{"id":7402,"date":"2026-04-23T09:24:09","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T03:54:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/govt-extends-e-visa-entry-to-14-seaports-why-ports-need-visa-5-indian-ports-where-you-cant-enter-without-a-visa\/"},"modified":"2026-04-23T09:24:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T03:54:09","slug":"govt-extends-e-visa-entry-to-14-seaports-why-ports-need-visa-5-indian-ports-where-you-cant-enter-without-a-visa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/govt-extends-e-visa-entry-to-14-seaports-why-ports-need-visa-5-indian-ports-where-you-cant-enter-without-a-visa\/","title":{"rendered":"Govt extends e-visa entry to 14 seaports: Why ports need visa; 5 Indian ports where you can&#8217;t enter without a visa |"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"e9jwa\">\n<div class=\"vdo_embedd\">\n<div class=\"GfdvZ\">\n<section class=\"_bIDB  clearfix id-r-component leadmedia undefined undefined  E9tg9 \" style=\"top:0px\">\n<div class=\"_bIDB\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">\n<div class=\"ypVvZ\">\n<div class=\"WGttI\"><img src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-130456251,imgsize-65082,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/massive-cargo-ship-in-the-sea.jpg\" alt=\"Govt extends e-visa entry to 14 seaports: Why ports need visa; 5 Indian ports where you can't enter without a visa\" title=\"Massive cargo ship in the sea\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Ta7d_ img_cptn\"><span title=\"Massive cargo ship in the sea\">Massive cargo ship in the sea<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has made a new set of 14 seaports as Immigration Check Posts (ICPs) for foreign nationals who have obtained an electronic visa. According to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/home-ministry-notifies-14-more-seaports-for-e%E2%80%90visa-entry\/article70893825.ece\" rel=\"noopener nofollow noreferrer\" styleobj=\"[object Object]\" class=\"\" target=\"\" commonstate=\"[object Object]\" frmappuse=\"1\">report <\/a>published by <span class=\"em\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">The Hindu <\/span>on April 22, 2026, the facility of electronic visas became available from March 19 at seven seaports in Gujarat, namely Alang, Bedi Bandar, Bhavnagar, Porbandar, Hazira, Pipavav, and Mandvi; apart from that, in the state of Tamil Nadu, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, and Tuticorin were also considered.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"6\"\/>The addition of these seaports has further expanded India&#8217;s immigration network, which already consists of a total of 114 ICPs at air, sea, land, rail, and river ports, among which there are 37 seaports as ICPs. E-visa holders can enter India only via 32 selected airports and 33 selected seaports.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"8\"\/>Why ports need a visa<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"10\"\/>India regulates entry into the country through immigration check posts (ICPs) which include seaports and are established to ensure that identity verification and security checks are conducted as well as ensuring that the immigration laws are followed. <!-- -->A visa is needed since ports serve as the entry point from where foreigners will have entered the country. With the e-visa facility, the process becomes easier although it can only be used at designated ports by the government.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"15\"\/><\/p>\n<div data-pos=\"0\" class=\"id-r-component iIpbx undefined  &#10;        \">\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Port in Goa\" msid=\"130456262\" width=\"\" title=\"Port in Goa\" placeholdersrc=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/83033472.cms\" imgsize=\"\" resizemode=\"4\" offsetvertical=\"0\" placeholdermsid=\"47529300\" type=\"thumb\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/msid-130456262\/port-in-goa.jpg\" data-api-prerender=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Port in Goa<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"17\"\/>In India, all seaports are not visa free; foreigners need to obtain visas to enter through seaports. The important point here is that some seaports may be designated to accept the e-visa while others will require travelers to get the traditional visa.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"20\"\/>Indian major seaports where e-visas are not accepted (regular visa required)<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"22\"\/>Jawaharlal Nehru Port \u2013 Nhava Sheva, Mumbai<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"24\"\/>As the largest container port in India and one of the largest in terms of volume of international shipping, the importance of Nhava Sheva can hardly be overemphasized. Nonetheless, while this major port connects India with the world via the sea routes, it is not a destination for visa-on-arrival for foreign travelers. <!-- -->Instead, visitors will have to obtain a visa in advance.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"28\"\/>Chennai Port, Tamil Nadu<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"30\"\/>Chennai port is one of the largest ports of the country located on the Coromandel Coast. In addition to handling shipments, this strategic location plays an important role in Indian international shipping and maritime logistics. However, the port is not included in the list of visa on arrival seaports, which means that e-visas cannot be used here either.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"33\"\/>Kolkata Port, West Bengal<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"35\"\/>The Kolkata port including the Hooghly river port caters to the international shipping needs of eastern India. Nevertheless, despite its importance in maritime shipping, the port is not included in the list of e-visa seaports.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"37\"\/>Cochin Port, Kochi, Kerala<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"39\"\/>Cochin Port is one of the important ports situated in the southwest coast of India, facilitating trade and cruise operations in the region of the Arabian Sea. <!-- -->This port, however, does not fall under the category of authorized e-visa ports, and therefore individuals visiting this port need to have an ordinary visa.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"43\"\/>Visakhapatnam Port, Andhra Pradesh<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"45\"\/>Commonly known as Vizag Port, this industrial port handles the cargo of the region located along the eastern coast of India. Although Visakhapatnam Port is an important port of international maritime significance, foreigners visiting this port need to hold an ordinary visa.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"48\"\/>Mormugao Port, Goa<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"50\"\/>Although Mormugao is an important seaport located in Goa, it is more recognized as an international cruise and coastal port. Nonetheless, unlike the reputation of Goa as an important tourist destination in the country, Mormugao Port is not included in the list of ports where an individual can enter using an e-visa.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"52\"\/><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/life-style\/travel\/news\/govt-extends-e-visa-entry-to-14-seaports-why-ports-need-visa-5-indian-ports-where-you-cant-enter-without-a-visa\/articleshow\/130456266.cms\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Massive cargo ship in the sea The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has made a new set of 14 seaports as Immigration Check Posts (ICPs) for foreign nationals who have obtained an electronic visa. According to a report published by The Hindu on April 22, 2026, the facility of electronic visas became available from March [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7403,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[299],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-7402","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-latest-news"},"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7402","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7402"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7402\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7403"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7402"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7402"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7402"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}