The government has extended the facility of e-Tourist Visa for citizens of 161 countries. Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma said the number of foreign tourist arrivals on e-Tourist Visa (e-TV) during January to November this year was 9,17,446, registering a growth of 168.5 per cent over same period of previous year.
- The Government of India has extended the facility of e-Tourist Visa for the citizens of 161 countries including Japan for which facility of Visa on Arrival is also available.”
- The e-visa scheme was launched on November 27, 2014. Under the scheme, an applicant receives an email authorising him or her to travel to India after it has been approved. The tourist can travel with a print-out of this authorisation.
Visa policy of India:
Visitors to India must obtain a visa from an Indian diplomatic mission unless they come from one of the visa-exempt countries or a country whose citizens may obtain a visa online.
Visa-free entry:
Citizens of the Bhutan, Maldives (90 days) ,Nepal do not require visas to enter India (unless arriving from mainland China), and may remain in the country without any limit of stay.
Foreign citizens possessing an Overseas Citizen of India registration certificate are also exempt from visa obligations. Citizens of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, mainland China, Nepal, Pakistan, or Sri Lanka are generally not entitled to hold Overseas Indian Citizenship.
Visa on arrival:
Citizens of Japan can apply for visa on arrival in Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata or Mumbai since 1 March 2016. The visa is issued for business, tourist, medical and conference categories, and has a validity of 30 days.
e-Tourist Visa:
On 27 November 2014, the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) facility became operational for citizens of over 40 eligible countries, including those who are eligible for visa on arrival. The list was further expanded to 113 countries in August 2015 .ETA is issued for tourism, visiting friends and family, short duration medical treatment and business visits. The scheme was renamed to e-Tourist Visa (eTV) on 15 April 2015.
An application for e-Tourist Visa must be made at least four calendar days in advance of the date of arrival. The visa is valid for a single entry with a maximum stay of 30 calendar days from the date of arrival, and can be obtained twice in a calendar year.
