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India Liberalizes E-Visa Regime to Boost Tourism

Launched in September 2014 e-Visa was aimed at making the process of getting an Indian visa easier, and to bring more business people and medical tourists into the country. The Indian e-Visa is an electronic authorization to travel to India for business, tourism, or medical visits. When applying for an e-Visa, it is not necessary to submit your passport or other personal documents to the consulate. Everything will be done online. E-Visa approval will be issued in advance electronically before a tourist departure to India. At the immigration checkpoint, the actual visa will be placed inside a user’s passport. The Government on 15th February 2019 has moved to further liberalize the e-Visa procedure. According to the statement by Tourism Ministry, there are some modifications to the previous guidelines that include increasing the number of countries where e-Visa was applicable from 46 countries to 166 countries and other series of amendments in the e-Visa regime to enhance the influx of tourists into the country.
As per the new guidelines, the following are some key modifications:
• The duration of stay in India of e-tourist and e-business visas have been made maximum up to one year with multiple entries subject to the stay stipulations.
• The existing restriction of allowing foreigner for a maximum of three times has also been removed.
• Further, e-visa will be valid for entry through 2 two more designated airports such as Bhubaneswar and Port Blair, raising the total number of such airports to 28.
• There would be no separate category of destination wedding visa. Those attending a destination wedding in India can do so under normal e-tourist visa or tourist visa.
• Further, foreign nationals who fall sick during their stay in India can now avail medical treatment without converting their visa into medical visa. This would take care of sudden medical emergencies.
• Besides, the visa-on-arrival facility has been extended to the nationals of the Republic of Korea.
         Please note that the service of e-Visa is entirely done through online mode for which no facilitation is required by any intermediary/agents etc. Do not believe or fall in a trap of any such unscrupulous elements that claim the speedy/express grant of e-Visa and charge money for it. Do not share your personal information with any unauthorized websites as it may lead to loss of your personal data. We strongly recommend you to only visit Government of India website https://indianvisaonline.gov.in for any kind of service, doubt, query or clarification with regards to your Visa or e-Visa. 

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