Mass travel cancellations due to political quarrels
Good news for UK nationals planning a trip to India: you can apply for your e-Visa for India online again after being unable to do so for almost a year. Following strict entry requirements for Indians traveling to the UK post-COVID, the Indian government had banned UK nationals from applying for e-visas. The UK was among just a handful of countries whose citizens were barred from applying for India e-Visas even after the pandemic, a list that also included Canada and China.
While British nationals could theoretically still apply for physical visas from the High Commission to travel to India, paper visa queues were so long that many travelers were forced to postpone or even cancel their planned trips.
E-visa reintroduced for UK nationals
After lengthy negotiations and the lifting of many UK restrictions on incoming Indian visitors, India has finally agreed to allow UK travelers to apply for e-Visas again. It’s no surprise that the UK government has been so keen on the e-Visa scheme being reopened to UK nationals. The country accounts for a large portion of India’s annual visitors, due in part to the easy accessibility of the e-Visa system.
Pleun Leijten, Head of Customer Relations at e-Visa.co.uk, one of the UK’s leading travel visa agencies, explained that the news was greeted with much joy and relief by UK travellers:
“We receive dozens of calls and emails every day from frustrated travelers wondering when it will be possible to purchase an Indian visa online again. Until now we had to tell them that we didn’t know either. The reintroduction of the e-Visa removes a major hurdle for Brits wishing to travel to India. ”
Increase in visa applications for India
Following the news, the number of e-Visa applications for India surged as travelers from the UK finally want to visit friends and family in India again. e-Visa.co.uk noted that online visa applications for India have nearly quadrupled after UK nationals are allowed to apply again. Head of Customer Relations Pleun Leijten sees her employees facing a sharp increase in workload:
“India has very strict requirements for e-visa applications compared to many other countries. For example, you must provide both a scan of your passport and a photograph of yourself. Travelers often come to us to help them with their applications. To ensure speedy approval, we manually review all documents provided to ensure they meet the standards set by the Indian Immigration Service to ensure a smooth process.”
The news was also welcomed by India’s tourism sector, whose profits have fallen short of pre-pandemic numbers despite the country’s reopening of borders. This was in large part due to the lack of British tourists. With the UK regaining access to the e-Visa system, the outlook for India’s tourism sector up to 2023 looks bright.
e-Visa.co.uk
e-Visum.de is a visa office that specializes in processing applications for electronic travel permits. Many travelers find visa applications complicated and time-consuming. With modern technical solutions and personal support, VisumAntrag.de makes applying for a visa easier than ever before. e-Visa’s customer-centric approach gives him a unique insight into the travel industry.
