Updated advisory on requirements for visa and travel to India

14 June, 2020

In continuation of our earlier advisories regarding requirements for visa and travel to India in response to COVID19, the Government of India has decided to permit the following categories of foreign nationals, including Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Cardholders, to enter India:

A. Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Cardholders

1. Minor children who hold OCI cards & whose parents are Indian nationals.
2. OCI cardholders who wish to come to India on account of family emergencies like critical medical conditions of immediate family members or death.
3. Married couples where one spouse is an OCI cardholder and the other is an Indian national.
4. Students who are OCI cardholders where at least one of their parents is an Indian citizen or an OCI cardholder.

B. Other foreign nationals

1. Foreign nationals who are minor children where at least one of their parents is an Indian citizen or an OCI cardholder.
2. Foreign nationals married to Indian citizens.
3. Foreign nationals who are single parents of minor children holding Indian passports or OCI cards.
4. Students who are foreign nationals where at least one of their parents is an Indian citizen or an OCI Cardholder.
5. Dependent family members of foreign diplomats and official/service passport holding service staff accredited to foreign diplomatic Missions, consular offices or accredited International Organizations in India.

          Foreign nationals covered in sub-para B (i) to (v) above shall have to obtain a fresh visa of appropriate category from the Embassy of India, Washington DC or one of its Consulates in USA. Foreign nationals holding a valid long-term multiple entry visa of appropriate category issued by the Indian Embassy/Consulate shall have to get the visa re-validated from the Indian Embassy/Consulate concerned. Such foreign nationals will not be permitted to travel to India on the strength of any electronic visa obtained earlier. It is clarified that applicants with emergency visa issued since 13 March, 2020 by the Embassy of India, Washington DC or one of its Consulates in USA do not require re-validation of visa. 

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