India has extended the facility of e-Tourist Visa for citizens of 161 countries, government informed the Rajya Sabha today.
The number of foreign tourist arrivals on e-Tourist Visa (e-TV) during January to November this year was 9,17,446, registering a growth of 168.5 per cent over same period of previous year, Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma said in a written reply.
"This indicates success of the e-TV Scheme," he said, adding that "The Government of India has extended the facility of e-Tourist Visa for the citizens of 161 countries including Japan for which facility of Visa on Arrival is also available."
The e-visa scheme was launched on November 27, 2014.
Under the scheme, an applicant receives an email authorising him or her to travel to India after it has been approved. The tourist can travel with a print-out of this authorisation.
On arrival, the visitor has to present the authorisation to the immigration authorities who would then stamp the entry into the country.
(With PTI inputs)
