Infrastructure
facilities are in place at the Thiruvananthapuram and Cochin International
airport for the issue of tourist visa on arrival (T-VoA) for holidaymakers from
11 countries, making the State a gateway to the country.
Exclusive visa desks, holding area, special enclosure for
photographing foreign nationals, foreign exchange counter, proper signage and
display, and telephone connections have been put in place by the Airports
Authority of India (AAI-) and Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) to kick
off T-VoA.
The two airports will join those in New Delhi , Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata in
issuing T-VoAs.
Citizens of Finland ,
Japan , Luxembourg , New
Zealand , Singapore ,
Cambodia , Vietnam , the Philippines ,
Laos , Myanmar , and Indonesia can get T-VoA on landing
here.
Thiruvananthapuram International Airport Director V.N.
Chandran said infrastructure facilities, as mandated by the Bureau of
Immigration (BOI), functioning under the Ministry of Home, were created last
year itself. “We were awaiting the premier airport in the State to become a
gateway to the country,” he said.
T-VoA is expected to give a fillip to the tourism sector in
the State and help stake-holders get tourists round the year. The recently
unveiled tourism policy of the State targets 30 lakh foreign tourist arrivals
by 2021.
Minister for Tourism A.P. Anil Kumar told The Hindu that
Union Ministers of State for Home and Civil Aviation Mullappally Ramachandran
and K.C. Venugopal respectively helped the State to get the mandatory
clearances.
“We hope to launch the T-VoA at the earliest and it will
benefit the tourism sector of the State immensely,” he added. The holding area
had been created before the Immigration area as specified by the BOI. As the
Intelligence Bureau (IB) mans the immigration counters at the two airports, IB
officials will also man the exclusive visa desks.
Cochin International Airport Director A.C.K. Nair said they
had written to the Union Ministry of Home stating that all facilities were in
place. “We are yet to get any information on when the facility will be made
operational,” he added.
At the airport, the exclusive foreign exchange counter had
not been created as specified by the BOI as the SBT and the Federal Bank had
agreed to make arrangements.
Validity of 30 days
A tourist can get a T-VoA with a maximum validity of 30
days. BOI norms say the objectives of the visit should only be recreation,
sightseeing, and meeting friends or relatives and ‘no other purpose or activity
will be allowed.’
Those applying for the visa should not have a residence or
occupation in India
and should hold a passport with minimum six-month validity.
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