Visa policies have a significant impact on the popularity of tourist destinations. Travelers privilege destinations offering simple application procedures for e-visas or travel authorizations (ETAs). India has ambitious plans to boost tourism and wants therefore to simplify its visa procedures.
Popularity of the e-visa for India
The Indian government introduced the e-visa in 2015. The system has been expanded ever since, and travelers from many countries are now able to apply for the Indian e-visa. On this website, you can apply for an e-visa with an online application form with clear explanations. There are several types of visas available, depending on your desired validity period and the number of times you will enter India. You are advised to read the requirements before submitting your application.
A complicated application procedure
Many travellers are not happy about the fact that the list of questions in the Indian e-visa applicaiton form is quite extensive. In addition, some questions are arguably not relevant for a trip to India. For example, travellers are asked about their parents' employers, even if the traveler's parents have passed away long since. Compared to the e-visa application procedures for other travel destinations, the Indian form is much longer.
Changes in the application procedure
The Indian Minister of Culture and Tourism, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, has recently stated that for most travellers it is not necessary to visit the embassy. He has also stated that applications for the e-visa are usually processed within 72 hours. On the other hand, he admitted that the application form is still too long and needs to be shortened.
The e-visa needs to be reformed
Currently, there are two significant changes planned. India is willing to offer visas on arrival to residents of countries that do the same for travellers with Indian passports. Travellers from Japan, South Korea, the Maldives and the United Arab Emirates can already benefit from an Indian visa on arrival. In addition, India wants to improve the status of the Indian passport at the international level and make the world more accessible to Indian citizens.
With the introduction of the e-Arrival Card, India has recently taken an important step towards aligning its arrival procedure with most other countries. Thanks to the e-Arrival Card travellers no longer need to fill in paper forms on arrival to the airport. Instead, they can submit all the necessary information online before arrival. This makes the arrival procedure faster and smoother.