India Starts Visa on Arrival Facility for South Koreans

South Korean nationals can now fly directly into a few designated Indian airports and get visa on arrival as the home ministry recently approved South Korea as the only country other than Japan eligible for this facility. The move is expected to boost tourists inflow to the country.

South Korea is the second country whose nationals are given visa on arrival by India after Japan in March 2016. According to an estimate, around two lakh Indian visas are issued to South Korean nationals every year, of which 80 percent are tourists, Deccan Chronicle reported.

Like for Japanese citizens, the facility for South Korean nationals includes double entry visit for a period not exceeding 60 days for business, tourism, conference and medical purposes for entry through Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, and Bangalore apart from Hyderabad, the Hyderabad-based publication reported.

The Visa-on-arrival facility was earlier offered to citizens of 12 countries — Cambodia, Finland, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Luxembourg, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, and South Korea — it was discontinued in November 2014 after the launch of e-Tourist Visa scheme, the paper said.

Under the e-visa scheme, which covers all the countries, an applicant receives an email authorizing him or her to travel to India after the visa has been approved.