<div align="justify">Foreign tourists visiting India on e-visa can now stay up to two months, instead of the earlier one, and enjoy double-entry benefits while those coming for treatment can avail triple-entry facility.<br /><br />Home Minister Rajnath Singh said today that a new liberalised visa regime has been rolled out by the government beginning April 1 under which tourists coming on e-visa can stay up to two months with double-entry benefits.<br /><br />"Duration of stay on e-visa increased from 30 days to 60 days with double entry on tourist and business e-visas and triple entry on medical e-visa," he said in a statement.<br /><br />Earlier, a tourist coming on e-visa could stay in India up to 30 days only.<br /><br />With the double-entry benefits, tourists can visit neighbouring countries like Bhutan and can return to India within the stipulated time.<br /><br />"The government has liberalised its visa regime to promote tourism, business travel and attract potential investors to the country," Singh said.<br /><br />Effective April 1, e-visa has been sub-divided into three categories - e-tourist visa, e-business visa and e-medical visa.<br /><br />The window for application under e-visa scheme has been increased from 30 days to 120 days.<br /><br />Besides, both business and medical visas will be granted within 48 hours of application upon urgent requests.<br /><br />The Home Minister said separate immigration counters and facilitation desks to assist medical tourists have been provided at six major Indian airports.<br /><br />The airports are Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.<br /><br />A new category of visa - Film (F) visa has also been introduced with maximum duration of one-year with multiple entry facility.<br /><br />Another category of visa, titled Intern (I) Visa, has been rolled out for foreigners intending to pursue internship in India.<br /><br />Singh said e-visa facility has been extended to the nationals of 161 countries for entry through 24 airports and three Indian seaports. The seaports are Cochin, Goa and Mangalore.<br />The multiple entry tourist and business visas for a period of five years will now be available to nationals of most of the countries.<br /><br />Nine-four Missions having bio-metric enrolment facilities have started giving five-year tourist and business visas. The remaining Missions will be providing this facility in due course.<br /><br />Under the e-visa scheme, an applicant receives an email authorising him or her to travel to India after it has been approved. The tourist can travel with a print-out of this authorisation.<br /><br />On arrival, the visitor has to present the authorisation to the immigration authorities who would then allow the entry into the country.</div>
<div align="justify">Foreign tourists visiting India on e-visa can now stay up to two months, instead of the earlier one, and enjoy double-entry benefits while those coming for treatment can avail triple-entry facility.<br /><br />Home Minister Rajnath Singh said today that a new liberalised visa regime has been rolled out by the government beginning April 1 under which tourists coming on e-visa can stay up to two months with double-entry benefits.<br /><br />"Duration of stay on e-visa increased from 30 days to 60 days with double entry on tourist and business e-visas and triple entry on medical e-visa," he said in a statement.<br /><br />Earlier, a tourist coming on e-visa could stay in India up to 30 days only.<br /><br />With the double-entry benefits, tourists can visit neighbouring countries like Bhutan and can return to India within the stipulated time.<br /><br />"The government has liberalised its visa regime to promote tourism, business travel and attract potential investors to the country," Singh said.<br /><br />Effective April 1, e-visa has been sub-divided into three categories - e-tourist visa, e-business visa and e-medical visa.<br /><br />The window for application under e-visa scheme has been increased from 30 days to 120 days.<br /><br />Besides, both business and medical visas will be granted within 48 hours of application upon urgent requests.<br /><br />The Home Minister said separate immigration counters and facilitation desks to assist medical tourists have been provided at six major Indian airports.<br /><br />The airports are Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.<br /><br />A new category of visa - Film (F) visa has also been introduced with maximum duration of one-year with multiple entry facility.<br /><br />Another category of visa, titled Intern (I) Visa, has been rolled out for foreigners intending to pursue internship in India.<br /><br />Singh said e-visa facility has been extended to the nationals of 161 countries for entry through 24 airports and three Indian seaports. The seaports are Cochin, Goa and Mangalore.<br />The multiple entry tourist and business visas for a period of five years will now be available to nationals of most of the countries.<br /><br />Nine-four Missions having bio-metric enrolment facilities have started giving five-year tourist and business visas. The remaining Missions will be providing this facility in due course.<br /><br />Under the e-visa scheme, an applicant receives an email authorising him or her to travel to India after it has been approved. The tourist can travel with a print-out of this authorisation.<br /><br />On arrival, the visitor has to present the authorisation to the immigration authorities who would then allow the entry into the country.</div>