Dhaka: India has further eased the visa process for Bangladeshi travellers by extending the scheme for walk-in tourist visas with confirmed journey tickets to eight Indian Visa Application Centers (IVACs) in Bangladesh with effect from February 1.

All Bangladesh travellers who have confirmed journey tickets can avail of this facility of walk-in tourist visa without appointment dates at IVACs in Rajshahi, Rangpur, Sylhet, Chittagong, Khulna, Jessore, Mymensingh and Barisal.

This initiative is part of the ongoing efforts to streamline, liberalise and ease the process of securing Indian visas, said Indian High Commission in Dhaka on Sunday.

Applicants in Dhaka with confirmed journey tickets – air, bus, rail -- may continue to submit their tourist visa applications on a walk-in basis at IVAC Mirpur.

Bangladesh travellers wishing to avail of walk-in tourist visa should have a confirmed air, train or bus ticket (issued by authorised operators) to India.

The date of journey should be within one month of the date of submission of the visa application at IVAC. Further details are available at www.ivacbd.com.

The walk-in Tourist visa scheme was launched first in October 2016 for women travellers and their family members and thereafter extended to all Bangladesh travellers from 1 January 2017.

The scheme has eased access to Indian visas for Bangladesh nationals. No Bangladesh national with a confirmed ticket to India (by air, bus or train) requires an e-token/online appointment date to apply for a Tourist visa.

This measure is aimed at strengthening people-to-people contacts between India and Bangladesh, said the High Commission.