Moving to Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) - After COVID-19 plan

Last activity 12 August 2020 by PatSat6375

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Stan83BGMember17 April 2020 18:21:32

My name is Stanimir (Stan) and I am from Bulgaria.

I have a personal plan to move to the capital of Kerala - Trivandrum in order to stay there for a longer period (at least 1 year) when the COVID-19 pandemic will have finished and traveling between countries will be possible again.
I have been in India as a tourist in November - December 2017 but the southernmost place where I could go was Goa. Now I would like to move to Trivandrum in order to live there.
If there are other expats in Trivandrum, I would like to ask them some questions about the life and accomodation there:

1. I run own business on internet, therefore for me it will not be necessary to find a job. I will be able to work from home only by using internet. Therefore, the only possibility to get a visa is to get a tourist one. My question is how is it possibile to get a long term stay permission there? How could I arrive with a tourist visa to Trivandrum and extend it once there for at least 1 year? At the Indian Embassy in Bulgaria they told me it wasn't possible but I guess they just wanted to dissuade me from my decision and for that reason they used to tell me bullshits.

2. How hard/easy is to find a decent flat to rent there? Are there reliable sites where I could find good rent offers? I look for something in the middle - not quite luxury but not ratty in a normal area - neither in slums nor in the very expensive neighbourhoods. What are the prices of the flats there in general?

3. Is Trivandrum a safe city or there is criminality as it is in Noida, Patna etc? How people are there - are they friendly to expats or not? What kind of every day problems should I expect? Are there entertainment facilities - cinemas, restaurants, libraries?

4. How much has the monthly budget one to be able to have a normal life in Trivandrum as of April - May 2020? It includes: the rent for a decent home, electricity, water and home internet, going out sometimes etc.

5. Any other advice or remark will be highly appreciated.

Many thanks in advance to all for your help. See (soon maybe...) you in Trivandrum.

VRJ.HGDMember07 May 2020 16:22:48

Hi Stan, Glad to come across a Digital Nomad. Would love to connect. Now coming to your questions:

1. Even if you get a five-year tourist visa, the maximum continuous stay allowed is 180 days, if I am not wrong. A workaround would be to visit the Maldives or Sri Lanka after every 6 months or so and then re-enter India. Logically, this rule exists to prevent illegal immigration. But since your work defies the traditional laws applicable... work around are the only options available. Better to validate the above workaround with the embassy again once you are here

2. Try searching rented accommodation on MagicBricks and 99 acres dot com

3. It's a developed city, shouldn't have any issues with recreations. Petty Crimes are common and you need to take precautions just like anywhere else. But, Trust me Crime rates here are nowhere close to that of Noida or Patna. Those two cities you need to be prepared for an altogether different ball game.

4. Cost depends on your lifestyle. I guess 2000 Lev should be more than sufficient. Will be able to share accurate details if I know your expectations and routine

5. It's a beautiful South Indian city, friendly people, nice beaches. Hope you find what you have been expecting. Thanks

MjayantiMember18 May 2020 10:15:08

Hello,
Good to hear that you are interested in visiting Kerala. I am Jayanti, from Kerala and I am a teacher. I also teach Malayalam online to foreigners and expats. If you want to know anything in general about life in Kerala, please feel free to contact me at ***
All the best regards.
Jayanti.

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PatSat6375New member12 August 2020 08:33:28

Hi Stan,

Nice to see you have to big plans when the lockdown is complete. This is important for positivity.

I have never visited Kerala in the 6 years of living in India so I can not comment directly. However, there is an online publication for expats that you can write to and ask. They offer excellent responses as they poll their expat community and present the answer from that. We The Expats is a free magazine for expats by expats and can be a valuable resource.

Check them out.

PatSat6375

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