Can you travel to India with a valid visa in the old passport? [duplicate]

It was possible to enter India with a new passport and the valid visa in the old passport last year. However I can't get any official confirmation on the current status.

Notably, Timatic used to explicitly say that "Valid visas in expired passports are still acceptable, provided accompanied by a valid passport of the same nationality of the expired passport", but currently it doesn't seem to say it anymore. I've checked United one.

Indian consulate in Chicago says:

Transfer of visa to a new passport is not needed in emergency and the applicant can travel to India with old passport having Indian visa, along with new current passport.

Emphasis is mine. I do not have an emergency, and in any case I wouldn't trust embassy web sites as they update very slowly.

So anyone flew to India recently with a visa in an old passport? Was there any hassle/issues during checkin or immigration in India?

I'd transfer the visa, but the process is incredibly annoying, and paperwork-wise is the same as getting a new visa.

Update: things get more interesting. Apparently there seem to be two different versions of TIMATIC.

For example, one from KLM has this exact wording:

... This does not apply to passengers with a PIO card.

Valid visas in expired passports are still acceptable, provided accompanied by a valid passport of the same nationality of the expired passport.

However the one available at http://www.iatatravelcentre.com and the one from United do not have this wording, and both explicitly omit this phrase:

Best Answer

To add to the answer above, I was allowed to board the flight using this combination, but it took Qatar gate agents in Barcelona 20 minutes to confirm this, including calling phones and bringing in no less than four different people. So if you do this, make sure you account for this extra time, i.e. don't be the last in the boarding line at the gate.

Update2: every single hotel I checked in in India also wanted to see a visa, and some were confused seeing it in another passport. Also took some extra time, although was never refused check-in.

Update3: when you leave India, you also need to present the old passport with visa, so don't pack it into your check-in luggage.

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What happens to visa when passport is reissued?

In case of passport reissue, the new passport will be released while the old passport will be cancelled and returned. However, any of the active visas on the old passport will still be valid and can be used till expiry of the particular visa.

Can I travel with new passport and visa on old passport?

You do not have to transfer your visa. Simply present both the old passport with the still-current Indian visa and your new passport. I have entered India several times since my old passport expired.

Can I use my old passport if I have applied for a new one?

Use your old passport and you will be able to travel anywhere as long as there is 6 months validity remaining. Might be different for each country. In the US they take your old passport while processing the new one. They send both to you, but the old one has holes punched in it to invalidate it.

Can I travel to India with visa on old passport?

A: If you have a valid visa in your old passport that has expired, your visa is still valid. You can travel to India using both the old and the new passports, as long as your nationality and passport particulars remain the same. There is no procedure to get it transferred in the new passport.

Apply // Renew // Update Passport- What To Do When Visa Is On Old Passport // Get New Passport

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

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