India Tourist Visa on Arrival scheme misleading

Because of rising rape cases there was sharp drop in single women travellars to India. To boost foreign tourism, Indian government went on the announce the new scheme to make it easy for tourist – Visa on arrival scheme.

However this scheme become source of frustrations for the foreign tourist and it seems that India’s brightest officials just can’t do even simple thing correctly.

It appears now that Indian officials don’t understand the difference between a Visa on Arrival & an E-Visa.

Visa on Arrival simply means people can come to designated Airports to enter India without any prior applications procedures.

However in reality what India offers is Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA), which must be obtained before boarding a plane which leads to lots of confusion and headache for foreign tourists.

After many complaints from tourists & industry, Indian government realize that they need to correct the name to E-visa scheme from the present confusing term “tourism visa on arrival’.

British actor Orlando Bloom deported from Delhi https://t.co/FCbYQ0cPyN pic.twitter.com/InFfYK9tO1

— Times of India (@timesofindia) December 20, 2015

Finally Union Home Ministry has changed the name of the Tourist Visa on Arrival Scheme. It is now known as Electronic-Tourist Visa (E-TV) scheme from April 15, 2015.

India currently gives visa on arrival to 43 countries and country has plans to extend the facility to 150 countries. However the countries that were given Visa on Arrival till November 2014 must also now apply under the E-visa scheme.

India requires foreign tourists to apply online for an electronic travel authorisation. The present scheme allows tourists or casual visitors from about 43 countries to apply for a visa online four days before the date of arrival and carry its printout with them to India.

Further Read: Actor Orlando Bloom deported from India