The Government of India has launched e-Tourist Visa on 27.11.2014 with a
view to facilitate foreign tourist visiting India. Initially, the scheme was
introduced for 43 countries. However, the scheme has since been extended to 150
countries. A list of these countries is attached as Annexure-I. The visa
service under the scheme is being rendered in time bound manner and decision is
communicated to applicant via e-mail within 72 hours of making online
application.
The e-Tourist Visa has simplified the procedure for seeking India visa
for international tourists. The e-Tourist Visa enables the prospective visitor
to apply for an Indian Visa from his/her home country online without visiting
the Indian Mission and also pay the visa fee online.
As a result, the year 2015 witnessed a growth rate of 4.5% in terms of
Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) in India. During 2015, FTAs were 8.03 million
as compared to 7.68 million in 2014. FTAs during the period January-March 2016
were 25.08 lakh with a growth of 10.0% as compared to the FTAs of 22.81 lakh in
January-March 2015. The foreign exchange earnings during January – December
2015 was Rs.135193 crore as compared to Rs.123320 crore during 2014 thereby
registering the growth of 9.6%.
The e-Tourist Visa has been extended to 150 countries w.e.f. 26.02.2016.
During January-December 2015 a total of 4,45,300 tourists arrived on e-Tourist
Visa as compared to 39,046 during January-December 2014 registering a growth of
1040.4%. During the month of January-March 2016, a total of 3,21,049 tourists
arrived on e-Tourist Visa as compared to 75,859 during the month of
January-March 2015 registering a growth of 323.2%.
|
Sr. No.
|
Name of Country
|
Serial.No
|
Name of Country
|
|
1
|
Albania
|
45.
|
Germany
|
|
2.
|
Andorra
|
46.
|
Ghana
|
|
3.
|
Anguilla
|
47.
|
Greece
|
|
4.
|
Antigua & Barbuda
|
48.
|
Grenada
|
|
5.
|
Armenia
|
49.
|
Guatemala
|
|
6.
|
Aruba
|
50.
|
Guinea
|
|
7.
|
Australia
|
51.
|
Guyana
|
|
8.
|
Austria
|
52.
|
Haiti
|
|
9.
|
Bahamas
|
53.
|
Honduras
|
|
10.
|
Barbados
|
54.
|
Hungary
|
|
11.
|
Belgium
|
55.
|
Iceland
|
|
12.
|
Belize
|
56.
|
Indonesia
|
|
13.
|
Bolivia
|
57.
|
Ireland
|
|
14.
|
Bosnia & Herzegovina
|
58.
|
Israel
|
|
15.
|
Botswana
|
59.
|
Jamaica
|
|
16.
|
Brazil
|
60.
|
Japan
|
|
17.
|
Brunei
|
61.
|
Jordan
|
|
18.
|
Bulgaria
|
62.
|
Kenya
|
|
19.
|
Cambodia
|
63.
|
Kiribati
|
|
20.
|
Canada
|
64.
|
Laos
|
|
21.
|
Cape Verde
|
65.
|
Latvia
|
|
22.
|
Cayman Island
|
66.
|
Lesotho
|
|
23.
|
Chile
|
67.
|
Liberia
|
|
24.
|
China
|
68.
|
Liechtenstein
|
|
25.
|
China- SAR Hongkong
|
69.
|
Lithuania
|
|
26.
|
China- SAR Macau
|
70.
|
Luxembourg
|
|
27.
|
Colombia
|
71.
|
Madagascar
|
|
28.
|
Comoros
|
72.
|
Malawi
|
|
29.
|
Cook Islands
|
73.
|
Malaysia
|
|
30.
|
Costa Rica
|
74.
|
Malta
|
|
31.
|
Cote d'lvoire
|
75.
|
Marshall Islands
|
|
32.
|
Croatia
|
76.
|
Mauritius
|
|
33.
|
Cuba
|
77.
|
Mexico
|
|
34.
|
Czech Republic
|
78.
|
Micronesia
|
|
35.
|
Denmark
|
79.
|
Moldova
|
|
36.
|
Djibouti
|
80.
|
Monaco
|
|
37.
|
Dominica
|
81.
|
Mongolia
|
|
38.
|
Dominican Republic
|
82.
|
Montenegro
|
|
39.
|
East Timor
|
83.
|
Montserrat
|
|
40.
|
Ecuador
|
84.
|
Mozambique
|
|
41.
|
El Salvador
|
85.
|
Myanmar
|
|
42.
|
Eritrea
|
86.
|
Namibia
|
|
43.
|
Estonia
|
87.
|
Nauru
|
|
44.
|
Fiji
|
88.
|
Netherlands
|
89.
|
Finland
|
139.
|
Vatican City-Holy See
|
|
90.
|
France
|
140.
|
Venezuela
|
|
91.
|
Gabon
|
141.
|
Vietnam.
|
|
92.
|
Gambia
|
142.
|
New Zealand
|
|
93.
|
Georgia
|
143.
|
Nicaragua
|
|
94.
|
Palau
|
144.
|
Niue Island
|
|
95.
|
Palestine
|
145.
|
Norway
|
|
96.
|
Panama
|
146.
|
Oman
|
|
97.
|
Papua New Guinea
|
147.
|
Zambia
|
|
98.
|
Paraguay
|
148.
|
Zimbabwe
|
|
99.
|
Peru
|
149.
|
Argentina
|
|
100.
|
Philippines
|
150.
|
Honduras
|
|
101.
|
Poland
|
|
|
|
102.
|
Portugal
|
|
|
|
103.
|
Republic of Korea
|
|
|
|
104.
|
Republic of Macedonia
|
|
|
|
105.
|
Romania
|
|
|
|
106.
|
Russia
|
|
|
|
107.
|
Saint Christopher and Nevis
|
|
|
|
108.
|
Saint Lucia
|
|
|
|
109.
|
Saint Vincent & the Grenadines
|
|
|
|
110.
|
Samoa
|
|
|
|
111.
|
San Marino
|
|
|
|
112.
|
Senegal
|
|
|
|
113.
|
Serbia
|
|
|
|
114.
|
Seychelles
|
|
|
|
115.
|
Singapore
|
|
|
|
116.
|
Slovakia
|
|
|
|
117.
|
Slovenia
|
|
|
|
118.
|
Solomon Islands
|
|
|
|
119.
|
South Africa
|
|
|
|
120.
|
Spain
|
|
|
|
121.
|
Sri Lanka
|
|
|
|
122.
|
Suriname
|
|
|
|
123.
|
Swaziland
|
|
|
|
124.
|
Sweden
|
|
|
|
125.
|
Switzerland
|
|
|
|
126.
|
Taiwan
|
|
|
|
127.
|
Tajikistan
|
|
|
|
128.
|
Tanzania
|
|
|
|
129.
|
Thailand
|
|
|
|
130.
|
Tonga
|
|
|
|
131.
|
Trinidad & Tobago
|
|
|
|
132.
|
Turks & Caicos Island
|
|
|
|
133.
|
Tuvalu
|
|
|
|
134.
|
UAE
|
|
|
|
135.
|
Ukraine
|
|
|
|
136.
|
United Kingdom
|
|
|
|
136.
|
Uruguay
|
|
|
|
137.
|
USA
|
|
|
|
138.
|
Vanuatu
|
|
|
This information was given by Dr.
Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (Independent Charge)
and Minister of State for Civil Aviation in a written reply in Rajya Sabha
today.
****
Sanjay Kumar/jk/RS. No.-2/04-05-2016