New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday strongly dismissed media reports suggesting that the government was considering imposing taxes, cess, or surcharges on foreign travel amid global economic pressures, calling the claims “totally false.”
“This is totally false. Not an iota of truth in this. There is no question of putting such restrictions on foreign travel. We remain committed to improving ‘Ease of Doing Business’ and ‘Ease of Living’ for our people,” the Prime Minister posted on X.
This is totally false.
Not an iota of truth in this.
There is no question of putting such restrictions on foreign travel.
We remain committed to improving ‘Ease of Doing Business’ and ‘Ease of Living’ for our people. https://t.co/9lxjbxz0nV
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 15, 2026
The denial came shortly after CNBC-TV18 reported, citing sources, that the government was discussing at the highest levels the possibility of imposing a tax, cess, or surcharge on outbound foreign travel. The report noted that no final decision had been taken and that any such levy, if implemented, would flow directly to the Centre and and would not form part of the divisible pool shared with the states. The proposed measure was intended to help offset the fiscal impact of the war, and would reportedly be applicable for a one-year period, the report added.
This speculation emerged against the backdrop of PM Modi’s recent appeal to citizens to avoid non-essential foreign travel, overseas vacations, and destination weddings for at least a year. In a public address in Hyderabad/Secunderabad on May 10, the Prime Minister urged prioritising domestic tourism to conserve foreign exchange reserves amid rising global oil prices linked to tensions in West Asia.
Following the PM’s statement, CNBC TV-18 said it is withdrawing the report. “Our story on government considering tax/cess on foreign travel is not accurate. We withdraw the story and regret the error,” the news channel said in an X post.
