St. John’s: In line with the standard practices adopted by various Caribbean Nations, the Government of Antigua and Barbuda had also decided to transition from form-based visa processes to digital by implementing the electronic arrival card system at airports.
Sharing the information, Tourism Minister Charles Fernandez, said that the new electronic card system will not just speed up the processing of visa applications but will also provide a hassle-free experience for travelers.
Travelers will now be able to apply for visas in Antigua and Barbuda electronically using their smartphones or other devices such as tablets and laptops.
As all information will be stored digitally over the cloud, it will become easy for customs officials to process visa applications in a time-bound manner.
The electronic arrival card will reduce the waiting time for the visitors and also remove the necessity of going through lengthy paperwork upon arrival to Antigua and Barbuda.
The nation has been working to modernize various processes through the use of digital technology and as part of this initiative, the government has decided to enhance the tourism sector.
The work for digitalization of the visa processes started last year and in November 2024 the government held meetings with various firms to explore the possibility of introducing electronic immigration cards from other Nations.
This system provides better research functions and has been integrated with the police database which allows the law enforcement agency to quickly scan the individuals arriving in Antigua and Barbuda.
The new system is also expected to bring down the cost of visa processing.
Till now all travelers arriving in Antigua and Barbuda were required to fill in a Visa form upon arrival which was provided by the airlines. This often led to congestion as it took time for the visitors to fill in the form with their details.
With an electronic arrival card system in place, visitors will no longer be required to wait at the airport to complete the VISA formalities. Instead, the customs official will be able to cross-check the details provided by the visitors before the travellers land in Antigua and Barbuda and approve their application thus reducing the wait time and congestion at the airport.
The government has worked diligently on introducing the electronic arrival card system to ensure its seamless integration. The new system will further enhance the appeal of Antigua and Barbuda as one of the chosen destinations for the travelers.
Earlier, some other Caribbean Nations have also implemented a similar system which has resulted in numerous benefits for the traveler as well as the customs officials.
