Visa on arrival in four more cities

• Visa-on-Arrival facility for tourists will now be available at four more international airports across the country, besides the four existing metropolitan cities.
• Initiated at Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Hyderabad and Bangalore airports with effect from August 15.
• Visitors from 11 countries, including Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia, the Philippines and Myanmar, are eligible to avail the VoA facility.
• The scheme has contributed to an increase in the number of tourists from these countries, and the government is in the final stages of consultations on allowing the facility to citizens of another 10 countries, including Germany, France and Russia.

Pravasi Friend launched its Operations in Kochi

Pravasi Friend launched its operations in Kochi, Kerala on 1 August 2013. Pravasi Friend will help NRIs and NRKs to complete a large list of mandatory tasks such as legal services, medical services, spiritual needs and government departmental services. 

Under Pravasi Friend, Assistance is given in buying, renting out and maintaining their properties, providing property documentation, investigation, home security services, besides securing admissions for their children in schools and colleges in the state. Getting medical consultations of doctors and undertaking customized healthcare and treatment requests are also taken care of. 

Who:    Pravasi Friend.

Where: Kerala.

What:   launched its operations in Kochi, Kerala.

When:  1 August 2013.

Why:    to provide assistance to NRIs.