India has expanded its Visa-on-Arrival (VoA) facility for UAE nationals to include Cochin, Calicut and Ahmedabad international airports, adding to the existing centres in New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Kochi. With this move, UAE citizens now have access to VoA at nine major entry points across India.
The facility is available exclusively to UAE nationals who have previously obtained an Indian e-visa or a regular paper visa. Travellers are required to fill out the VoA application form upon arrival and submit it along with a disembarkation card, which can also be completed online through the Indian government’s e-arrival portal or the “Indian Visa Su-Swagatam” mobile application.UAE citizens arriving in India under this scheme may stay for up to 60 days and can enter for tourism, business, conferences or medical purposes. The visa allows double entry within the 60-day period. Applicants must hold passports with a minimum validity of six months and may be asked to provide proof of funds, accommodation and return or onward travel.
The VoA facility is not available to any UAE national whose parents or grandparents were born in or are permanent residents of Pakistan. Such travellers must apply for an appropriate visa through the Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi or the Consulate General of India in Dubai.The fee for Visa-on-Arrival remains Rs. 2,000 or the equivalent in foreign currency for each passenger, including children. There is no limit on the number of times a UAE national may avail the facility in a year.
The expanded access aims to further streamline travel for UAE nationals and strengthen people-to-people ties, amid growing movement between the two countries for tourism, business and medical visits.