It has granted India Visa on Arrival to all tourists who hail from the United Arab Emirates, Japan, and South Korea. The Indian Visa will be valid to visit India twice with a gap of 60 days.
Procedure for Visa on Arrival application
The nationals of these countries will have to follow any of the following steps.
1.The application form(Annexure 1) could be downloaded, filled and presented to the VISA on arrival counter.
2.The form could either be obtained from the airlines, on board the flight.
Fee for Visa on Arrival
The fee for Visa on arrival would be an equivalent of 2000 Indian rupees from the passengers of Japan, South Korea and UAE.
Eligibility for Visa on Arrival
• People who are visiting India for recreation, sightseeing or to visit, family and friends. It could also include a short duration medical treatment or a business visit.
• Applicants who do not have a residence or occupation in India.
• Persons holding a passport with a minimum validity of six months and re-entry permit, if that is required under the law of country of nationality of applicants.
• A person having sufficient money to afford a return ticket and sufficient money to spend during his stay.
Intention of the move
#UAE
The UAE has been a key partner of India with strong relations in trade, energy, and expatriate communities. In 2023, close to 1,00,000 tourists from the UAE visited India. The Visa on arrival is said to put up the numbers, further strengthening ties between the people, showcasing the strategic and economic partnership both countries share.
#Japan
Japan and India have enjoyed good relations, especially in matters of technology, trade, and infrastructure. In 2023, Japanese tourist visitors were about 45,000. The Visa on-arrival policy will definitely improve these numbers, furthering cultural exchanges and merging in accord with India’s “Act East” policy aimed at developing relations with East Asia nations.
#South Korea
The relations between India and South Korea have been seeing an upswing in the past few years, mainly in technology and trade. The increase in visitors from South Korea to around 100,000 in 2023 will go high with this new Visa on arrival policy of India, necessarily. This will only strengthen further the cultural exchanges and deepening of diplomatic relations, opening up spaces for more such collaborations in many other fields.
Airports providing Visa on Arrival
1.Delhi
2.Mumbai
3.Chennai
4.Kolkata
5. Hyderabad
6. Bengaluru
Countries eligible for Tourist Visa on Arrival
1. Finland
2. Luxembourg
3. New Zealand
4. Singapore
5. Cambodia
6. Vietnam
7. Phillipines
8. Laos
9. Indonesia
10. Myanmar
11. South Korea
12. United Arab Emirates
