India is extending the country’s limited visa-on-arrival scheme to tourists from 180 countries in a bid to boost tourism and business.
The only exceptions to the scheme will be nationals from eight countries, including Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The Indian government plans to implement the scheme from October.
India currently offers visa-on-arrival to tourists from only 11 countries, including Finland, Singapore and Japan.
Electronic visas-on-arrival would be available at 26 major airports in India and would be valid for 30 days from the date of the tourist’s arrival in India, according to planning minister Rajeev Shukla.
The government plans to set up a website enabling tourists to apply for the visa and pay the fee. The visa would then be available for collection on arrival at any airport after three days.
Shukla said: “We have decided to extend the visa-on-arrival facility to tourists from 180 nations.
“It will take five to six months for the respective departments to put the required infrastructure in place. We hope to implement this from the next tourist session beginning October.”
Shukla described the move as “historic” and said it would be a “major boost to tourism,” the BBC reported
He did not give any reasons for why nationals from Pakistan, Sudan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Sri Lanka and Somalia were not included in the scheme.