Have you been planning to travel to India for business or medical purposes? This piece of news will make you happy as the Ministry of Home Affairs has lifted restrictions on e-visas, including e-Business Visa, e-Medical Visa, e-Medical Attendant Visa and e-Conference Visa. The medical and business visas were suspended at the onset of the pandemic in March last year just before the national lockdown.
Nationals From 156 Countries Can Enter India
The new order from MHA will allow nationals from 156 countries to visit India for treatment, attending to patients, and also for business purposes. However, The MHA order will exempt nationals from China and the UK to travel to India. Travel restrictions for these countries with higher COVID cases will be reviewed later this month. Planning To Travel Soon? Here Are Visa Rules Amid Covid-19 Pandemic That You Must Know
The MHA Has Relaxed Business And Medical Visas
MHA issued an order in March stating “Vide Office Memorandum 25022/28/2020-F.I dated 30.03.2021, e-Visa under the following categories viz. e-Business Visa, e-Medical Visa, e-Medical Attendant Visa and e-Conference Visa has been restored with immediate effect.” However, the relaxation in visas comes at a time when India is seeing a worrying spike in the number of COVID-19 cases. While Maharashtra has imposed lockdown-like restrictions several other cities like Surat, Raipur, Lucknow, and Ahmedabad have been reporting unavailability of hospital beds.
Also read: Indian Passport Drops To 84th Spot But You Can Still Travel Visa-Free To 58 Countries
The MHA had earlier restored all visas except e-visa, tourist visa, and medical visa. In the latest order, MHA has restated the ban on tourist visas.