India to extend visa-on-arrival facility to tourists from 180 countries Wednesday Feb 05,2014

India currently offers visa-on-arrival to tourists from 11 countries and

this facility is now being extended to 180 countries with exceptions to tourists from the 8 countries -

• Pakistan
• Sudan
• Afghanistan
• Iran
• Iraq
• Nigeria
• Sri Lanka and
• Somalia

"We have decided to extend the visa-on-arrival facility to tourists from 180 nations. It will take 5-6 months for the respective departments to put the required infrastructure in place. We hope to implement this from the next tourist session beginning October 2014''Planning Minister Rajeev Shukla said on Wednesday Feb 05,2014.

The move, aimed at boosting country's tourism sector, would not need Cabinet's nod, Shukla said, adding that Home Ministry would notify the same at an appropriate time

The visa-on-arrival facility would save time and expenses of the foreign nationals as they would no longer need to visit Indian missions to get visas for touring India

To get visa, they would need to apply in the designated website along the required fees. They would be granted an electronic version of the visa within three days. "Visa-on-arrival can be availed in all 26 major domestic airports from where international flights ply''