Are they to get visas on arrival?

In reply to k800mer - this was in the headlines Jan 2010 in the Economic Times India :-

NEW DELHI: In the midst of the introduction of new guidelines on tourist visas, the government announced tourist visa on arrival for citizens of five countries, including Japan, New Zealand and Singapore, in an effort to promote tourism.

The ministry of external affairs said that the visa on arrival plan for Finland, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand and Singapore would be implemented from Friday and would continue for a year on an “experimental basis.”

The visa is aimed at foreign tourists from these countries who plan their trips on a short notice, the MEA said. "Tourists can also procure their visas from the Missions/Posts in the normal course," the ministry added.

The visas given on arrival for the nationals of these five countries will have a maximum validity of 30 days with single entry facility which will be given initially by the immigration officers at Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata airports.

While announcing the new visa on arrival policy, the government also attempted to clarify the way the new visa guidelines would be implemented. Foreign missions here have sought clarification on the new visa guidelines complaining that tourists were being inconvenienced.

The official spokesperson of the ministry of external affairs clarified that the gap of two months between two visas would apply to all tourist visa holders,.

But the spokesperson said that the restriction of a two-month gap between visas will not apply to Persons of Indian origin or Overseas Citizen of India card-holders or foreigners holding business, employment, student and other categories of visa.

``The intention behind the stipulation of a gap of two months between two visits on a tourist visa is to curb the abuse/misuse of the tourist visa,’’ said a “Frequently Asked Questions Relating to Tourist Visa” posted on the home ministry website.

The FAQs further clarified that if there was a real emergency including non availability of connecting flight to the tourist’s country or any other ``exigent’’ situation, re entry within a period of two months would be allowed. But the tourist would have to get special permission from the mission.

The guidelines further said that if a foreign national applies for a tourist visa within one month of the expiry of the previous one, then the case would be referred to the ministry of home affairs for clearance. Similarly, any tourist who is allowed to come in before the two month cooling off period will have to register with the FRRO within 14 days of arrival.


The following was also reported some months later in the Business Standard :-


Visa on arrival soon for 16 more countries
Sneha Kupekar / Mumbai April 18, 2010, 0:33 IST

The ministry of external affairs may soon extend visa-on-arrival to 16 more countries including France, Germany, South Korea, Belgium, Sweden, Vietnam, Chile, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Spain and the Netherlands. This facility, introduced in January 2010, is at present available to tourists who arrive from Finland, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand and Singapore.

The Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata airports can issue this visa.

Of the 3 million or so foreign tourists who visit India every year, about four per cent can opt for a visa on arrival. This number is expected to go up to nine per cent, about 22,500 a month, with maximum visas issued to France and Germany. It is not known if the facility will be extended to USA and UK, which remain the biggest source of tourists to India. While 16.5 per cent of tourists to India come from US, 15 per cent come from UK.

Despite about 12,500 passengers every month being eligible for visa on arrival currently, the Delhi and Mumbai airports, which together account for 45 per cent of the total air traffic in the country, receive only around 650 passengers a month who opt for this facility.

An executive of Delhi International Airport said the airport has been sounded out to this effect by the ministry. “However, we do not expect the passenger traffic to go up in the short term as awareness of such a change in rules takes time, and people need to grow confident of being granted a visa after landing,” said he. “Passengers aren’t willing to take that risk initially.”

The important question is if the airports have the infrastructure to handle the additional tourist arrivals that the extension of the facility may cause. “We had a meeting last week to discuss the issue. The present facility is expandable and we can make the necessary arrangements quickly once we get the official directive,” an executive of Mumbai International Airport said. “The official communication is expected in about two months.”

Indian nationals are granted visa on arrival in 29 countries. These include countries such as Burundi, Tanzania, Bolivia and Sri Lanka.

Minister of State for Tourism Kumari Selja had said earlier that visa on arrival will provide a boost to the tourism sector. However, tour operators are cautiously optimistic of the possibility. “Just allowing visa on arrival won’t help the sector. The government also needs to promote India as a destination in these countries. The current visa on arrival is a single-entry visa with a validity of 30 days, and a tourist can come to India only twice a year on this visa,” said Karan Anand, the head of relationships and supplier management, Cox and Kings India.


WHO KNOWS WHAT WILL BE NEXT, BUT IN MY HUMBLE OPINION, "3 MILLION OR SO" FOREIGN TOURIST TO A COUNTRY AS LARGE AND DIVERSE AS INDIA IS A MERE DROP IN THE OCEAN. AT THE RATE THERE GOING WITH VISA CHANGES THAT WILL PROBABLY DWINDLE EVEN FURTHER..............

Thanks for that. I was in India when that was published but we had gone travelling and my internet connection was not up to loading big documents.

WHO KNOWS WHAT WILL BE NEXT? That's the million dolloar question! Should the UK and the USA be eventually added to the list of countries for the 30 day visa on arrival with the two months out. This would be good for the package charter holiday tourists having no hassle in to applying for visas, but a nightmare for tourists wishing to live/winter in India/Goa without a travel itinerary/tickets etc.

Banyan.

Visa Update:
went to B'ham today and submitted an application for a 1-year X on the basis that we have a residence in Goa so are ineligible for a T visa.
The guy at VFS said the rules have changed and we can't have an X we have to have a Business visa. I pointed out that since we don't have a business we can't supply the necessary documents - after discussion VFS agreed to submit the application and let HCI decide what we get. They are supposed to phone me when they have an answer but wouldn't give me a contact no. to reach them (apparantly they have withdrawn all public phone no's), they also declined to give me a receipt for the passports ('it's a question of trust between him and me!').
I'll post here when / if I hear anything.

AndyD 8-)

Good luck!....Fingers are crossed for you!

a very interesting tactic ! Fingers crossed for you!

A 'brave' move a_f_d - although you are no stranger to those! I'll wager that you will get what you've applied for, though I wouldn't be surprised if the CGI Birmingham refer your application to the MHA.

I'll certainly be interested to hear of the outcome.

I have my own visa plan which I'll detail on BE at the appropriate time.

Regards

H.

P.S. - I wish you the best of British luck with your application.

Very wise to decline the business visa as you could at a later date been accused of running a shell business.

It will be interesting to see what they come up with.

Good luck.

Banyan.

Wish you good luck in this. Fingers crossed!!!!!! this is exactly what happend to us last year. Same process. Had always applied and got an X visa on the basis of having a residency. Last year they refused to accept any application other than for a one year Tourist Visa which we got. Did not want to apply for a Business Visa for the same reason as you.

The tourist Visa was not a lot of use as we had to leave after 6 months and due to having to stay out for the 2 month rule we decided not to bother returning afterwards to Goa . There was no point. Am sure we are not the only ones thinking and behaving like this. Many of our friends did likewise.

Am sure the spending from foreigners this monsoon will have been well down on last year but then that does not seem to matter. As we so often read on Forums such as India Mike for example, India has no need of our paltry spending as retirees. it is so wealthy in its own right the drop in the ocean we bring in is meaningless, apparently. ( Strange that they still like the 800 million pounds of UK aid though!!!!! ) So all in all we will only have spent 6 months residing there this year. Have been back in the UK spending our money here at home instead. And have to say have been enjoying the great weather here at the seaside where we live!!!!

In case some of you dont read IndiaMike.......


Visa on arrival soon for 16 more countries
Sneha Kupekar / Mumbai April 18, 2010, 0:33 IST

The ministry of external affairs may soon extend visa-on-arrival to 16 more countries including France, Germany, South Korea, Belgium, Sweden, Vietnam, Chile, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Spain and the Netherlands. This facility, introduced in January 2010, is at present available to tourists who arrive from Finland, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand and Singapore.

The Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata airports can issue this visa.

Of the 3 million or so foreign tourists who visit India every year, about four per cent can opt for a visa on arrival. This number is expected to go up to nine per cent, about 22,500 a month, with maximum visas issued to France and Germany. It is not known if the facility will be extended to USA and UK, which remain the biggest source of tourists to India. While 16.5 per cent of tourists to India come from US, 15 per cent come from UK.

Despite about 12,500 passengers every month being eligible for visa on arrival currently, the Delhi and Mumbai airports, which together account for 45 per cent of the total air traffic in the country, receive only around 650 passengers a month who opt for this facility.

An executive of Delhi International Airport said the airport has been sounded out to this effect by the ministry. “However, we do not expect the passenger traffic to go up in the short term as awareness of such a change in rules takes time, and people need to grow confident of being granted a visa after landing,” said he. “Passengers aren’t willing to take that risk initially.”

The important question is if the airports have the infrastructure to handle the additional tourist arrivals that the extension of the facility may cause. “We had a meeting last week to discuss the issue. The present facility is expandable and we can make the necessary arrangements quickly once we get the official directive,” an executive of Mumbai International Airport said. “The official communication is expected in about two months.”

Indian nationals are granted visa on arrival in 29 countries. These include countries such as Burundi, Tanzania, Bolivia and Sri Lanka.

Minister of State for Tourism Kumari Selja had said earlier that visa on arrival will provide a boost to the tourism sector. However, tour operators are cautiously optimistic of the possibility. “Just allowing visa on arrival won’t help the sector. The government also needs to promote India as a destination in these countries. The current visa on arrival is a single-entry visa with a validity of 30 days, and a tourist can come to India only twice a year on this visa,” said Karan Anand, the head of relationships and supplier management, Cox and Kings India.

The bold sections are done by me. The first two emphasise the "hit & miss" situation on Indian visas......of course people are not going to spend large sums of money non flights unless they are CERTAIN they will get the "visa on arrival" that they should be entitled to if they are from a qualifying nation!

The last section is hilarious, a top person in Cox & Kings describing a single entry visa as "only allowing two visits to India".... what chance do the tourists stand of getting it right?


.

In reply to Johhny5's post - I'm sure I read somewhere (tho' I may be wrong) that a tourist from one of the participating Visa-on-Arrival countries would be allowed only 2 of these visas in a 12 month period. Even more limiting! But perhaps the tip of the iceberg?

Call me a pessimist, but I think I can see the writing on the wall there...

G.F., I'm afraid I tend to agree with you.

A friend from New Zealand recently visited the Indian H.C. in his native Wellington, and the Indian guy there told him that they were being bombarded DAILY with communiques from the Home Office in Delhi with little twists & changes to the Visa rules....so much so that even he was totally confused.

So what hope is there for us?ohmy

I'm off tomorrow on my 2 months' "exile", but I'll be checking in periodically.

Best wishes to you all. Keep smiling

Yes, you are correct, it is on the MHA website I think, and I missed it. Good luck with your trip, Iain.