Indian tourist visa fees increase sharply

Indian tourist visa fees have risen for applicants who apply via the normal process, while the fees remain unchanged for e-visa applications, the Indian embassy says.

Tourist visa fees rose sharply, up from 2,700 baht to 4,100 baht for single or multiple entries for a one-year period, and from 5,400 baht to 8,200 baht for a fiveyear period.

Fees for both one-year and five-year multiple-entry business visas for Thai nationals, however, decreased.

Thai businessmen can have the one-year multiple-entry business visas for a fee of 5,000 baht, down from 8,200 baht, while a fee of 10,300 baht — reduced from 11,500 baht — will cover the cost of a five-year visa.

The e-tourist visa has been set at US$48 (1,650 baht).

Recently, the duration of stay in India for e-visa holders for tourism purposes has increased from 30 days to 60 days, the embassy said.

“It is true that we [India] have recently increased the visa fees, but we have increased the visa duration too and Thailand is among a few countries to which India has granted the multiple-entry visa to be effective for five years”, an official at the Indian embassy’s Visa Centre, who asked not to be named, told the Bangkok Post on Tuesday.

Thai tourists have been allowed to make multiple entries into India and Thailand was one among 20 countries worldwide that India had granted the five-year multiple entry visa for tourism.

The official, however, said no change was made for the e-visas as India hoped to boost a flow of visitors who planned on going to India for shorter duration visas.

Gaining an e-visa was far more convenient — there is no need to visit the Indian embassy, the official said.

India was also considering introducing a double-entry e-tourist visa with continuous stays of 60 days shortly, he said.

Indian tourists coming to Thailand, on the other hand, are required to pay a fee of 2,000 baht for a 15-day visa on arrival.

Visa fee rates for each type and single, double and multiple entries range from 900-12,300 baht.

The new change was approved by the Indian cabinet and came into effect on April 1 and the rise was specific to all nationals, the official said.

Fees for student visas was now 3,300 baht, slightly up from 3,100 baht, while fee rates for other visa categories such as transit visas, medical visas and journalist visas remained unchanged.