‘At the airport, everything fell apart’: Indian travel blogger, son miss out on ‘amazing’ birthday celebration in Hong Kong’s Disneyland, details what went wrong
Published on: July 30, 2025, 11:34 a.m. | Source: The Indian Express
Indian travel blogger Roslin Dwivedi and her family were denied boarding for their Hong Kong Disneyland trip due to a mismatch in the "Place of Issue" detail on their mandatory Pre-Arrival Registration (PAR), a system that requires precise alignment with passport information and lacks human review. Despite having an instant PAR approval, a minor discrepancy in a dropdown menu, which they couldn't manually correct or get clear guidance on from immigration, led to their denial by Cathay Pacific. While initially heartbroken, Hong Kong Immigration later apologized and offered them a six-month visa. Santosh Pawaskar, visa head at R K Vacations, confirms the necessity of PAR for Indian nationals seeking visa-free entry and warns of denied boarding or entry if it's incorrect. He advises applying 2-3 business days in advance, ensuring passport validity and accurate details, and highlights common rejection reasons like incorrect information or previous violations. Experts suggest that if the PAR dropdown doesn't perfectly match the passport, it's safer to apply for a formal visa to avoid issues. If a PAR is rejected, applicants should identify the reason, correct minor errors, or apply for a visit visa, always carrying a printed copy of the approved PAR.
