Indian Tourist Visa Opening Countries: From November 15, 2021, India has finally opened international travel routes. Since the Indian tourist visa opened on October 7, the international tourist routes are open for foreigners to come to India.
But not necessarily the situation for you enthusiastic travellers has gotten better. The flights are yet to have a regular schedule, and the prices are steep for the tourist visa compared to the situation before the Pandemic.
Indian Tourist Visa Opening: Countries, e-application and Protocol: Indian Tourist Visas are available quite easily either through the online application or offline. However, there have been some issues regarding the irregular schedule and hectic process of quarantining.
India accepts fully vaccinated travellers from 99 countries, while the state for international tourism in India is still returning to the situation as before. Airport testing and quarantine may occur depending on where you are returning for. If you haven’t bought a travel insurance yet check here How to Buy the Best Travel Insurance: A beginners’ guide
Indian Tourist Visa Application Process
The tourist visa application process is done online, and visas issued before October 6 2021, are invalid. Fresh visa issued by either online.
The application process for the Indian Tourist Visa is quite simple that is
- Applying it online through the official website of the Government of India
- submitting documents along with it as well as vaccination certificates
- The last step before the issuance of your Indian tourist visa is to verify all the documents.
Changes in the application process
The exercise for verification and denial of issuance can be an issue if you are not fully vaccinated, and most foreigners travelling to India are for essential purposes. If you are enthusiastic about the travel, you may check with the visa centre in your country if Indian tourist visas are available.
As the country recovers remarkably, the graph of foreign tourists increases in the country. Countries allowed for the Indian Tourist Visa are the UK, USA, Qatar, Canada, Russia, and 94 more. You can get the complete list of the allowed countries in India here
Restriction in tourism And Covid Regulations in India
Foreign tourist statistics in India are slowly increasing as India’s FTAs are slowly growing, and now that ‘category A’ foreign countries are being allowed in the country, Indian tourism, even at the local level, is starting to compensate for the loss it has suffered.
The Covid rules and regulations are still valid and vary depending on the covid status of the country you are travelling from.
- If you are travelling from the countries that are “at-risk”, you have to quarantine for 14-days mandatorily upon arrival.
- If your country of departure is deemed risk-free, you must self-monitor yourself.
- While you have already gotten your visa, you will need to provide a Covid -negative report that has been taken within 72 hours before departure.
- You will have to upload your vaccination certificate and a covid-negative report while applying and carrying them during immigration.
Here are a few things to remember before applying for the tourist visa to fly to India:
Rules ad regulations may vary in the 28 different states as you fly to them, and you may have to go through verifications and customs depending on the reason for your travel.
E-visas on arrival are available at the major cities Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Chennai.
In different states, the number of active cases and other restrictions may be declined. You also have to check with the aviation services in your country if they are fully functional.
The situation of Foreign tourism in India
India has recovered incredibly with an immense recovery rate and is safer to travel. All the beautiful destinations of this country, including the tropical beaches, elevated hill stations, Lush green Northeast and chaotic ghats, are welcoming foreign tourists.
Foreign tourism is an integral part of India’s foreign trade, income and the country continues to grow jobs and employment in the tourism sector, indicating its large scale. According to WTTC, India is one of the top countries where travel and tourism contribute to GDP.
Foreign tourism is very vivid in India as it offers a mix of culture, language, simplicity, and luxury.
FAQ:
- Is India issuing tourist visas to UK citizens?
India is now open to 99 category A countries, including the UK, for foreign tourist visa approval. UK citizens can easily get approved while applying through the official website.
2. Is an Indian e-tourist visa application open?
The countries open to an Indian tourist visa can apply online through the official Indian visa website of the government.
3. Can US citizens stay in India with a tourist visa?
Right now, for travel purposes, US citizens can stay up to 60 days, while the standard duration before the Pandemic was 90 days for tourist purposes and up to 180 days for business purposes.
4. Is medical insurance necessary for an Indian tourist visa?
Visa insurance is not mandatory for travelling to India. However, it is always recommended to bear the visa insurance document in this Pandemic if you already have them. If you don’t know how to buy a insurance read here How to Buy The Best Travel Insurance: A beginners’ guide