Visa on arrival at Bangalore

Visitors from 11 countries can now obtain visa on arrival at Bengaluru International Airport.

“Visa on arrival service is now operational at the Bengaluru International Airport,” said a statement issued by Bangalore International Airport Ltd. (BIAL) on Friday.

This service is available to visitors from Japan, Singapore, New Zealand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Luxembourg, Finland, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar and Cambodia.

For the benefit of tourists, airport authorities will set up visa desks, make special seating arrangements and put up appropriate signage. The visa will be issued at the immigration desk and will be valid for a maximum period of 30 days, according to the statement.

Visa on arrival shall be granted to foreign nationals who are visiting India on recreation, sightseeing, short-duration medical treatment or for a casual business visit.

The documents required to be presented at the counter include passport with minimum six months validity, two passport-size photographs, photocopy of passport, hotel booking confirmation (if possible) and return ticket.

A fee of $60 or an equivalent amount in Indian rupees per passenger (including children) will be charged for the grant of visa-on-arrival. Travellers will be able to obtain single-entry tourism visas, which will be valid for 30 days, and in special cases can be extended to 60 days, the statement added.

Industry welcomes it

Though the 11 countries are not among those that produce big inbound traffic to Bangalore and other parts of the State, the visa-on-arrival facility has been welcomed by the tourism industry. A major share of inbound traffic in Bangalore is from the U.S., the U.K., Germany and France.

“The initiative is in the positive direction and we hope it will get extended to other countries based on the function of this facility and also on the bilateral ties,” said Sanjar Imam of Panache, a Bangalore-based boutique travel company, which handles inbound travels.

The 11 countries, however, is a promising market for both tourism and trade ties, he said.