INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Since its launch in 2014, e-tourist visa
scheme has filled the coffers of Indian government by around Rs 1,400 crore
The government offers e-visa to the citizens of 163 countries
The popular visa service has been availed by nearly 19 lakh tourists in 2017, informed a Union home ministry official
The official further informed that the ministry expects over 25 lakh tourists to avail the e-visa facility in 2018
Since its launch in 2014, the e-Visa scheme has brought revenue of more than Rs 1,400 crore, the official further stated.The e-Visa fees are
divided into four slabs of zero, $25, $50 and $75 which were fixed on reciprocity and depending on nationality.The e-Visa scheme has been
implemented by the foreigners division of the home ministry in a bid to improve the efficiency and transparency of various services being
airports and five sea ports
Under the e-visa scheme, an applicant, when an online application is submitted, receives an e-mail authorising him or her to travel to India
after it has been approved
The tourist can travel with a print-out of this authorisation, another official said.On arrival, the visitor has to present the
authorisation to the immigration authorities who would then allow the entry into the country
The e-Visa scheme also covers business and medical categories, apart from tourism.The government rules permit that the visitors on e-Visa
are allowed to stay in the country for two months
The window for application under e-Visa scheme has been raised from 30 days to 120 days and duration of stay on e-Visa has been raised from
30 days to 60 days with double entry on e-tourist and e-business visa and triple entry on e-medical visa.The e-visa rules were liberalized
last year in April when the duration of stay on e-visa was extended from one month to two months.In a bid to promote cruise tourism, the
government has allowed the cruise tourists with e-Visas to be exempted from biometric enrolment
The exemption will be in force till December 31, 2020 as many of the cruise ships coming to India are large ships with anywhere between
2,000 to 4,000 passengers on board.An TheIndianSubcontinent report last year had reported that the top five countries for foreign tourists
in India are Bangaldesh, US, UK, Germany, and Australia.
