Except for the electronic tourist visa on arrival, which includes a short-term medical visa, all visa restrictions have been lifted.
The Home Office (MHA) on Thursday further relaxed visa restrictions that allow foreigners to come to India for various purposes such as business, conferences, employment, education, research, and medical purposes. Except for the electronic tourist visa on arrival, which includes a short-term medical visa, all visa restrictions have been lifted.
“The government has now decided to gradually relax visa and travel restrictions for more categories of foreign nationals and Indian nationals wishing to enter or leave India. Therefore, it has been decided to allow all OCI (Foreign Citizens of India) and PIO (Persons of Indian Origin) cardholders and all other foreign nationals who intend to visit India for any reason except with a tourist visa, enter by air or water routes through authorized airports and seaport immigration checkpoints. This includes flights operated under the Vande Bharat Mission, Air Transport Bubbles arrangements or by any unscheduled commercial flights as permitted by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, ”the MHA said in a statement.
Compliance with the guidelines
All of these travelers must, however, strictly adhere to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare guidelines regarding quarantine and other health / COVID-19 matters, he stated.
“Under this gradual relaxation, the Government of India has also decided to restore with immediate effect all existing visas (except e-visa, tourist visa and medical visa). If the validity of such visas has expired, new visas of the appropriate categories can be obtained from the Indian Mission and the corresponding Post Office. Foreign nationals who wish to visit India for medical treatment can apply for a medical visa, even for their medical assistants, ”he said.
The travel restriction, which bans international travel to and from 107 immigration checkpoints, was issued on March 23, a day before the first phase of the 21-day lockdown across the country in the wake of the COVID pandemic. -19. Visa restrictions have been gradually relaxed and on August 18, the MHA allowed foreign journalists and their dependents to enter India. On August 7, the Ministry allowed foreign nationals from the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and France to travel to India on “business, medical and employment” visas under the air bubble scheme.
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