* The Indian government implemented the first phase of ETA-enabled
TVoA for 43 countries who want to visit India for sightseeing, visiting family and friends, rejuvenation, casual business visits, and short-duration medical tours in 2014.The scheme simplifies the visa application process and encourages tourist inflow to the country.
Eligible
TVoA applications will be approved within three days, following which an e-mail authorisation will be sent to applicants, which they are required to carry while flying to India.
Seetharam said the
TVoA has eliminated the need for the candidates to be present at the agency processing visa applications (BLS International in the UAE) or the Indian missions.
A senior ministry official explains Chiranjeevi's point: " Currently India offers
TVOA facility at its four major airports -- Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai to 11 countries, while China on January 1, 2013, aggressively launched Visa on Arrival scheme for 45 countries.'' However, the ministry of home affairs recently informed that it will not extend the
TVOA facility to any other country.
Initially, in January 2010
TvoA scheme was introduced for citizens of five countries and now, the facility is available for citizens of 11 countries --Finland, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Singapore, Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines, Laos, Myanmar, Indonesia and South Korea.