Great News! For people planning a custom India trip, the visa process will become easier and not an exercise in frustration. Unfortunately, most people have expressed much difficulty with the present process. To make the India visa process easier, the government is going to offer two options: visa upon arrival and ETA, Electronic Travel Authorization. This will be available for 180 countries but will exclude Pakistan, Sudan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia and Sri Lanka. This will be implemented initially at nine airports including Delhi, Chennai, Cochin, Goa, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai and Trivandrum and should be implemented by the end of the year.
India – Rajasthani women and children (photo by Geringer Global Travel)
Presently the visa upon arrival facility is available at four international airports, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata, covering citizens of 11 countries including Japan, New Zealand, Finland, Laos, Luxembourg, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Philippines and Myanmar.
The Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) will allow foreign travelers to apply for a visa from home and receive an online confirmation within five working days.
India – Mehrangarh fort, Jodhpur, Rajasthan (photo by Geringer Global Travel)
The Ministry of Home needs to give its approval, and the infrastructure needs to be put in place. Visa upon arrival and ETC should hopefully be implemented for the October 2014 season. I will keep you informed of the developments. This is great news that will make obtaining a visa for your India Holiday so much easier.
Contact Susan Geringer, Geringer Global Travel, to help you plan your India trip at 877-255-7438 or susan@34.207.230.29.
