Indian Tourist Visa on Arrival Enabled with ETA Scheme Launched Visitors from 43 countries no longer have to queue up at local consulates, but can instead apply for their visas online and collect them at airports. The country received 6.58 million tourists in 2012, far fewer than Asian countries like Thailand and Malaysia. Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma said the change would be boost to the industry. The scheme was “a dream come true for the entire tourism industry of India and is bound to positively impact the economy,” he said in a statement. “The government’s objective is to boost tourism and this scheme’s implementation will send out a clear message that India is serious about making travel to the country easy.” Visa on Arrival Facility is available for holders of passport of following countries Australia,Brazil,Cambodia,Cook Islands,Djibouti,Fiji,Finland,Germany,Indonesia,Israel,Japan,Jordan,Kenya,Kiribati, Laos,Luxembourg,Marshall Islands,Mauritius,Mexico,Micronesia,Myanmar,Nauru,New Zealand,Niue Island,Norway, Oman,Palau,Palestine,Papua New Guinea,Philippines,Republic of Korea,Russia,Samoa,Singapore,Solomon Islands, Thailand,Tonga,Tuvalu,UAE,Ukraine,USA,Vanuatu,Vietnam. Eligibility International Travellers whose sole objective of visiting India is recreation , sight seeing , casual visit to meet friends or relatives, short duration medical treatment or casual business visit. Passport should have at least six months validity. International Travellers should have return ticket or onward journey ticket,with sufficient money to spend during his/her stay in India. International Travellers having Pakistani Passport or Pakistani origin may please apply for regular Visa at Indian Mission. Not available to Diplomatic/Official Passport Holders. Instructions for Tourist Visa on Arrival (Enabled by ETA) Applicants of the eligible countries may apply online minimum 4 days in advance of the date of arrival with a window of 30 days. Example : If you are applying on 1st Sept then applicant can select arrival date from 5th Sept to 4th Oct. Recent front facing photograph with white background and photo page of Passport containing personal details like name,date of birth, nationality , expiry date etc. to be uploaded by the applicant. The application is liable to be rejected if the uploaded document and photograph are not clear and as per specification. Tourist visa on arrival (TVoA) fee is US$ 60/- per passenger excluding interchange charge for credit/debit cards.The fee must be paid 4 days before the expected date of travel filled by you otherwise application will not be processed. TVoA fee once submitted is non refundable. Applicant should carry a copy of ETA along with him/her at the time of travel. Biometric details of the applicant will be mandatorily captured at Immigration on arrival in India. The validity of visa will be 30 days from the date of arrival in India. Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) is valid for entry through 9 designated Airports i.e. Bangalore,Chennai,Cochin,Delhi ,Goa, Hyderabad,Kolkata,Mumbai & Trivandrum . This facility is in addition to the existing Visa services. Tourist Visa On Arrival (TVoA) is allowed for a maximum of two visits in a calendar year. Tourist Visa On Arrival (TVoA) once issued on arrival is non-extendable , non-convertible & not valid for visiting Protected/Restricted and Cantonment Areas. Applicants can track the status of their application online by clicking visa status. For any assistance call 24 * 7 Visa support center at +91-11-24300666 or send email to [email protected] India previously offered visas-on-arrival to visitors from only 12 countries. Most other foreigners had to wait several weeks before learning whether they would be allowed to enter India after submitting their applications at visa processing centres. The new visa-on-arrival will be available at nine major airports in India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP government has pledged to boost tourism since his party won a landslide election victory earlier this year.
