Government may grant visa on arrival to tourists from 18 nations

crvlvr

I would never take a chance showing up in India without a visa and being left to the mercy of the immigration babu at 3AM..

Nick-H

Hmmm, yes.

Who wants to be first?

Who wants to be first at persuading the guy at the check-in desk that there's been a change and he should let you on the plane without a visa ? I gather some people with PIO cards were given a hard time when they were new.

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Aishah

LOL, Nick - like the Upanishads, indeed! Well, I know for sure I wouldn't want to turn up without a Visa, and as for new PIO card which I hope to get in April, I will still have 2 more years on valid x category Visa in case of some hiccup. Not for me doing it all at the last minute...

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brownboy66

ah yes - that will be an interesting one.

anyway in regard to which countries, the economic times list the following:

"Visa on arrival will be available to citizens of the US, Japan, France, Germany, New Zealand, Belgium, Spain, Sweden, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Finland, South Korea, Vietnam, Chile, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil and the UK."

the full article is at

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...ow/2762658.cms

Mickey S

I'm not sure I'd want to get a visa on arrival, even if it were an option.

Some years ago we arrived by plane in Siem Reap in Cambodia, a country which offers visas on arrival to almost all tourists. We had already obtained visas from the Cambodian Embassy in London and thus we were able to casually saunter through immigration control while the remainder of the passengers from the plane queued for application forms at the single visa-on-arrival desk.

It may, of course, simply be a matter of stamping the passport but, bearing in mind India's love of bureaucracy, not to mention the potential loss of foreign exchange earnings from visa fees, I can't imagine they would ever make it that straightforward.

Aishah

Interesting, BB, NZ is there but not Australia. Maybe something to do with reciprocal treaties or whatsits??

Nick-H

They know all about queues at airports, and I suspect that, when it happens, they will make it straightforward --- just as getting a tourist visa from HCI London is relatively straightforward. In fact, queueing on arrival is likely to take less time that than the High Commission visit.

With computer scanning, which they do now anyway, I don't think it need extend the time we spend at the immigration desk.

Ultimately, applying for the visa in advance, for ordinary tourists, may become unavailable.

They would have to streamline the grey-area traveller situation. A person may be a born British citizen, but, for instance, Sri Lankan or Pakistani family origin puts them in a category which is likely to not be dealt with over the counter, or not on a same-day basis. Airlines cannot be expected to weed out these people.

Is there any information about the validity period of the proposed on-arrival visa?

brownboy66

yeah I noticed that too - and chances are it is a reciprocal thing (i.e - if Australia doesn't provide visa on arrival entry then why should India). Then again - neither does NZ! Indians travelling to NZ have to apply before arrival? Go figure.

claurianta

That's an odd list... Vietnam(!), Mexico, Brazil, but no Australia, Switzerland, Italy, Denmark, Canada, Ireland?

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edwardseco

Exactly it is non pan EU..

Aishah

And what does 'non pan EU' mean - EU is European Union?
Visa on arrival in Nepal works quite efficiently.

richie4india

Well this sounds better than before. It has had clearance by the MEA and has a date!


http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...ow/2762658.cms

Nick-H

I'm sure there's another current thread we should move this post to --- but I can't find it. When we do...

Anyway... yes, this does sound as if things are moving on this front.

Concerns were expressed in the other thread about being among the first people to use the new system.

costaguana

A strange list of countries in some ways. Sure, the obvious choices in Western Europe and East Asia are there, but why the US and not Canada or New Zealand and not Australia? Surely this decision is not based on reciprocity, so what is the logic?

Not meaning to sound critical, just curious.

richie4india

Not Australia.....mmm cricket!