Centre Relaxes Travel & Visa Curbs For Foreigners, PIO Card Holders

New Delhi: The government has decided to make a graded relaxation in visa and travel restrictions for more categories of foreigners and Indian nationals who wish to enter or leave the country. However, the relaxation will exclude those applying to come on a tourist visa.

Therefore, this decision will enable foreign nationals to come to India for various purposes such as business, conferences, employment, studies, research, medical purposes etc.

“It has been decided to permit all OCI and PIO card holders and all other foreign nationals intending to visit India for any purpose, except on a Tourist Visa to enter by air or water routes through authorized airports and seaport immigration check posts. This includes flights operated under Vande Bharat Mission, Air Transport Bubble arrangements or by any non-scheduled commercial flights as allowed by the Ministry of Civil Aviation,” the home ministry said in a release.

“All such travellers will, however have to strictly adhere to the guidelines of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare regarding quarantine and other health/COVID-19 matters,” it added.

Notably, the government had taken several steps to curtail the inward and outward movement of international passengers since February this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.