DHAKA: India’s government has decided to extend the country’s limited visa-on-arrival scheme to tourists from 180 countries in an attempt to boost tourism and business.

The only exceptions to the scheme will be nationals from eight countries, including Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The government plans to implement the scheme from October.

India currently offers visa-on-arrival to tourists from only 11 countries, including Finland, Singapore and Japan.

‘We have decided to extend the visa-on-arrival facility to tourists from 180 nations. It will take five to six months for the respective departments to put the required infrastructure in place. We hope to implement this from the next tourist session beginning October,’ India planning minister Rajeev Shukla said, reports the BBC.

He said the electronic visa-on-arrival would be available at 26 major airports in India and would be valid for 30 days from the date of the tourist’s arrival in India.

Shukla described the move as ‘historic’ and said it would be a ‘major boost to tourism’.

The government plans to set up a website enabling tourists to apply for the visa and pay the fee. The visa would then be available for collection on arrival at any airport after three days.

Shukla did not give any reasons for why nationals from Pakistan, Sudan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Sri Lanka and Somalia were not included in the scheme.

BDST: 1211 HRS, FEB 06, 2014