Announcement Regarding e-Tourist Visa for France(e-TV)

e-Tourist Visa facility is available for holders of French passports with effect from 1.5.2015.The eTV scheme requires eligible French nationals to apply four days in advance and obtain an Electronic Travel Authorization before traveling to India. It may be noted that the visa is not being granted on arrival at the airport. For more information visit the link: https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/index.html .To apply, go to the link: https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/info1.jsp

Eligiblity for e-Tourist Visa

1. French nationals whose sole objective of visiting India is recreation, sight seeing, casual visit to meet friends or relatives, short duration medical treatment or casual business visit are eligible for e-Toursit Visa.
2. Their Passports should have at least six months validity from the date of arrival in India. The passports should also have at least two blank pages for stamping by the Immigration Officer.
3. They should have return ticket or onward journey ticket, with sufficient money to spend during their stay in India.
4. French Nationals of Pakistani origin may apply for Visa through Indian Visa Application Centres only.
5. E-Tourist Visa facility is not available to Diplomatic/Official Passport Holders.
6. E-Tourist Visa facility is not available to individuals endorsed on Parent's/Spouse's Passport. Each individual should have a separate passport.
7. E-Tourst Visa facility is also not available to International Travel Document Holders.

e-Tourist Visa Scheme

1. e-Tourist Visa can be granted to the following foreigners who are passport-holders of any of the countries covered by the e-TV Scheme:

(i) whose sole objective of visiting India is recreation, sight seeing, casual visit to meet friends or relatives, short duration medical treatment or casual business visit etc. and no other purpose/activity;

(ii) who do not have a residence or occupation in India;

(iii) who hold a passport with a minimum validity of six months and a re-entry permit, if that is required under the law of the country of nationality of the applicant;

(iv) who is a person of assured financial standing (the production of a return ticket/onward journey ticket and availability of sufficient money to spend during his stay in India may be considered sufficient for this purpose);

(v) who is not a persona-non-grata to the Government of India;

(vi) who is not considered an undesirable person;

2. Procedure for applying for e-TV

In order to avail of the facility of e-Tourist Visa, the foreign national concerned shall mandatorily fill in the application online on the e-Tourist Visa website https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/tvoa.html

The Visa applications are cleared in 72 hours and an e-TV authorization is sent to the email ID provided by the applicant. The visitor is expected to travel to India with this authorization and a passport with a minimum remaining validity of six months. In view of the 72 hours taken for clearance, visitors are expected to apply for e-TV at least 4-5 days before the day of their journey to India.

3. Entry Points

The e-Tourist Visa will be provided only at designated international airports namely, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Trivandrum, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kochi and Goa. With effect from 15th August 2015, visitors holding e-Tourist Visas authorizations will also be able to arrive at 7 more Indian airports (Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Gaya, Jaipur Lucknow, Thiruchirapalli & Varanasi), taking the total number of airports designated for this purpose to 16 (Sixteen).

4. Validity

An e-Tourist Visa will be valid for entry and stay in India within the period of its validity, subject to the conditions specified. The Immigration officer may grant a Double entry e-Tourist Visa valid up to 60 days to the passport-holders of the countries covered by the e-TV Scheme.

5. Conditions for e-Tourist Visa.

e-Tourist Visa can neither be extended nor converted to any other kind of visa during the visa-holder's stay in India.

(For background: Except in the following circumstances, by the FRRO/FRO concerned.

(a) e-Tourist Visa may be converted to 'X' (Entry) Visa if a foreigner who has come to India on an e-Tourist Visa marries an Indian national during the validity of his/her e-Tourist Visa

(b) e-Tourist Visa of a foreigner who falls ill after his/her entry into India rendering him/her unfit to travel and who requires specialized medical treatment may be converted into a Medical visa if he/she is eligible for the grant of Medical Visa and a medical certificate is obtained from a government/ICMR recognized hospital. In such cases, e-Tourist Visa of the attendant accompanying the foreigner (whose e-Tourist Visa is converted into Medical Visa) may also be converted into Medical Attendant [Med X] visa co-terminus with the Medical Visa of the foreigner.

Note: On conversion of an 'e-Tourist Visa' into 'X' visa/ Medical Visa/ 'Med X' Visa, the following endorsement shall be made on the Passport/ Residential Permit 'Employment/Business not permitted'.)

6. Fee for e-Tourist Visa

A fee of US $48/- or equivalent amount in Indian rupees per passenger (including children), is currently being charged from French Passport holders for the grant of an e-Tourist Visa. e-Tourist Visa is gratis for Mauritian Passport holders. To know the fee applicable on your Country/Territory (Please Click Here )

7. Repeat visits

e-Tourist Visa may be allowed for a maximum of two times in a calendar year to a foreigner.

8. Diplomatic/ Official passport holders

The e-Tourist Visa facility shall not be available to holders of Diplomatic/Official passports.

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