Ministry of Home Affairs renames Visa on Arrival scheme to e-Tourist visa

Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has renamed Tourist Visa on Arrival-Electronic Travel Authorization scheme (TVoA-ETA) to e-Tourist Visa with effect from 15 April 2015.
With this ambiguities faced by foreign tourists especially by scheme’s nomenclature VoA, presuming that they would be granted visa on arrival upon landing will be removed.
Background

• MHA move comes after some of Indian embassies had requested to change the nomenclature of the scheme.
• A committee of officers from the External Affairs Ministry, MHA and Bureau of Immigration also had suggested renaming the scheme.
• Foreign tourists were confused with Visa on Arrival (VoA) scheme as other countries allowed tourist to land and then get visa.

About e-Tourist Visa Scheme

• e-Tourist Visa Scheme is a pre-authorization of Visa to foreigners that being given prior to travel.
• Under the scheme, a foreign tourist is required to apply for a visa online by uploading his photograph and passport and also paying his visa fee online.
• Then visa authorities will process his application and send him an electronic travel authorization, or simply e-visa, via e-mail within 72 hours.

TVoA-ETA was launched in November 2014. It had enabled Electronic Travel Authorization to 44 countries at nine airports across India.
It also facilitated short duration international travelers. Since the launch of the scheme, around 1.10 lakh visas have been granted.

Month: Current Affairs - April, 2015