London, 20 September 2016 - Figures shared today by India Tourism Office London reveal that British travellers have embraced the India e-Tourist Visa (eTV) since it launched a year ago, accounting for nearly a quarter of all e-visas issued worldwide (197,788 out of 881,817). Nearly 900,000 e-visas have been issued in the last year and, on the scheme's first anniversary, the UK represents the strongest market globally. Indeed, within the first two months of its use by UK citizens, the UK was number one, ranked first out of 113 countries using the new e-visa scheme. Thanks to the successful marketing and promotional efforts undertaken by India Tourism Office London, the UK has since remained in top position for e-visa take-up.

India has long been a popular destination for British holidaymakers, and attracted 870,000 UK visitors in the last year. Latest figures show that, during July 2016, 16.51% of total foreign tourist arrivals to India were from the UK. The e-visa scheme has certainly made it easier to travel to India, as it has reduced the time and expense previously required in securing official permission to enter the country.

Mr. Raj Sunani, Assistant Director at India Tourism Office London, said: “Until August last year, British visitors had to go through a process of booking an appointment and presenting relevant documentation at visa processing centres, a relatively long process. Now, the India e-Tourist Visa Scheme has vastly simplified travel to India and is a proven success. The scheme is expected to boost UK tourist arrivals to India, assisting in India Tourism's aim to attract one million UK visitors to the country.”

The India e-Tourist Visa Scheme was initially launched on a limited basis in November 2014, for citizens of 77 countries. In August 2015, it was widened to encompass 113 countries, including the UK. Travellers to India who hold an e-visa are permitted to arrive at one of 16 designated airports and can travel to India up to twice in a calendar year.

The India e-Tourist Visa can be applied for at https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/tvoa.html a minimum of four days in advance of the arrival date to India with a window of 30 days. The cost of an e-visa for British passport holders has been reduced to US$60 (approx. £45) under the new system.

For more information, visit: www.incredibleindia.org.

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Notes to Editors:
Image Captions:
Image 1: Mr. Raj Sunani, Assistant Director at India Tourism, said that the India e-Tourist Visa Scheme has vastly simplified travel to India and is a proven success.

Media Enquiries:
McCluskey International
Judy McCluskey / Fiona Anderson / Frankie Gibson
T: 020 8747 2170
M: 07824 807 064 / 07775 515 969 / 07400 096 597
E: incredibleindia@mccluskey.co.uk 

Mr. Raj Sunani
India Tourism London
T: 020 7437 3677
E: raj@indiatourismlondon.org 

Instructions for e-Tourist Visa Application:

1. Applicants of the eligible countries/territories may apply online, a minimum of 4 days in advance of the date of arrival with a window of 30 days. Example: if you are applying on 1st September then you can select the arrival date from 5th September to 4th October.
2. A recent front facing photograph with a white background and the photo page of passport containing personal details like name, date of birth, nationality, expiry date etc. is to be uploaded by the applicant. The application is liable to be rejected if the uploaded document and photograph are not clear / as per specification.
3. E-tourist Visa fees is country/territory specific (min $0 and max $60). Bank transaction charges of 2.5% will be charged additionally on applicable e-Tourist Visa fees. The fee must be paid at least 4 days before the expected date of travel otherwise the application will not be processed. To find out the fee applicable on your country/territory please click here.
4. The eTV fee once submitted is non-refundable as the fee is for processing the application and is not dependent on either Grant or Rejection of the visa.
5. The applicant should carry a copy of the eTV along with him/her at the time of travel.
6. Biometric details of the applicant will be mandatorily captured at Immigration on arrival in India.
7. The validity of the visa will be 30 days from the date of arrival to India.
8. The eTV is valid for entry through 16 designated airports i.e. Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bengaluru, Chennai, Cochin, Delhi, Gaya, Goa, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Tiruchirapalli, Trivandrum & Varanasi. However, the visitor can exit from any of the authorised Immigration Check Posts (ICPs) in India.
9. This facility is in addition to the existing visa services.
10. The eTV permits entry to India a maximum of twice in a calendar year.
11. The eTV, once issued on arrival, is only single entry, non-extendable, non-convertible & not valid for visitingProtected/Restricted and Cantonment Areas.
12. Applicants can track the status of their application online by clicking visa status.
13. Please be careful while making payment of the eTV fee. If the number of unsuccessful attempts is more than three (03), then the application ID may be blocked and the applicant could be required to reapply by filling in the application form again and regenerating a new application ID.
    
14. Before re-applying, the applicant is requested to wait 4 hours for the payment status to update, after final submission of the application form and payment of the fee.
15. Nationals of yellow fever affected countries must carry a yellow fever vaccination card at the time of arrival to India, otherwise they may be quarantined for 6 days upon arrival. Please visit our Ministry Of Health & Family Welfare latest guidelines regarding yellow fever countries
16. For any assistance call 24 *7 Visa support centre on +91-11-24300666 or send an email to indiatvoa@gov.in.