India restores 5-year e-tourist visas suspended in 2020
The move, announced as the pandemic situation is improving in the country, aims to boost tourism and the economy. Ten-year tourist visas have also been allowed.
International tourist arrivals could grow by 30 per cent to 78 per cent this year, as compared to 2021. (Photo: Pixabay) With the pandemic ebbing away, the Centre on Tuesday restored the five-year e-tourist visas for people from 156 countries. The move is aimed at boosting tourism, which has suffered the most during the pandemic.
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Sources said that not only would foreigners be allowed to apply for fresh e-tourist visas but existing five-year visas will also be honoured now. Five-year visas allow foreigners multiple entries to India over the period. With tourist visas, foreigners can stay in India for up to 180 days in a year provided one stay is not longer than 90 days.
The government suspended all visas in March 2020 in the middle of a raging pandemic. With the situation improving, the government has relaxed visa rules step by step over the past two years. In October 2021, the Centre began issuing visas to all foreigners, including tourists, arriving on chartered flights. This was further relaxed to cover regular flights by November 2021.
“The decision has been taken keeping in view the improvement in the Covid-19 situation in the country. It was thought there was a need for a further relaxation of visa and travel restrictions. This will be another step in further opening up the economy and boosting tourism, which has suffered the worst during the pandemic,” a government official said.
Sources said apart from this, the five-year regular (paper) tourist visas issued to foreigners have also been restored. They too were suspended in March 2020. “Fresh regular tourist visas of five years’ validity have also been allowed subject to the restrictions imposed from time to time,” the official said.
The government has also restored valid long-duration (10 years) regular tourist visas, which had remained suspended since March 2020, for US and Japan nationals. Fresh long-duration (10 year) tourist visas have also been allowed.
According to government sources, foreign nationals on tourist or e-tourist visas may enter India only through designated sea immigration check posts (ICPs) or airport ICPs, including those under the Vande Bharat mission, the air bubble scheme or by any flights as allowed by the Directorate of General of Civil Aviation or the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
No foreigner, sources said, will be allowed to enter the country through land borders or riverine routes on tourist or e-tourist visas. Sources said that an order for opening ICPs for land and riverine routes would be communicated separately.
These instructions will not be applicable to Afghan nationals, who will continue to be governed by the separate instructions issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on the grant of e-Emergency X-Misc Visas.
In October 2020, the government effected the first major relaxation in Covid-related visa restrictions by allowing entry of all foreigners except tourists.
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