In a late-evening circular on 24 November the Ministry of Home Affairs quietly expanded India’s Visa-on-Arrival (VoA) scheme for citizens of the United Arab Emirates. Effective immediately, UAE passport-holders who meet the existing VoA eligibility criteria can now enter through Kochi, Calicut and Ahmedabad international airports in addition to the six gateways already authorised (Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata).
The change matters to both leisure and corporate travellers. Gulf carriers operate dense schedules into Kerala and Gujarat to serve large expatriate communities and rising medical-tourism demand. Until now, business visitors landing on late-night flights in these cities had to obtain an e-Visa in advance or connect onward to a hub airport that offered VoA processing—adding cost and uncertainty for last-minute trips. The additional ports of entry reduce those frictions and are expected to boost weekend meetings, wellness travel and short-haul MICE traffic.
![India adds Kochi, Calicut and Ahmedabad to Visa-on-Arrival network for UAE nationals]()
Background: India’s VoA facility for UAE citizens was launched in 2017 on a reciprocity basis and allows a single or double entry stay of up to 60 days for tourism, business, conferences or medical treatment, provided the traveller has held an Indian e-Visa at least once before. According to the Ministry of Tourism, UAE arrivals rebounded to 1.2 million in 2024, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. Industry bodies had lobbied to extend the on-arrival option beyond the six metro airports to secondary cities with direct Gulf connectivity.
Practical implications:
• Carriers and travel-management companies should update pre-trip checklists and booking tools to reflect the new ports.
• Corporate mobility managers can expect faster deployment of Middle-East–based teams to projects in Kerala’s IT/health clusters and Gujarat’s manufacturing corridor.
• Travellers must still complete Annexure A, carry proof of a prior Indian visa, and pay the US$100 fee in cash or card at the counter; queues may be shorter at the newly added airports during the roll-out phase.
Analysts see the move as another incremental step toward India’s goal of doubling inbound foreign tourist arrivals to 20 million by 2030. The Home Ministry is studying requests from Japan, South Korea and France for similar VoA expansions, but no timeline has been confirmed.
The change matters to both leisure and corporate travellers. Gulf carriers operate dense schedules into Kerala and Gujarat to serve large expatriate communities and rising medical-tourism demand. Until now, business visitors landing on late-night flights in these cities had to obtain an e-Visa in advance or connect onward to a hub airport that offered VoA processing—adding cost and uncertainty for last-minute trips. The additional ports of entry reduce those frictions and are expected to boost weekend meetings, wellness travel and short-haul MICE traffic.
Background: India’s VoA facility for UAE citizens was launched in 2017 on a reciprocity basis and allows a single or double entry stay of up to 60 days for tourism, business, conferences or medical treatment, provided the traveller has held an Indian e-Visa at least once before. According to the Ministry of Tourism, UAE arrivals rebounded to 1.2 million in 2024, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. Industry bodies had lobbied to extend the on-arrival option beyond the six metro airports to secondary cities with direct Gulf connectivity.
Practical implications:
• Carriers and travel-management companies should update pre-trip checklists and booking tools to reflect the new ports.
• Corporate mobility managers can expect faster deployment of Middle-East–based teams to projects in Kerala’s IT/health clusters and Gujarat’s manufacturing corridor.
• Travellers must still complete Annexure A, carry proof of a prior Indian visa, and pay the US$100 fee in cash or card at the counter; queues may be shorter at the newly added airports during the roll-out phase.
Analysts see the move as another incremental step toward India’s goal of doubling inbound foreign tourist arrivals to 20 million by 2030. The Home Ministry is studying requests from Japan, South Korea and France for similar VoA expansions, but no timeline has been confirmed.
