Foreign tourists intending to visit India on chartered flights can finally do so from today, while those travelling on regular planes will have to wait for one more month.
According to the notifications issued by the Union home ministry last week, India will start granting tourist visas to foreigners travelling on chartered flights from October 15 and those by regular planes from November 15.
The latest orders are a sign that the country is gradually relaxing its coronavirus disease (Covid-19) restrictions and reopening its frontiers, albeit with sufficient and necessary precautions, in view of the easing overall pandemic situation.
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All foreign tourists must adhere to Covid-19 protocols and norms notified by the health ministry, according to an official order.
The government said the decision was taken after it received representations from several state governments as well as various stakeholders in the tourism sector to start tourist visas and also, to allow foreign tourists to come to India.
The COVID-19 virus that caused numerous deaths in the country is currently not as active as it was in the summer of 2021. India will hence be issuing visa for international travel. Apart from ban on issuing visas in the country, the government had also put in place numerous other restrictions pertaining to travel. The travel sector was naturally affected by these decisions. However, with this major decision taken by the government, all that can change in the coming months.
(With inputs from agencies)
