Tourists to India may now enter only through waterways or flights as the government has stopped issuing visas to those who want to enter through land borders. According to new Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) guidelines allowing international travel from October 15, tourists and e-visas will be single entry for a month instead of the earlier double entry.
The Union Home Ministry, on October 7, allowed foreign tourists to enter via chartered flights starting October 15 and on non-charter flights under air bubble arrangements will be allowed from November 15 unless restrictions on scheduled is substantially lifted.
The Home Ministry in guidelines released on October 15, allowed international travel banned since March 2020 due to the Covid. India had suspended issuing foreign tourist visas along with scheduled domestic and international flights in March last year. Domestic flights were allowed in May 2020 after the first wave of Covid-19.
According to an Economic Times report, chartered flights mean those allowed under the air bubble agreement under Vande Bharat mission or any scheduled or non-scheduled commercial flights allowed by the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
According to MHA, there are currently 9 integrated check posts operational at Attari, Agartala, Petrapole, Raxaul, Jogbani, Moreh, Sutarkandi, Srimantapur and Karatapur will not be open to foreigners on tourist visas. India shares its borders with China, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar.
The MHA guidelines also advised tourists to get fresh visas as the existing ones remain suspended under Covid-19 restrictions.
“The bureau of immigration, Indian mission and posts abroad may grant fresh single-entry e-tourist or tourist visas for 30 days. Existing e-tourist visas shall remain suspended,” it added.
No visa for Maldives
Maldives foreign minister Abdulla Shahid on Sunday said he was delighted that India had agreed to resume the 2018 Visa Exemption Agreement between the two countries, under which no visa will be required for Maldivians travelling to India. The 2018 Dec Visa Exemption Agreement between the Maldives and India was temporarily suspended due to the Covid-19 border closure. Taking to Twitter, Shahid informed that from mid-October, the Maldivian nationals will be exempt from visa requirements for tourists, medical and business purposes.
