India restores e-tourist visas

New Delhi: Ministry of Home Affairs has restored all valid five-year e-tourist visas to nationals of 156 countries with immediate effect which was suspended since March 2020 because of the Covid pandemic. Nationals of these counties will also be eligible for issuance of fresh e-Tourist visas. The government took the step keeping in view the improvement in the COVID-19 situation in the country and considering the need for further relaxation of visa and travel restrictions.

The



Ministry has also restored valid regular (paper) long-duration - 10 years tourist visas for US and Japanese nationals, as well as permit issue of fresh visas to citizens of both countries. It said, in no case, foreign nationals holding tourist or e-tourist visas will be allowed to enter via land or riverine borders. However, the instructions will not be applicable to Afghanistan nationals who will continue to be governed by e-Emergency X-Miscellaneous Visa.