India adds five more countries to ‘Tourist Visa-on-Arrival’ scheme
India adds five more countries to ‘Tourist Visa-on-Arrival’ scheme
By our correspondent
Ahmedabad, DeshGujarat, 4 March, 2010
The Government of India has, with effect from 1.1.2010 introduced a ‘Tourist Visa-on-Arrival” scheme for citizens of five countries viz., Finland, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand and Singapore at four international airports in the country, viz., Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata.
A fee of US $60/- or an equivalent amount in Indian rupees per passenger (including children) is to be charged from each applicant for grant of a Tourist Visa-on-Arrival.
The “Tourist Visa-on-Arrival” scheme with these five countries has been implemented as a unilateral initiative of the Government of India with the objective of promoting tourism.
This was stated by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Shri Mullappally Ramachandran, in written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
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This is good news Please make sure that unwanted people come thrugh this way and ceate problems later…. Learn from ISRAEL .. Create “MOSAD” type network to eleminate anti INDIA elements everywhere…… But no we will not cahnge….
It is time se cricket, movies and build temples….
NICE ……….NEWS
GUJARAT HAVE TO GIVE ……….50% DISCOUNT ALL ASIAN COUNTRY TO COME GUJARAT…………
GUJARATI PEOPLE KNOW……………HOW TO MAKE MONEY
Buy why four airports only? Aren’t India has more than four international airports? Or they will call these four on trail basis – aren’t all Indian international airports are connected to home-department or civil aviation? Well, it’s a good start anyway without thinking too much, correct guys?
is the scheme is vis a versa or just foreign citizen are allowed to arrival visa or indian citizen are also has same benifit when they go these nations.
That’s very good. The govt. should add some more number of countries.This will increase the tourism in India.Lets hope that will not increase terrorism in country.
This is very good news.
Credit goes to Manmohan singh & team
Hope the following type of stories don’t come up through this new scheme…..
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MY DUAL CITIZENSHIP WOES:
MY RECENT EXPERIENCE WITH THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT
AT THE KOLKATA AIRPORT AND THE LESSONS I LEARNT
My advice to all my friends who hold an OCI (Overseas Citizen of
India) Card and those who aspire to get one.
I am an American citizen. I also carry an OCI card (Overseas Citizen
of India) since 2007.
On Saturday, June 20, 2009 , I arrived at the Kolkata Netaji Subhas
Airport from Detroit via Singapore , by Singapore Airlines (SQ 516) at
10:30 P.M.
I presented myself to an Immigration Officer ( Mr. Biswas ) for
immigration clearance. I gave him my American passport and my OCI
card. He demanded to see my visa from the Indian consular office.
Unfortunately, that visa was attached to my old passport and I did not
bring it with me.
I explained to him that I am sorry I forgot to bring my old passport
but since I do possess a valid OCI Card that would automatically mean
that I do also possess a permanent (life long) visa for India and
there are proofs that I have traveled multiple times to India after I
had received my OCI card.
Mr. Biswas detained me for two hours inside the airport and then he
told me that he is going to allow me to stay in India for 72 hours and
asked me to report to the Foreign Relations Regional Officer (FRRO) in
the city within 72 hours. He kept my passport. During all that time
I had no opportunity either to approach his OC (Officer in Charge)
although I asked for it, or to contact my relatives who came to the
airport to receive me and were waiting outside and had no idea why I
was being held back or if I have even arrived.
Forgetting to bring my old passport was my own fault but I ‘forgot’ to
bring it partly because I knew I have my OCI Card with me and I
thought, that means something, I really believed that I am a citizen
of India too. Why would a citizen also need a visa to enter his own
country? I thought I have a dual citizenship for both the USA and
India . Other wise, what is the difference between an ordinary
foreigner and the OCI Card holder?
Next day was a Sunday, I called a friend in Ann Arbor who went into my
house, got my old passport and sent me the scanned copy of my old
passport and a copy of my permanent visa by e-mail.
So, on Monday I went to see Mr. Bibhas Talukdar , the FRRO. He hardly
looked at the documents (the scanned visa) that I had with me he
simply asked me to get my old passport by courier mail within another
seven days. He appeared gleeful telling me that it is only out of
“pity” that he is allowing me to stay in India for seven more days.
He was totally unimpressed by either my status as a Professor Emeritus
of the University of Michigan or my age (70+)
I called my friend in Ann Arbor again who then sent my old passport by
FedEx. Three days later the passport arrived. Since I had to leave
Kolkata for prescheduled visit to Bangalore , my niece took it to Mr.
Talukdar . But due to lack of communication between the FRRO office
and the airport immigration department my passport had not arrived at
the city office even after 9 days. My niece had to go to the FRRO’s
office three times once waiting until 6 P.M. still they did not have
my passport. They only promised: “it will come soon”. At last, 12
days after my arrival, my niece got my passport.
From this painful and anxiety provoking experience I have learned a
few valuable lessons:
1. The loud talk about “Dual Citizenship” for Indian Americans is
just a political hoax.
2. The OCI card just does not have any value. It is just a piece
of expensive junk. You still need a visa every time you travel to
India whether or not you possess an OCI card. Only difference is that
for the high price of getting an OCI card you will get a “life long ”
visa. A 10-year visa is much cheaper.
3. When coming to India always consider yourself a foreigner and
bring your visa with you, there will be no exceptions. Your OCI card
is not a visa substitute.
4. In fact, you will probably be treated worse than an ordinary
foreigner arriving without a valid visa. Because a foreigner
especially a white Caucasian will at least be treated with courtesy
and probably offered a temporary visa if there is no reason to deny
it, but not you.
Please feel free to forward this mail to any of your friends who may
befit from my experience. Especially feel free to forward this to any
influential politician or civil servant in India that you may know.
Sujit K. Pandit M.D.,Professor Emeritus, Department of Anesthesiology,
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor , MI 48109, USA …. sujitpandit@hotmail.com
Mr. Sujit Pandit (MD) is totally misguiding others. He dose not understand what is OCI.
OCI ( card ) which is only certificate of registration and show your rights. IT”S not VISA.
Rights are
a) Lifelong multiple entry visa to India
b) No registration at FRRO for any length of stay
c) At par with NRIs in all spheres of activity, except purchase of agricultural property.
VISA is main part of OCI and it should be on your passport. if old passport expired then you should bring your old passport or take new visa sticker on new passport at cost of USD25.
card and visa both are requier to enter india
All rule are clear. if someone not read carefully and believe on mouth to mouth word and media news then he is fool.
1. INDIAN government never allow DUAL CITIZENSHIP for any country. it’s all media create this word and misguide everybody.
2. OCI card is not junk from that u can get visa again if you lost visa. or to issue in new passport. 10 year visa and OCI life log visa has many difference. DOn’t look at price.
3. when you took the any other country’s citizenship that means you are no more loyal to INDIA and legally also you are not a citizen of INDIA. then you are a foreigner to Indian govt.
so need to follow all rules of Indian govt. why to cry about the Indian system. Remember the incident of Mr. ABDUL KALAM and MR GEORGE FERNANDIS. they also treat as foreigner and common person their status is far more then Mr. Pandit.
4. when immigration matter come there is no ordinary or special person all are treated same bcos of national security reason.
Ask yourself question WHY I took other country citizenship(it’s always for our personal benifit)
MAIN THING
when people live out of india then their capacity for patience will go low.
but people live in india their capacity for patience is high .
So when Indian will experience this incidence in other country they didnot argue.
but in reverse Foreigner will react too much .
http://mha.nic.in/uniquepage.asp?Id_Pk=553