Emiratis will get visa on arrival to India early next year

Indian Planning Minister Rajiv Shukla held out assurances that the Government of India’s decision to offer UAE nationals a visa on arrival in India was on track and the project was making its way – as per formality – through the relevant government departments.

Speaking to Gulf News at the end of another hectic winter session in parliament on Tuesday, during which the controversial Lokpal Bill was passed, Shukla said, ‘’The home ministry is following due process and applying due diligence on the matter. The file goes through the various government ministries for their input and this process is currently being followed.’’

According to Shukla, “Processes should be cleared by early next year and I don’t see any scope for delay.’’

He, however, shied away from putting a specific time frame on the exercise, preferring to state that “all processes will be expedited”.

In October, Shukla, who is spearheading the visa reforms project, had announced that the visa on arrival facility would be offered not just to UAE nationals, who travel to India in thousands, but also to 40 other nationalities.

“We want the visa application procedures to be smoothened out,