Category Archives: Visa

UAE expanded visa-on-arrival programme for Indians by including travellers with valid visas, residence permits, or Green Cards from 6 more countries including Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand & Canada. The move permits more Indian passport holders to access the facility at UAE entry points.

South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs’ ground-breaking digital platform for the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS) has gone live. This platform will drive increased tourism from the major source markets of India and China by enabling vetted and approved tour operators to submit group applications for large tour groups from these two countries. This addresses a long-standing obstacle to tourism growth, whereby long queues, red tape and the inability to process group applications timeously led to inefficiency in the issuing of visas for tourists from these countries. To illustrate the scale of the change: before TTOS was created, there were only two South African missions in China, and only two missions in India, to serve the 2.8 billion people living in those two countries who wanted to come as tourists to South Africa. But under the new TTOS digital-first system, tourists from India and China who use approved tour operators will no longer have to visit a mission, will no longer fill in a single form, will not need to stand in a single queue, and will receive their visas digitally within three days. In 2023, South Africa only received 37 000 tourists from China and only 79 000 from India. By enhancing visa efficiency and security through TTOS, Home Affairs looks forward to enabling much faster tourism growth from these two burgeoning source markets. The Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Leon Schreiber, said: “The fact that Home Affairs took the TTOS from conceptualisation to implementation in less than six months demonstrates our commitment to embracing digital transformation and to playing our role as an economic enabler to create jobs. Research has shown that for every twelve new tourists attracted by TTOS, we …

Reacting to the Budget-2025, Sunil Kumar, President, TAAI, said, “The Indian government’s recent budget reflects a strong commitment to boosting tourism. With initiatives like visa waivers to attract international tourists and upgrading 50 major tourist sites in collaboration with states, the focus is on positioning India as a top global destination. These measures, including investments in infrastructure and connectivity, are designed to enhance India’s tourism appeal. Visa waivers, in particular, will ease travel hurdles, inviting more foreign tourists and driving revenue.” He added that the government also emphasises medical tourism, recognising India’s world-class healthcare facilities. Through partnerships with the private sector, medical tourism is poised for growth. Furthermore, the Udaan scheme’s expansion to 120 destinations will facilitate travel, while Mudra loans for homestays will support affordable accommodation options.

Reacting to the Union Budget, Pieter Elbers, CEO, IndiGo, said, “The Union Budget 2025 has outlined various great initiatives to further develop a future-ready travel ecosystem, with emphasis on people and infrastructure, and aviation as a key enabler. Investment in developing world-class airports, enhancing regional connectivity, capacity upgrades, procedures, regulatory framework and streamlined visa facilities, will all play critical role in bringing this vision of developing India into a global aviation hub to life. By strengthening both domestic and international connectivity, we are fueling economic progress, bridging communities, and reinforcing aviation’s role as a catalyst for national growth and collectively building India as a leading global economic powerhouse.”

The Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Belarus and the Government of the Russian Federation on mutual recognition of visas and other issues related to the rules of Entry/Exit of foreign citizens and stateless persons to/from the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation with Visas/residence permits of the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation (procedure for checking electronic visas) has already entered into force from 11 January, 2025. Foreign citizens and stateless persons may enter/exit, transit through the territory of the Republic of Belarus or the territory of the Russian Federation upon presentation of one of the following valid documents: a Visa (single-entry, multiple-entry) of the Republic of Belarus or a residence permit in the Republic of Belarus, valid at the time of entry. a Visa (single-entry, multiple-entry), including an electronic visa of the Russian Federation or a residence permit in the Russian Federation, valid at the time of entry. Thus, a foreign citizen upon presentation of one of the valid documents (visa, residence permit) of the Republic of Belarus or the Russian federation will be able to: enter the Russian federation and exit the Republic of Belarus; enter the Republic of Belarus and exit the Russian Federation; Travel between these countries. 2. The procedure of the checking the availability of an electronic visa of the Russian Federation: The visa shall be presented in printed form; The QR code on the visa shall be scanned. The barcode contains a link to the website of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs evisacheck.kdmid.ru to check the availability/ absence of an electronic visa for a foreign citizen. 3. Foreign citizens with a Diplomatic passport: foreign citizens accredited in accordance …

VFS Global has launched its new user-friendly and efficient online platform to make Indonesia’s Electronic Visa on Arrival (e-VoA) application process seamless for travellers, promote inbound tourism, and enhance overall customer experience. The platform is in line with Indonesian government’s ongoing efforts to enhance its tourism infrastructure and services to welcome 14 million visitors in 2025. VFS Global’s new e-VoA platform, is available for nationals of 97 countries, including India. Travellers can now enjoy a quicker and smoother visa application journey through VFS Global by completing the entire process online and receiving a pre-approved e-VoA before departure. Jiten Vyas, Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Business Development, VFS Global, said, “As a company, we are constantly working towards innovations which provide a seamless visa application submission experience to our customers. The launch of this innovative, secure, and user-friendly digital e-Visa on Arrival platform for Indonesia will undoubtedly streamline the visa application process, making it faster, easier, and more convenient. With Indonesia being a globally sought-after destination, we are honoured to assist visitors from 97 countries by facilitating their entry into this incredible country through this platform.”  

With the start of the new year, the Israel Ministry of Tourism (IMOT) announced the launch of an e-visa system specifically designed for Indian travellers from 1 January. This marks a new era in Israel-India tourism relations, making the visa application process more efficient and user-friendly than ever before. It represents Israel’s ongoing efforts to enhance the tourist experience and streamline entry procedures for international visitors.

Malayasia has extended visa exemption for Indians until 31 December 2026. Awang Alik Jeman, Secretary General, Ministry of Home Affairs (KDN), Malaysia said, “As part of this plan, 30- day visa exemption is granted to Indians and it is in line with our preparations for Visit Malaysia Year 2026.”

South Africa will be hosting the T20 World Cup in 2027 and expected to welcome a huge number of Indian cricket enthusiasts. For this, they will set up a dedicated team that can process visa applications for cricket fans. In terms of cultural events, the country will share its calendar of sports and culture events for 2025 with India so that both countries can work together.

After the success of the pilot phase of its e-visa system in India, the Philippines announced that it is ready to fully implement its new e-visa system in India. Considering that India has been one of the important outbound source markets, the Philippines has been trying to implement a fully automated e-visa process to attract Indians.