The visa-on-arrival facility for foreign tourists will be available at the Calicut airport from next month onwards.
“The Union Home Ministry has agreed to extend the tourist-on-visa- arrival, e-tourist visa (eTV), to Calicut from February,” official sources said.
At present, the e-TV facility, enabled by Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), is available at Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi airports. The facility at Calicut is expected to give a fillip to the sagging tourism industry in north Kerala.
Sources said the e-tourist visa would allow a foreigner to apply for an Indian visa from his or her home country online without visiting the Indian Mission after paying the fee online. An authorisation letter sent via email permits the applicant to travel to India and subsequently, present the document at the immigration counter at the airport.
30-day period
Foreigners may avail themselves of the facility for a period of up to 30 days for tourism, medical treatment, casual business or to visit friends and relatives.
Sources said eTV visa allowed single entry facility by Immigration Officers. It is permitted for maximum of two times in a calendar year with a minimum gap of two months between visits.
The modalities had already been worked out with the Bureau of Immigration, Foreigners Regional Registration Office, the Tourism Ministry officials and the Airports Authority of India last year. Exclusive counters to process the visas of travellers have been set up at the airport.
The average number of foreign arrivals per year at the Calicut International Airport is between 45,000 and 50,000. The major traffic volume is experienced during April and May and the Haj season. Currently, India provides e-tourist visa to citizens of 161 countries.
