India Extends Its e-Tourist Visa Facilities For Up To 166 Countries
Unlike the usual route, where it is mandatory for foreign citizens to pay a quick visit to the Indian embassy in order to obtain a visa, this e-Tourist Visa eradicates the chances of physically submitting the documents, providing convenience as well as comfort
How do foreigners access India? One of the simplest ways is through the E-Tourist Visa, which involves tourists filling a form, uploading their digital copies of their photo and passport, and then paying the fees online, before receiving an electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA).
Unlike the usual route, where it is mandatory for foreign citizens to pay a quick visit to the Indian embassy in order to obtain a visa, this e-Tourist Visa eradicates the chances of physically submitting the documents, providing convenience as well as comfort. So, citizens can apply for this visa four days prior to their travel to India, and as of now, citizens from over 150 countries have been on the list. However, the Indian Ministry of Tourism had been inculcating chances of expanding the e- Tourist visa Facilities to tourists who are planning to visit our nation. This expansion was announced by the Ministry of Tourism on 8th February 2026, which is a reminder that India is gradually stepping up the level and taking a significant step in ensuring growth in our nation’s digital transformation in terms of travel and immigration. As part of their expansion, the nations that were added to this list include “Algeria, Fiji, Kenya, Uruguay, Armenia and also North Macedonia”, which is a strong indicator marking a significant step towards simplifying the visa process for citizens who are willing to visit India from these particular regions.
This e-tourist Visa system eliminates the prerequisite obligation for travellers hailing from these countries to visit an Indian Embassy or a consulate in order to procure a visa, and this is an initiative to make international travel more convenient for global tourists.
As per the e-Tourist Visa norms, there would be a 30-day stay with double entry, while other categories, such as if anybody is visiting for medical purposes or for business purposes, then the durations may vary from one year up to 5 years drastically on the basis of their activities.
This article is written by Nag Adithya, an intern at Deccan Chronicle, Secunderabad.
