Govt relaxes visa curbs in select cases

Following persistent requests,the government has modified its earlier order preventing foreigners holding tourist visas to re-enter the country within two months of their exit....

Following persistent requests,the government has modified its earlier order preventing foreigners holding tourist visas to re-enter the country within two months of their exit and spelt out the situations in which such re-entries can be allowed. In a move that will facilitate tourists using India as a transit point for visiting countries in the neighbourhood,the Home Ministry,in its revised guidelines issued last week,has allowed such visitors a maximum of three re-entries within this two-month period.

Some foreign nationals holding tourist visas,after initial entry into India,plan to visit another country largely on account of neighbourhood tourism and need to re-enter India within 60 days,before finally exiting. Such persons may be permitted up to three entries need-based subject to their submission of a detailed itinerary and supporting documentation, the Home Ministry said.

However,once the foreign national has finally exited the country after availing the facility of three re-entries,the two-month stipulation will be back in force and the person will not be allowed to visit again for the next 60 days on tourist visa,except under rare and special circumstances situations like death or serious illness within family or non-availability of connecting flights from any other location. For such emergencies,the foreigners will have to seek special permission to visit India within this two-month period.

The two-month stipulation had come into force last year with the intention of checking the misuse of tourist visas in view of the prevailing security situation. The decision had put many foreign tourists to inconvenience and there had been a number of representations to the Home Ministry to relax these norms. There were also apprehensions within the government that such a move might result in slowing down the foreign tourist inflow.

The Home Ministry has,however,stressed that all exceptions to the two-month stipulation will have to be strictly need-based and the decisions on the requests will be given on the merits of each case.