The government had restricted air travel since March this year due to the pandemic.
New Delhi:
Cardholders of Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIO), as well as other foreign nationals, can visit India for any purpose except on a tourist visa, the government said today, as it eased visa and travel restrictions imposed amid the coronavirus. pandemic.
In a major move to get air travel back on track, the government has reinstated all existing visas, nearly eight months after they were suspended in the wake of the virus crisis and the national shutdown.
“The government has decided to gradually relax visa and travel restrictions for more categories of foreign nationals and Indian nationals who wish to enter or leave India,” says an order from the Union Interior Ministry.
Under this gradual relaxation, the government has decided to restore with immediate effect all existing visas, except the electronic visa, the tourist visa and the medical visa, according to the statement.
The permission for Indian citizens abroad, persons of Indian origin and foreign nationals to enter the country includes authorized air or sea routes, including flights operated under the Vande Bharat Mission air transport bubble agreements or by any flight commercial not scheduled as permitted by the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
However, all of these travelers will need to follow the guidelines of the Union Ministry of Health regarding quarantine and other Covid protocols.
The government had restricted air travel, in and out, since February this year due to the pandemic.
Scheduled international passenger flights have been suspended in India since March 23.
After nearly two months of suspension to combat the coronavirus outbreak, the government resumed scheduled domestic passenger flights on May 25.
However, it had allowed airlines to operate a maximum of 33 percent of its domestic pre-COVID flights. The Civil Aviation Ministry increased the limits on June 26 from 33 percent to 45 percent.
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