India introduces tourist visa-on-arrival for five countries

India today introduced tourist visa-on-arrival for five countries, including Japan and New Zealand, to facilitate bona fide foreign tourists who plan their visits at a short notice.

This has been introduced for one year on an "experimental basis", a release from the foreign office said here.

It said, "To facilitate bona fide foreign tourists who plan their tours at a short notice, the government of India has decided to introduce 'Tourist Visa-on-Arrival' for a period of one year for citizens of five countries — Finland, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand and Singapore — on an experimental basis with effect from 1.1.2010.

"Tourists from the said countries can also procure their visas from the Missions / Posts in the normal course."

The tourist visa-on-arrival with a maximum validity of 30 days with single entry facility will be granted by immigration officers at Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata airports to start with, it said.

The grant of a tourist visa-on-arrival will be regulated as per the guidelines prescribed in the Visa Manual, it said.

The official spokesperson of the ministry of external affairs said, "The (rule of) gap of two months between two visas would apply to all tourist visa holders."

But the restriction of a two-month gap will not apply to PIO (Persons of Indian origin) or OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) card-holders and foreigners holding business, employment, student and other categories of visa.