[jyoti]

Ok, so I "need" to get a learner's license to drive legally. But, I can't get one without a rental agreement or some form of proof of address. All other proofs of address require a rental agreement to set up (phone bill, etc) so that's no good. Is there anything else I can use? I am staying informally with a family, and they are very reluctant to have to register a rental agreement with the police station because I am a tourist and they are afraid the police will cause trouble or want money because they have a foreigner staying with them.

How do I either give proof of address or go about getting the rental agreement set up with the least amount of work and trouble for them?

[H.Nick]

I didn't have to give rental agreement (although I do have one).

The RTO demanded an affidavit (how Indian burocrats love affidavits) but I don't know exactly what it said, as the driving school did it for me.

Are you going through a driving school? It helps, they know all the officials and can can get things done.

...But I did have to have and give a copy of my resident's permit.

[jyoti]

I don't have a resident's permit. I have to be here 180 days, right?

And, no, a friend is teaching me. We've been driving on the back roads, and a little bit in the city, but figured for more extensive practice I'd better make it legal.

[H.Nick]

Whether you can get a resident permit or not starts with what kind of visa you have. If it is a tourist visa, you probably can't.

If it is a longer-term visa, then you either have to register, or you have the option of not registering for 180 days (as stamped on the visa).

If you can get an International Driving Permit in your home country you'd be sorted for a year! But that requires making the application there, and having it posted to the address on your licence. ---not impossible, if you have a cooperative friend there to forward the mail.

[dzibead]

Another way to get your Indian driver's license is apparently to become a contestant on the American reality show The Amazing Race.

For those who aren't familiar with the show, a dozen teams of two are sent on a race around the world during which they have to accomplish various tasks. The last team to arrive at the "pit stop" for each leg of the race is eliminated till there are only three teams left, and the final teams race to reach the finish line first and will $1 million.

In this past week's segment, the teams had to get from Hanoi, Vietnam, to Chennai (I looked for you, Nick ), where one of the tasks was that one member of the team had to attend a driving school, go out and drive in traffic with an instructor and "pass" to the instructor's satisfaction, whereupon they were supposely given an Indian driver's license! Although this wasn't part of the "task," they then had to drive themselves 10 km to the "pit stop" for that leg (Chettinad Palace), which sounds scarier than the main "task."

Unfortunately, they showed much less of the actual driving than I would have liked!

[jyoti]

Well, then come watch me next week when we take on the main roads full force!

I actually drove 6 km through town last weekend from the office to home. Only left turns, though. But that's when I was advised that it was highly illegal and that I'll probably get thrown in prison.

My US license is for four wheeler only, apparently. Missouri has a separate license for motorcycle. So even an international driver's license wouldn't cover a four wheeler. I may have to bit the bullet and convince the family I'm staying with to brave the police station and get the rental agreement.

Has anyone else on a tourist visa had trouble when registering a rental agreement? I have a 10 year tourist visa, so I have to leave every 180 days, but I'll be traveling a lot anyway. This'll just be my "home base."

Thanks!

[sugarnspice]

Hi, this is worth a try. Do you have letters addressed to you? Show it to them and say 'well the post office knows I live here.' You never know. It might work. Let me know. Interesting!

[jyoti]

I don't have any letters yet, but am expecting some soon! Maybe I'll have some bills mailed from the US, so they're official letters!

[H.Nick]

But they wouldn't be Indian official letters!!!!

[Sudheer Poppa]

Nay.... letters addressed to you would not count as viable proof in an Indian govt office..

[H.Nick]

They might accept a bank statement?

A phone bill would do, but living in someone else's house you are unlikely to have that.

If I were you, I'd try an affidavit....

Rs20 stamp paper......

'I xxx declare and affirm that Ms Jyoti is resident in my house since <date> blah blah blah

-and-

I miss Jyoti declare that I am so resident blah blah blah

signed xxx

signed jyoti

before me xyz, a notary public

...Well, you could give it a try!

[jyoti]

H.Nick, on Oct 22 2006, 12:59 PM, said:

They might accept a bank statement?

Bank wants a proof of address...

H.Nick, on Oct 22 2006, 12:59 PM, said:

If I were you, I'd try an affidavit....

The website did say something about a letter from a notary public, so that might work (fingers crossed). I'll try that first and see how it goes--then let y'all know!

[sugarnspice]

Hi Jyoti,
How's it going? I came back to this thread because I thought may be a letter from a bank in India, but I read your post that they too require proof of address. I suppost an affidavit is your best option. Let us know how it goes.
All the best!

[mira4bai4]

Open a bank account for foreigners, this is now pretty easy and get a statement as soon as possible showing your postal address where you are staying. That should be sufficient to do the 'needful' as they say here. Try Standard Chartered as some US friends in the last few days opened an account and they were staying in a hotel and only needed an address for mail to be delivered.

Edited by mira4bai4, 10 June 2008 - 10:33 AM.

[Somerset]

mira4bai4, on Jun 10 2008, 05:01 AM, said:

Open a bank account for foreigners, this is now pretty easy and get a statement as soon as possible showing your postal address where you are staying. That should be sufficient to do the 'needful' as they say here. Try Standard Chartered as some US friends in the last few days opened an account and they were staying in a hotel and only needed an address for mail to be delivered.

I don't know anything about bank accounts, but I think you must have the cleverest, or at least one of the cleverest, usernames on the Tree.

[ujjwal]

I think you can get Driving License by showing your voter ID card or ration card. However, if you want to get a Rent Agreement, ask your landlord.

jyoti, on Oct 20 2006, 10:14 AM, said:

Ok, so I "need" to get a learner's license to drive legally. But, I can't get one without a rental agreement or some form of proof of address. All other proofs of address require a rental agreement to set up (phone bill, etc) so that's no good. Is there anything else I can use? I am staying informally with a family, and they are very reluctant to have to register a rental agreement with the police station because I am a tourist and they are afraid the police will cause trouble or want money because they have a foreigner staying with them.

How do I either give proof of address or go about getting the rental agreement set up with the least amount of work and trouble for them?