It’s a dramatic sequence of instances as how I got flight ticket in Vande Bharat Mission. In this post, I will provide the information of the location as where to register with Indian embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and other important links, contact details and locations.
The COVID-19 pandemic made the world at rest. Industry started adopting Work-from-home (WFH) as new norm. Relaxation in curfew was given by Saudi government after Ramadan holidays. Even after releasing the curfew, it was not safe to visit crowded place. It has mentally been very suppressive while being inside house for 3 months. So, during the weekend of June 19, 2020 I visited Janu’s place and stayed there for 3-4 days.
(Want to know about Janu? Please refer to the post “Getting Ready to Fly from Saudi Arabia to India during COVID-19”)
The Green Signal
I have been waiting for go-ahead from our management for my final return to India. The person who has to visit to Saudi Arabia as my replacement, he has started working from India. I couldn’t travel to India because someone had to be onsite in Saudi Arabia for filling my place locally.
It was Monday afternoon of 22nd June, 2020. I was online for office from Janu’s place. Suddenly the hot Arabian afternoon turned into breeze when an email from management landed in my mailbox. Yes, it was permission for me to fly back to India. Now I could register on Indian Embassy website for repatriation under Vande Bharat Mission.
Registration procedure on website of Indian Embassy in Riyadh
We need to visit website of Indian Embassy and fill an online form to register for repatriation,
There you need to click on https://forms.gle/PywbFmWc413r3vTg8 to access the form.
Click here to visit website of Indian Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: https://www.eoiriyadh.gov.in/
Click here to visit the online form: Form to be filled by Indian nationals who seek repatriation to India
We need to visit website of Indian Embassy and fill an online form to register for repatriation,
There you need to click on https://forms.gle/PywbFmWc413r3vTg8 to access the form.
Click here to visit website of Indian Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: https://www.eoiriyadh.gov.in/
Click here to visit the online form: Form to be filled by Indian nationals who seek repatriation to India
Please note that after filling the online form, it is mystifying that there is no reference number or tracking number provided to track/follow-up for our online request. There is only a message displayed that your response has been recorded. Honestly, this gives you feel of some unreliable/unauthorized site.
Interestingly, the website doesn’t stop you from registering again, no message/pop-up that you have already registered so can’t register again. Hence, you can register any number of times.
After the registration, we had to wait for phone call from Embassy if our name is selected for the flight. Embassy used to analyze the forms and calls the candidates on the basis of their urgency and critical situation with the person.
Now, it was my turn to wait ‘hopefully’ because you know, I am a very optimistic person.
Enquiry with Colleagues
I returned to my apartment from Janu’s place after 2 days of registration with Indian Embassy, expecting that the embassy may call me at any point of time.
I was excited as if I am about to fly the very next day. So I wanted to be ready to fly with all the required information of mandatory procedures during this COVID-19 pandemic, prior to travel. For example, what medical procedure will be followed at the departure and arrival airports, how much time does it take, what additional documents are required, etc.
It has been 5 days after registering for Vande Bharat Mission on Embassy website but no call was received. But it didn’t decline in my hope too.
Meanwhile, I came to know that some of my colleagues did get call from embassy and started traveling to India. I made phone call to one of my colleagues.
He informed that they have been registering on embassy website every day for more than one month because the online form doesn’t restrict you from registering multiple times because of you already have registered once. And the call from embassy is received only one or two day in advance, after this we can book the flight ticket via embassy. I also have started following the same practice, hoping that it will increase my chances.
Use of Social Media
Social media played very crucial role in this episode. Following are the YouTube channels which I joined for daily updates regarding Vande Bharat flights and starting of normal international flights operations:
Then I joined Twitter as well. I followed @PMOIndia, @HMOIndia and most importantly @IndianEmbRiyadh (India in SaudiArabia). Indian Embassy regularly updates schedule of Vande Bharat Flights on Twitter.
Click here for Twitter link of Indian Embassy in Riyadh: IndianEmbRiyadh
Important contact details:
Following is the contact information of Indian Embassy in Riyadh (this information can also be found on embassy website given in above section):
Toll Free number: 8002471234 (calling from Saudi Arabia)
Toll Help Line number: 00966-11-4884697/ 00966 542126748 (if calling from India)
Embassy Telephones: 00-966-11-4884144, 00-966-11- 4884691 (for all except Community Welfare matters)
Embassy Address in Riyadh: B-1, Diplomatic Quarter, P.O.Box No. 94387, Riyadh- 11693, Saudi Arabia
Important email addresses and contact numbers of Indian Embassy in Riyadh:
- Ambassador: amb.riyadh@mea.gov.in (Phone: +966-11-4884098)
- Deputy Chief of Mission: dcm.riyadh@mea.gov.in (Phone: +966-11-4884698)
- Counsellor (Community Welfare): cw.riyadh@mea.gov.in (Phone: +966-11-4884032)
- Counsellor (Consular): counsellor.riyadh@mea.gov.in (Phone: +966-11-4884136)
- Counsellor (Education) & Head of Chancery: hoc.riyadh@mea.gov.in (Phone: +966-11-2811696)
- Vande Bharat Mission (VBM): vbmriyadh@gmail.com
The Optimistic Person
I wrote my first email to the embassy on 4th Jul’20 with my passport number, contact details and mentioning the urgency of the travel and expecting a quick response from Indian Embassy with my travel itinerary (as if they have been waiting for my email).
There is a reason for such expectation; that is, Ministry of External Affairs and Foreign Ministry rescued 46 Indian nurses in September 2014 from Mosul in Iraq. They were kidnapped by Islamic State (ISIS). In my case, my rescue will be comparatively easy. And you know me already that I am very optimistic person.
But no reply from the embassy side. (they might have missed my email among thousands of emails. Anyways…)
Meanwhile, Indian Embassy in Riyadh updated the schedule of new flights under Vande Bharat Mission till 15th July, in which there were two flights for Lucknow. Prior to this all the schedules were having the flights only for southern part of India, especially for Kerala. That’s why people were very unhappy about it and were sarcastically saying to rename the Vande Bharat Mission to Vande Kerala Mission.
Anyways, this new schedule raised a new hope as there was one flight from Riyadh to Lucknow on 14th Jul. I was definitely expecting call for this. Days were fleeting with no phone calls; but hope was always there. Again, there was a reason for it; that is, during past three months, April, May and June, thousands of Indians would have already been returned and major chunk from remaining passengers will be filtered for other destinations. So, undoubtedly there will be one seat for me.
But there is no phone call till morning of 13th Jul. So, I again wrote a top-up email to the embassy on my previous email.
I can still get the ticket because people used to get call even one evening advance, and people were already filtered for Lucknow (as per my own optimistic calculation). And you already know me that I am a very optimistic person.
It was 14th Jul, 2020 today and flight departure time was passed but I had not received any phone call, not even reply to my email.
Still my chances are extremely high in next flight because as you already know me that I am a very optimistic person.
KLPD
After around 2-3 days Indian Embassy in Riyadh updated another schedule on Twitter introducing Indigo flights. There were two flights from Riyadh to Lucknow on 23rd and 25th Jul 2020. This time they have mentioned that the passengers can book the flights directly from the airline office and the booking will be on first come and first serve basis. Bookings will start only three days in advance from the day of departure.
This time I did not have to wait for any phone call. Even better.
I started checking the Indigo airline website on 19th Jul but couldn’t find any schedule. I even called their call center but no success. I tried this till mid-night but no visibility of the flights on their website.
Next morning, 20th Jul, I decided to visit the Indigo office for the ticket booking. I searched on Google.com and found the address of the agency which was authorized to book Indigo tickets of Vande Bharat Mission. The agency name is Dnata Travel Company, Limited.
Address of Dnata Travel Company, Limited:
Takhassusi St, Al Sabaan Plaza, Show Room 16, Riyadh 13215, Saudi Arabia
I reached there at 09:30 AM. That day the flight booking was open only for Bengaluru and Lucknow. There were around 30 people in queue. The queue was from outside the office and there were only two queues of six persons each were allowed inside the office. So, rest of the crowd was outside the office door and the security guard was allowing them one by one. Surprisingly, they were calling only persons for Bengaluru only, and asked Lucknow passengers to wait.
Sun was raising up to head and shining like fire. The booking was closed for around half hour at 12:00 PM for day Namaaz. People were increasing, queues were messed up. It was around 1:30 PM. Just to give you an idea that there are no sheds at the entrance at any shops or buildings in Saudi Arabia (at least in Riyadh), no shelter to make shadow at the doors to save yourselves from the heat. Hunger and thirst was raising to the peak.
I could enter inside the office after 1:30 PM. There were five more persons before me in queue for Lucknow flight. I could reach at the reservation counter after 30 minutes (yes it was literally taking this much time).
Till then not many people booked the Lucknow flight. I was very happy and relaxed by presenting my passport to the reservation executive. He took my passport and was checking for the seats to book. I took my forex currency travel card out and presented for the payment.
He gave me my passport back and told me very calmly that I cannot travel to Lucknow because my passport is from Madhya Pradesh, so I cannot travel to Uttar Pradesh (as Lucknow belongs to Uttar Pradesh).
This was very shocking to me as no YouTube channel, no Twitter handle, no website told this rule before. It was the point of more burning tip-to-toe than when I was outside in the fired sun.
I discussed about this with their senior sales executive. He informed that the rules are frequently changing and as per the new rule Indian State Governments are not accepting the passengers of other states’ passport holders. Even if they issue the ticket to me, I will be restricted from boarding the flight at the airport and ticket cost will not be refunded to me. One candidate also met me who had faced this situation.
But, fortunately the sales executive suggested me that I can take the flight for Delhi or Mumbai, then I can have domestic travel further. There was one flight on 25th Jul for Delhi. Ultimately, the day was not wasted because the wrong ways are filtered out now. I got the correct way out. I was returning with a new hope of getting the flight of 25th July to Delhi. My chances are extremely high in that flight because more people have already travelled by then. And you already know me that I am…
Finally, I Got the Ticket
Undoubtedly, It was a very tiring day. All the energy was exhausted. The sun started setting down. I got myself freshen, eaten some food, taken rest. In the evening, I got notification from Vinod Devrath YouTube channel for his daily video.
I was very angry because these YouTube channels which I subscribed, each of them upload two videos everyday but none of them updated of this process that the passport holder of one state cannot take Vande Bharat Mission flight for another state. So, I told my incident into comment section of his video.
Next day, 21st Jul, 2020 afternoon he uploaded another video addressing the queries which he received from his viewers in the comments. In his video he informed that there is no such rule of not accepting the inter-state passport holder passengers.
This is again contradicting from what the travel agency authorities informed me and also, I had met with one person at travel agency booking office who had faced the rejection. This triggered me to give it one more try. I wrote one more long email to the embassy on my previous trail emails, explaining the previous day situations and gave the reference of the YouTube channel which contradicted the information. So, I requested them to respond and guide me with the authentic procedures, as I have never received response of any of my previous emails. I had attached my salary slip as well in the email as proof of my current working location (CWL) as being Lucknow.
After around one & half hour I got a phone call from Dnata Travel Company that they have received phone call from Ambassador to book reserve a ticket for me from Riyadh to Lucknow direct flight for 25th Jul 2020 and also the Indian Embassy Riyadh has sent my email to them in this regard. I can come within two hours to make the payment and collect my ticket. Also, checked my email, there was reply from the embassy, confirming about my flight ticket. I immediately got ready and left for the travel agency. While I was on the way, got call from embassy as well, to confirm whether I got a call from the travel company.
Finally, I had my ticket to Lucknow, India in my hand by 07:00 PM Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) time.
That’s how I got flight ticket in Vande Bharat Mission.
While I was still at the travel agency office, received the call from Barney for some official matter. I informed him about my travel confirmation. We were very excited. He asked me to carry his luggage from Saudi Arabia which he left here when he went to India for celebrating Holi but could not return due to worldwide lockdown because of COVID-19 pandemic.
(Want to know about Barney and his luggage? Please refer to the post “Getting Ready to Fly from Saudi Arabia to India during COVID-19”)
No experience is waste. Experience is experience, no matter Good or Bad.
– Kuldeep Tiwari
We are defeated only once we consider ourselves as defeated.
