India is one of the preferred tourist places in Asia as it offers different culture, food, sight and people which makes this place unique in its own manner. But if you are also planning to explore this place you need to know all visa updates as Indian Government is taking tourism seriously and new things are added to make visa procedure hassle-free. In the past visitors used to get the visa for 30 days which has now been extended to 60 days validity, it is great news as there are so many places to explore in India which is impossible to cover in 30 days. You need to remember that visa on arrival has been changed to Electronic Travel Authentication or Indian e visa online which is divided into 5 categories namely E-Tourist Visa, E-Business Visa, and E-Medical Visa, E-Conference Visa and E-Medical Attendant Visa. You may think that the procedure is complicated, but it is easy, simple, fast, and straightforward.
Getting a regular visa was so difficult, you need to submit all your documents plus passports to the officials and wait up to six weeks for approvals. But after e-visa, there is a massive improvement as you need to wait no more than 4 days and you are all set for the trip. You can apply for an emergency visa which takes 24- 48 hours for approval and if you need a visa within a day then just pay extra and apply for the rush visa. These visas are valid from the date of arrival and it is recommended to submit four business days before the date of leaving. For the application you need a valid passport which is valid for at least 6 months and the scan of your passport information page with recent digital passport size photo. After paying online visa application fees you will receive visa via email (note application fees totally depends upon your nationality). You need to carry the printout of Indian e-visa, which will be demanded by immigration officers at the airport. If because of any reason your application gets rejected then, you can go for traditional bureaucracy and get a regular visa.
With the aim to simplify the visa application procedure new updates are made by the Indian Government. Earlier visitors with e-visa could enter India via 16 airports which has now increased to 24 airports and 5 seaports. Also, now visitors with tourist or business visa are allowed double entry in 60 days of stay and triple entry for people holding an e-medical visa. For making travel easier, many countries have switched to e-visa. This is not only beneficial for tourists but also to embassies as now they need not deal with thousands of people seeking a visa.
If you are planning to visit Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, and some part of Himachal Pradesh then you require Protection Area Permit (PAP). For some part of Sikkim and Andaman and the Nicobar Islands, you require Restricted Area Permit (RAP) for entry. There is no permit required for people traveling to Bhutan via air to/from Thimphu via Bagdogra. If allowed by Higher Commissioner of India to the Maldives, then Maldivian Citizens can visit Minicoy island for 15 days. If you are planning to visit Lakshadweep Islands, then also special permits are required. The tourists who ever held with Pakistani citizenship or who have parents or spouse that have Pakistani citizenship are not applicable for Indian online visa scheme. They must go through traditional and foreign spouses of Pakistani origin who never held Pakistani Citizenship experiences shorter processing time.
Till the date, e-visa is one of the most innovative services introduced in the area of people to people contract. It allows taking visa application procedure in a completely virtual environment where everything is done with the help of internet: the application is submitted and required documents are submitted online, payment is done online, and the final application decision is also made online. Till the date, some of the best visa services are implemented in Australia, Georgia, New Zealand, and Turkey. The worst part of planning any foreign trip is lengthy visa procedure and this is not a problem when it comes to visiting India. You required not to pay heavy fees to travel agency, stand in long queues and complete all stressful formalities. Enjoy your beautiful vacation without stressful visa formalities.