It’s that time of year when we glue ourselves to the television set and shout out loud
for India to win. Firecrackers, processions and parties follow every victory. Such is
the craze and madness of cricket amongst Indians. But, imagine yourself soaked in
the spirits of cricket, cheering “India! India! India!” with a pack of equally mad
cricket fans.
Is it possible? Well, yes. Thanks to the hosting nations’ visa agreements, Indians only
need to apply for an Australian tourist visa during the ICC World Cup 2015 to get
New Zealand visa on arrival. Just make sure that your travel period is between
January 26, 2015 and April 5, 2015.
This once-in-a-lifetime deal is facilitated by Trans-Tasman visa arrangement
between Australia and New Zealand wherein you’ll get ‘One Visa for Two
Countries’, for a limited period. A New Zealand visa valid for 3 months will be
issued on arrival, provided you meet all the immigration requirements of New
Zealand. Now, isn’t that cool? Globalisation is surely opening new doors with
such cracking deals and visa on arrival facilities for Indians to 52 countries.
Check out how to make this possible!
✔ Plan your travel to the twin cities between January 26, 2015 to April 5, 2015.
✔ Make sure that your Australian visa is valid under the Trans-Tasman agreement.
✔ Make sure that you meet all the immigration requirements.
Why should you make use of this opportunity?
1. Otherwise, you’ll have to apply for two different visas. (Cricket does bring in a lot
of good things!)
2. Travellers only need a reason to travel and this opportunity is just a catalyst to
your vagrant desire.
3. A cricket stadium soaring with thousand fans, kangaroos playing on a secluded
beach and the wonderland from Lord of the Rings’ Hobbiton , what else can a perfect
vacation have?
Catch that match
If you are a cricket fan, you would have marked all the important dates, planned
your day with the guys and maybe even decided upon the reason that you should
need to tell your boss and skip work. Here is our pick of matches that should not be missed on your
trip.
| Date | Match | Location |
| Feb 15 - Sunday | India v/s Pakistan | Adelaide Oval, Australia |
| Feb 22 - Sunday | India v/s South Africa | Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia |
| Feb 28 - Saturday | New Zealand v/s Australia | Eden Park, New Zealand |
| March 06 - Friday | India v/s West Indies | WACA Ground, Australia |
| March 07 - Saturday | Pakistan v/s South Africa | Eden Park, New Zealand |
| March 08 - Sunday | Australia v/s Sri Lanka | Sydney Cricket Ground, Australia |
| March 24 - Tuesday | 1st Semi Final | Eden Park, New Zealand |
| March 26 - Thursday | 2nd Semi Final | Sydney Cricket Ground, Australia |
| March 29 - Sunday | BIG Final | Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia |
Remember
1. The agreement is not valid vice-a-versa. Therefore, having a New Zealand visa
won’t guarantee a free entry to Australia for Indian passport holders. If you wish to
visit only New Zealand, then you need to apply for a New Zealand visa separately.
2. Already have an Australian visa? Superb! Just ensure you are eligible to get
New Zealand visa on arrival. Bear in mind that your visa should be acceptable in
the Trans-Tasman agreement and your travel dates should be between January 26,
2015 to April 5, 2015. Your Australian visa must be valid at the time of checking in
to your New Zealand flight.
3. No stamps required! Since all your information is electronically stored with the
Australian immigration, you don’t need a stamp or label separately which states that
you are eligible to fly to either of these countries.
Author: Winnie Karnik