India extends tourist visa plan to 180 nations
Print Edition
Tourists traveling to India from 180 countries will no longer have to queue at their local consulates to obtain visas after New Delhi announced an “historic” overhaul of its strict visa regime.
Most foreigners currently have to wait several weeks before learning whether they will be allowed to enter India after submitting their applications at visa processing centers, a major deterrent for potential visitors.
Under the new scheme, tourists will be allowed to apply online and receive the green light within five days, before picking up their visa at the airport on arrival in India.
“We have decided to extend the visa-on-arrival facility to tourists from 180 nations,” Planning Minister Rajiv Shukla said in the capital late Wednesday.
“The facility will provide a major boost to the country’s tourism sector. This is historic,” Shukla said.
Visitors from countries which account for the bulk of India’s tourists — such as the US, Britain and France — that have had to go through the time-consuming process of applying in person will be among those to benefit from the changes to regulations.
Citizens from eight countries including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Iraq have not been included in the changes for security reasons.
A meeting of top foreign ministry, tourism and other government officials on Wednesday cleared the way for the changes, which were also recently approved by India’s intelligence agencies.
The changes were first mooted last October, although only for 40 countries.
The government hopes to have the infrastructure in place by October for the start of the peak tourist season, local media reported yesterday.
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