India Plans Major Visa Reform Push to Strengthen Tourism Growth with 90-Day Visa-on-Arrival and Faster e-Visa System Expansion

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India is preparing a significant overhaul of its tourism entry framework as part of a broader strategy to accelerate international arrivals and improve travel ease. A recent policy report focused on tourism and hospitality reform highlights that visa liberalisation, digital immigration systems, and faster processing mechanisms will play a central role in positioning India as a more competitive global destination.

The recommendations are aligned with India’s long-term tourism expansion agenda and aim to treat visa facilitation not as a barrier, but as a strategic enabler of inbound travel growth, alongside infrastructure development and service quality enhancement.

Policy Push for 90-Day Multiple Entry Visa-on-Arrival Scheme

One of the most notable proposals is the introduction of a 90-day, multiple-entry Tourist Visa-on-Arrival system for selected countries. Under this model, eligible travellers would be able to obtain entry clearance directly at designated airports or seaports upon arrival, reducing pre-travel administrative steps.

The proposed system is designed to support both spontaneous tourism demand and structured multi-destination itineraries, allowing visitors to move in and out of India during a single trip.

Eligibility is expected to be determined based on reciprocity agreements, tourism potential, migration risk assessment, and regional diplomatic cooperation. The rollout would be phased rather than universal, targeting carefully selected source markets first.

Currently, India’s limited visa-on-arrival access applies only to a small group of countries, while most travellers still rely on the e-Visa or traditional visa channels.

Expansion Strategy for Visa-on-Arrival Eligibility Framework

The report suggests widening the existing framework beyond current beneficiaries by adopting a more flexible and reciprocal policy approach. This would allow India to align with global travel norms where visa facilitation is increasingly tied to tourism competitiveness and bilateral trust agreements.

The expanded model is expected to support:

• Increased short-stay tourism flows
• Higher repeat visitation rates
• Improved regional connectivity within Asia and beyond
• Reduced bottlenecks during peak travel seasons

By simplifying entry conditions, India aims to strengthen its position in the global tourism race, particularly in high-growth segments such as cultural tourism, wellness travel, and heritage exploration.

Major Overhaul Planned for India’s e-Visa System

Alongside visa-on-arrival reforms, the report strongly emphasises the need to modernise India’s e-Visa platform, which currently handles the majority of foreign tourist applications.

While the system has been widely recognised for improving accessibility, it continues to face operational challenges including:

• Repetitive data entry requirements
• Mobile compatibility limitations
• Occasional technical failures and time-outs
• CAPTCHA inconsistencies
• Limited payment gateway options

The proposed improvements focus on creating a simplified, error-resistant, and mobile-first visa application experience.

Key recommendations include reducing redundant form fields, improving system stability, expanding international payment support, and ensuring applicants can track their application status in real time.

Strengthening Digital Security and Application Transparency

A critical concern highlighted in the reform agenda is the presence of fraudulent visa websites, which often mislead applicants and compromise personal data security.

To address this, the report recommends stronger monitoring and removal of fake portals, alongside enhanced awareness measures for travellers.

It also proposes a more transparent digital ecosystem where applicants receive:

• Real-time application tracking
• Automated status updates
• Clear rejection or delay explanations
• Direct support channels for assistance

These measures aim to build greater confidence in India’s digital immigration infrastructure and reduce uncertainty for international visitors.

Ongoing Improvements Under India’s Digital Visa Expansion Drive

India has already initiated several upgrades to strengthen its visa ecosystem between August 2025 and February 2026. These include:

• Expansion of eligible countries for e-Visa access to 175 nations
• Introduction of new e-Visa categories to diversify travel purposes
• Deployment of visa facilitation points across additional airports, seaports, and land checkpoints

These developments are part of a broader effort to make India’s entry system more efficient, scalable, and tourism-friendly.

Long-Term Immigration Digitisation Under IVFRT Programme

India’s immigration modernisation is also being reinforced through the continuation of the Immigration, Visa, Foreigners Registration & Tracking (IVFRT) programme until 2031.

The upgraded system is expected to support:

• Fully digitised visa processing workflows
• Self-service immigration kiosks at major entry points
• Faster clearance procedures at airports and borders
• Improved foreign traveller tracking and management systems

Currently, the system already enables most e-Visa approvals within 72 hours, significantly reducing processing delays and improving visitor experience.

Additional upgrades include multilingual tourist assistance counters and renewed online health declaration systems for incoming travellers.

Expanding Tourism Connectivity Through Aviation Infrastructure Growth

Visa reforms are being developed alongside major improvements in India’s transport infrastructure. A key initiative is the expansion of the UDAN regional connectivity scheme, designed to enhance access to underserved destinations.

Planned developments include:

• Revival of approximately 100 abandoned or underutilised runways
• Development of infrastructure across 441 aerodromes
• Construction of around 200 modern helipads

These projects are expected to significantly improve connectivity to remote tourism destinations, heritage regions, and emerging travel circuits.

Building a Competitive Global Tourism Destination

India’s broader strategy reflects a coordinated push to position the country as a more accessible and attractive global tourism hub. The integration of visa liberalisation, digital transformation, and aviation expansion is designed to reduce friction across the entire travel journey.

If fully implemented, the proposed reforms could lead to:

• Higher international tourist arrivals
• Increased short-stay and repeat travel
• Stronger regional tourism partnerships
• Enhanced global competitiveness in the travel sector

The next phase will depend on how quickly these proposals are translated into operational policy. However, the direction is clear: India is moving toward a more open, digital-first, and traveller-centric immigration framework aimed at reshaping its tourism future.