The Indian government is set to introduce one-month e-visa with flexible charges, keeping the fees low during the non-peak summer months. Here’s all you need to know!
- Leisure tourists will be charged $10 for a 30-day e-visa for travel between April and June, and $25 for any other month
- Currently, India charges $80-100 for one-year e-visa for tourists from most countries
- For e-visas of one- and five-year durations, citizens of Japan, Singapore and Sri Lanka will be charged $25 while those from other countries will get those at $40 and $80, respectively
High visa charges is one reason that makes India less attractive to tourists and so the fee is being reduced to increase footfalls and foreign exchange receipts.
“Countries like Sri Lanka and Thailand have been successful in attracting Indian tourists because of free visas. The government’s decision now signals that India too welcomes tourists,” said Rajeev Kohli, former vice-president of Indian Association of Tour Operators.
India attracted 10.5 million overseas tourists in 2018, far fewer than some of the other Asian countries. Singapore received 18.5 million tourists while Thailand welcomed over 38 million foreign visitors last year.