VoA for 180 countries by October
In an interview with , Rajeev Shukla, Minister of State for Planning and Parliamentary Affairs said that Visa-on-Arrival facility will be available at 26 Indian international airports by September.
In a bid to bolster visa liberalisation policies, the Government of India has now extended Visa-on-Arrival (VoA) and Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) facilities to 180 countries around the world. This news comes as a massive relief to the industry as the Ministry of Tourism (MOT) has been pushing for visa liberalisation policies for a long time now. Following news reports of VoA being extended to 40 countries,
Parvez Dewan, Secretary, MOT, had said, “Why just 40, we would like to extend this facility to all countries.” Talking exclusively to , Planning Minister Rajeev
Shukla said that by September this facility will extend to all the 26 Indian international airports, making it the right time for the airports to receive tourists during the peak season starting October. Shukla said, “Yes, VoA and ETA are being extended to 180 countries for a period of 30 days from their entry in the country. Tourists need to log on to the Immigration Bureau’s website and pay the required fees. They will get a confirmation within 3 days, after which they can board their flight and get a visa after debarking.”
Talking about their expectation from FTAs in the country following the VoA move, he said, “We are not talking in terms of figures, but yes, we want the whole quantum to be augmented. Also, we want tourism earnings to go up to US$ 50 billion, and accordingly, we are stepping up our efforts.”
The 8 countries that have been exempted from this facility include Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Sri Lanka and Sudan.