This has been introduced for one year on an 'experimental basis,' a release from the foreign office said in New Delhi [Images].

It said, "To facilitate bonafide foreign tourists who plan their tours at a short notice, government of India has decided to introduce 'Tourist Visa-on-Arrival' for a period of one year for citizens of five countries -- Finland, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand and Singapore on an experimental basis with effect from 1.1.2010."

"Tourists from the said countries can also procure their visas from the Missions/Posts in the normal course," it further stated.

'The tourist visa-on-arrival' with a maximum validity of 30 days with single entry facility will be granted by the immigration officers at Delhi, Mumbai [Images], Chennai and Kolkata [Images] airports to start with, it said.

The grant of a tourist visa-on-arrival will be regulated as per the guidelines prescribed in the Visa Manual, it said. The official spokesperson of the ministry of external affairs said, "The (rule of) gap of two months between two visas would apply to all tourist visa holders."

But the restriction of two-month gap will not apply to PIO (Persons of Indian origin) or OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) card-holders and foreigners holding business, employment, student and other categories of visa.