NEW DELHI: As the govt focuses on positioning India as a leading global cruise destination, the home ministry has introduced e-group visit visa (cruise) for foreign tourists arriving in India on cruise vessels which follow a fixed and predetermined itinerary.The nationals of all 172 countries currently eligible for e-tourist visa can avail of the dedicated e-group visit visa for cruise travel. The latter will authorise the foreign nationals arriving on cruise ships to enter India from any of the 38 designated e-visa enabled seaports. The e-group visit visa (cruise) will have a validity of 30 days and allow multiple entry.The cruise operator or agent of the vessel will need to submit the application for e-group visit visa for international passengers via the specified portal or mobile app, three days before berthing of the vessel at the first Indian port. No fresh application will be accepted beyond this cut-off.There is no limit on the number of tourists allowed on an e-group visit visa (cruise), home ministry sources told TOI. The details of the foreign passengers — name, nationality, passport number and issue/expiry date, etc — can be uploaded in bulk on the specified portal (
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indianvisaonline.gov) or mobile app.The e-group visit visa shall contain a QR code. Passengers may use this QR code at immigration checkpoints at the port of entry and for further travel within India, as per the fixed cruise itinerary.“Easier visa and immigration procedures will encourage international cruise companies to include Indian ports in their itineraries. This will also generate wider economic benefits for ports, hotels, restaurants, transport operators, touring businesses and local communities,” said an MHA official.The govt has, since 2024, launched two major initiatives to boost cruise tourism in India, given the great potential that the country’s 7,500-km coastline and a network of 110 navigable waterways connecting 400 rivers, presents, as per a PIB statement issued in April last year. The first initiative is Cruise Bharat Mission, launched in September 2024 with the aim of doubling the cruise traffic in India by 2029 (from 4.7 lakh in 2024 to almost 10 lakh in 2029). Also, the Maritime India Vision 2030 aims to make the country a significant player in the global cruise market, covering oceanic and coastal cruises, island and infrastructure development and river and inland cruises.
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