Covid-19: Centre to adopt reciprocal visa approach for foreign visitors
New Delhi: Ahead of reopening the international borders, the Centre has decided upon a reciprocal approach to foreign tourist visa applicants.
Under the revised policy, the visa facilitation will now be based on the visa policy of the applicant’s country towards Indian visitors.
The decision came on Thursday after a meeting to address visa issues faced by Indians amidst the pandemic. The meeting was chaired by Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla.
Many countries have opened up for tourists from foreign countries but have posed restrictions for Indian travellers. These issues have been raised with the diplomats of the countries concerned, said an official.
Officials have been directed to scrutinize each application as per the new rules. It involves foreign travellers getting quarantined, procuring a full vaccination certificate, or facing outright rejection based on how Indian travellers are treated in their own country.
The Centre had also discussed the issues with the Tour Operators Association, Ministries of Tourism and Aviation, and other stakeholders in this regard.
(Avya Mathur)
