Kenya Joins Algeria, Fiji, Uruguay, Armenia, and More as India Enhances its e-Tourist Visa Programme, Simplifying Travel for Citizens Worldwide – What You Need to Know

Kenya, along with Algeria, Fiji, Uruguay, Armenia, and other nations, has been added to India’s expanded e-Tourist Visa programme, streamlining the visa application process and making travel more accessible for citizens worldwide.

On February 8, 2026, the Ministry of Tourism in India issued an important late-night update confirming that the country’s e-Tourist Visa (e-TV) programme now includes 166 countries, up from 157 just one year ago. This expansion is part of India’s broader digital transformation and aims to make it easier for international visitors to travel to India. The newly added countries include emerging markets such as Kenya, Algeria, Fiji, Uruguay, Armenia, and North Macedonia, marking a significant step towards simplifying the visa process for citizens from these regions.

The e-TV programme has long been a key component of India’s digital strategy, designed to streamline the visa process for tourists and business visitors. The e-TV allows travellers to apply for their visa online, pay through an electronic payment system, and receive their travel authorisation within 72 hours. This convenience has drastically reduced the traditional waiting times for consular services, enhancing the ease of travel to India.

For business travellers, the standard e-TV is a 30-day double-entry visa. However, the programme also offers the option to upgrade to a 90-day business e-visa, which is a popular choice for professionals coming to India for short-term projects, business meetings, after-sales support, and other business-related activities. This flexibility is particularly beneficial for companies seeking to streamline the process for their employees traveling on work assignments.

The e-TV programme has become increasingly popular for both tourism and business travel, offering a user-friendly and time-efficient process. Travellers can submit their applications from anywhere in the world, allowing them to bypass the traditional in-person consular visa application process. With the e-TV, applicants can submit their documents, make payments, and receive approval without ever having to leave their homes, creating a smooth and seamless experience.

For businesses looking to streamline and manage their e-TV applications, VisaHQ has launched an online platform that simplifies the entire process. This platform helps businesses and individual travellers upload necessary documents, track their application status, and receive dedicated support for troubleshooting common problems such as photo rejections, payment issues, or technical glitches. This service is fully integrated into corporate travel workflows, enabling organizations to maintain compliance, reduce administrative overhead, and manage travel plans more efficiently.

The expansion of the e-TV programme has been well-received by several trade bodies. NASSCOM, the industry association for the IT sector, and the Indo-Africa Chamber of Commerce have both praised the move, noting that many of the newly added countries are emerging as important sources of specialized talent, such as technicians, engineers, and mid-level managers. These professionals are often in high demand in India, but the traditional consular visa process has often been cumbersome, with long waiting times and complex documentation requirements. The e-TV offers a simpler, faster solution for bringing skilled workers into the country, enabling Indian businesses to fill critical positions with ease.

For human resources (HR) and global mobility teams within companies, this expansion of the e-TV programme offers an opportunity to update internal procedures to better accommodate the new eligibility requirements. Global mobility teams are encouraged to update their invitation-letter templates and ensure that their travel-booking tools can automatically flag e-TV eligibility. This will help businesses avoid confusion and speed up the process for employees needing to travel to India. By leveraging the simpler and more efficient e-TV process, companies can reduce lead times, lower administrative costs, and improve overall cost control, as the e-TV fee is usually significantly lower than that of traditional paper visas.

In addition to streamlining the application process, the e-TV programme also allows businesses to host foreign trainees or employees more efficiently. The reduced processing times and lower costs associated with the e-TV make it an attractive option for organizations looking to bring in talent from abroad quickly. The ease of use and speed of approval are expected to have a positive impact on industries such as technology, education, and research, where the demand for specialized skills is growing rapidly.

While the e-TV simplifies the application process, travellers must still take care to adhere to certain requirements before departure. The electronic authorisation received through the e-TV must be printed out and carried with the traveller during their journey to India. In addition, passengers must present proof of onward travel when entering the country, as overstays under the new Immigration & Foreigners Act can result in hefty fines or penalties. Airlines have also been instructed to ensure that passengers complete India’s e-Arrival Card online before departure, with gate checks at airports now being strictly enforced to ensure compliance.

The introduction of the e-Arrival Card is part of India’s broader push for digitization and increased security, allowing authorities to gather critical passenger data before arrival. This process is designed to further streamline the arrival experience for travellers and enhance security measures in line with modern international travel standards.

The expansion of the e-TV programme to include 166 countries is a major milestone in India’s efforts to modernize its visa system and facilitate easier travel for both tourists and business professionals. The programme offers a more accessible and efficient way to visit the country, and its growth is expected to have a positive impact on tourism numbers, business travel, and the broader Indian economy. With India continuing to embrace digitalization, the e-TV programme is likely to be expanded even further in the coming years, bringing even more countries into the fold.

This development marks a significant step towards India’s goal of being a more globally connected destination, where international visitors and business professionals can easily access the country without the hassle of traditional visa processing. It is also expected to drive further growth in tourism, education, and cross-border business, contributing to India’s broader economic ambitions in the post-pandemic world.

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