eGovWatch: ‘Visa-on-arrival’ scheme renamed ‘e-Tourist Visa’

The newly-launched ‘visa-on-arrival’ scheme for tourists will now be known as ‘e-Tourist Visa (eTV)’ from Wednesday with the government making the change following requests from various quarters, including foreign missions, to clarify that it is not an on-arrival scheme.

Home Ministry officials said the name of the scheme ‘Tourist Visa on Arrival Enabled-Electronic Travel Authorisation (TVoA-ETA)’ was creating confusion among tourists. The old name lead people to presume that visa was being granted on arrival. However, in the present system, the pre-authorisation of visa is being given prior to arrival of foreigners.

The ministry has also received requests of name change from some Indian embassies.

A committee of officers from the ministries of Home and External Affairs, and the Bureau of Immigration was formed for coining a new name for the scheme. Keeping in view the application process and purpose of the scheme, the committee suggested eTV as the appropriate name for the scheme. “In order to avoid further confusion, the Home Ministry has decided to change the name of the scheme,” a Home Ministry official said.