India launches ‘72-hour’ e-visa

INDIA has launched an e-visa
for visitors from 43 countries,
which it will roll out to other
countries in different phases.
South Africa is currently
excluded.
Applications must be made
online at least four days prior
to departure. Travellers must
submit a photograph, a scan
of the passport’s photo page
and a non-refundable US$60
(R689) visa fee.
Within 72 hours, travellers
will be notified whether
their application has been
successful. If successful,
they will receive an ‘Electronic
Travel Authorisation’ that
is valid for entry in nine
airports: Delhi, Mumbai,
Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru,
Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram,
Hyderabad and Goa.
The e-visa is aimed at
tourists travelling to India for
“recreation, sightseeing, short
duration medical treatment,
a casual business visit or
casual visit to meet friends or
relatives” for only 30 days or
less. Travellers can apply for
the e-visa only twice a year.
Manas Ranjan Pattanaik,
director of India Tourism in
South Africa, told TNW that
the new system would be
implemented in stages and he
hoped South Africa would soon
also be able to benefit from
the new e-visa. He said these
decisions were in the hands of
the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The new visa system is
available for the following
passport holders: Australia,
Brazil, Cambodia, Cook
Islands, Djibouti, Fiji, Finland,
Germany, Indonesia, Israel,
Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati,
Laos, Luxembourg, Marshall
Islands, Mauritius, Mexico,
Micronesia, Myanmar,
Nauru, New Zealand, Niue
Island, Norway, Oman, Palau,
Palestine, Papua New Guinea,
Philippines, Republic of Korea,
Russia, Samoa, Singapore,
Solomon Islands, Thailand,
Tonga, Tuvalu, UAE, Ukraine,
USA, Vanuatu and Vietnam.