A
No — as a British passport holder, you cannot apply for an Indian e‑Visa upon arrival at Kolkata airport. Here’s how it works:
✈️ 1. Visa‑on‑arrival (VoA)
Only a limited set of nationalities (e.g. UAE citizens who previously held an e‑Visa) qualify for India’s “visa‑on‑arrival” at airports — including Kolkata (en.wikipedia.org).
UK citizens are not eligible for VoA in India.
🌐 2. Indian e‑Visa (Electronic Visa)
UK citizens regained eligibility for e‑Visas in December 2022 (visaonlineindia.org, livemint.com). You must apply online in advance — there is no option to apply once you land.
Key Points:
-
Eligibility: You can apply as a tourist, business, medical, attendant, or conference visitor (livemint.com).
-
Application window: Between 120 days and at least 4 days before travel (livemint.com).
-
Processing time: Typically 3–5 business days, though it can stretch to 72 hours or slightly longer .
-
Port of entry: Kolkata airport is a recognised e‑Visa entry point (staybook.in).
✅ What you should do
-
Go to the official Indian government e‑Visa portal (indianvisaonline.gov.in).
-
Choose the correct category (e.g. e‑Tourist).
-
Apply between 120 and 4 days before departure.
-
Pay the required fee (USD 10–80) online (livemint.com, holidify.com, theindiantrip.com).
-
You’ll get an email notification of your ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation).
-
Print the ETA and present it at immigration on arrival in Kolkata.
-
Your e‑Visa sticker will be stamped into your passport on entry. Without the printed ETA, you will not be allowed to board your flight from the UK (reddit.com).
🧾 Quick Checklist Before You Travel:
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Passport validity | ≥ 6 months beyond entry date; ≥ 2 blank pages |
| ETA (print-out) | Mandatory for check-in and immigration |
| Arrival airport | Kolkata is an approved e‑Visa port |
| Timing | Apply 4–120 days before departure |
| Application method | Online only — no on‑arrival option |
🔚 Bottom line
You cannot apply for an e‑Visa when you land at Kolkata. Instead, you need to apply online before you travel, then show your printed ETA upon arrival. Make sure you apply early enough, but not more than 120 days in advance. Safe travels!
No comments:
Post a Comment