problem. However, Mr. N had not printed that document. It seemed he wasn't even aware such a document existed. At this rate, Mr. N wouldn't be able to enter the country. I hurriedly left the immigration booth to go back and consult with Mr. N on what to do. When I explained the situation to a nearby officer, they told us to go to an office over there.

Inside the office, some kind of dispute was happening. Another traveler was arguing with an officer. I didn't know the details, but it felt like a similar kind of trouble. At this point, Mr. N took out the Wi-Fi router he brought from Japan and started working on his laptop. He logged back into the online visa system and began searching for the document. A few minutes later, Mr. N found it. Now, what to do next? To my surprise, Mr. N displayed the document on his laptop screen, confronted the immigration officer, answered the questions confidently, and managed to enter the country. I was exhausted before even reaching the hotel.

The conference began the next day. After several discussions on Japan-India university collaboration, during a break, the moderator asked, "What are the factors hindering student exchange between Japan and India?" Seeing that no one else was raising their hand, I said, "The Indian visa system." The moderator looked puzzled, as if wondering what I meant. I pointed out, "Obtaining an Indian visa is terribly tedious. Even if you apply online, they ask for paper at immigration. I don't see the point of Digital Transformation (DX)." The Japanese participants there nodded silently.

But what about the Japanese visa system? When I enter Japan, obtaining the QR code for Visit Japan Web is a bit bothersome. Although some information from the previous entry can be carried over, you have to input data every time, get a QR code, and hold it over a machine (though paper customs declarations are still possible). People who need a visa to enter Japan probably have to do much more before boarding a plane to Japan. Is it convenient enough?

Entry was difficult, but during the Japan-India conference, we were able to agree on an agreement with IIT Hyderabad, part of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT). It is one of India's prestigious institutions, where it is said that if you fail to get into IIT, you go to MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). After returning to Japan, we both finished signing the agreement, and it came into effect.

I am grateful to Professor Rajib Shaw of the Faculty of Policy Management and Professor Marie Lall of the Faculty of Law for helping with the negotiations, and to Mr. N for coming along despite the hardships. I hope that by the time researcher and student exchanges begin in the near future, entry will have become smoother for both Japan and India.

The day before returning home, we all went to a slightly high-end Indian restaurant to celebrate the success of the negotiations. Professor Shaw ordered the food. "I asked them not to make it too spicy," said Professor Shaw. However, it was extremely spicy. "That's strange, I did ask them," Professor Shaw laughed. Mr. N and I ate while sweating and shedding tears from the spiciness.