Indian E Tourist visa now available

Obtaining an Indian visa has now become simpler and cheaper for UK and Irish citizens.

In a boost for Indian tourism, the Indian Government now allows British or Irish nationals who are visiting India solely as tourist for a duration of less than 30 days, to apply for an Indian E Tourist visa. In these circumstances, tourists no longer have to go through the old process of applying by post or in person.

• Please visit Indian Visa Online and go to the instructions section for more details. If you meet all the criteria, your application for an Indian E Tourist visa can be completed online. The cost has reduced to USD $60 (non refundable) per applicant.

• Your passport should be valid for at least six months from the date of your arrival in India and it should have at least two blank pages for stamping by the Immigration Officer.

• The application window for an Indian E Tourist visa is 30 days with a minimum of 4 days prior to your travel date in India. Your Indian E-Tourist visa will then be valid for 30 days from the date of your arrival in India.

• Indian E Tourist visas are valid for entry through 16 designated Airports: Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bengaluru, Chennai, Cochin, Delhi, Gaya, Goa, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Tiruchirapalli, Trivandrum and Varanasi. You can also exit from any of India’s authorized Immigration Check Posts (ICPs).

• Please note that Indian E tourist visas are not currently available for entry by Cruise Ship or by land.

• We recommend that ideally, you apply 30 days prior to travel to India and no less than seven working days prior your departure to allow enough time for your application to be processed.

• If you plan to travel to India for longer than 30 days, or if you require multiple entry visas (for visits to Nepal, Bhutan or Sri Lanka or any other destinations where your flights are in and out of India), the established process of applying through VFS Global will still apply. This process also applies to citizens of countries not eligible for an E Tourist Visa who live in the UK.

• Citizens of the following countries can also apply for an Indian E Tourist Visa: Andorra, Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Cayman Island,Chile, China, China- SAR Hongkong, China- SAR Macau, Colombia, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Laos, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand,Nicaragua, Niue Island, Norway, Oman, Palau, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Republic of Macedonia, Russia, Saint Christopher and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, Samoa, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Sweden, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Tonga, Turks & Caicos Island, Tuvalu, UAE, Ukraine, United Kingdom, USA, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Vatican City-Holy See, Venezuela, Vietnam.

For further information on travel and luxury holidays to India, contact Ultimate Destinations on 01923 284148 or send an email to info@ultimatedestinations.co.uk. We will be happy to be of service.