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New Delhi, February 10:: India may grant visa on arrival in the near future to tourists from 18 countries which have recently been given the facility of five-year multiple entry visa.
Minister of Tourism and Culture Ambika Soni told PTI that her ministry was working on the proposal jointly with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Ministry of Home Affairs.
"We can look forward to having visa on arrival, I hope, not in the too distant future. We are constantly working on this," she said.
To begin with, visa on arrival could be given to tourists from the 18 countries to whose citizens India has started giving five-year multiple entry visas.
"We have been able to persuade the Home Ministry to give long-term visas. It is on a trial basis, for 18 countries. I hope visa on arrival could start for those countries," she said.
Soni said it was in the direction of visa on arrival that her ministry has been working on 'advanced passenger information' system. "When we have this system, visa on arrival becomes a much easier process."
She said that the External Affairs Ministry has directed all the embassies to grant visas within 48 hours.
"All the embassies abroad have got direction from the MEA to see that they give visas within 48 hours and if any embassy does not have staff during peak season, like in Spain, London or Paris, then they have to outsource it. This is already working reasonably well," she added.
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