India has resumed issuing tourist visas to foreigners arriving by scheduled flights, exactly a month after it opened the facility for those arriving by chartered flights on October 15.
The government has started issuing single-entry visas valid for up to one month.
While India grants e-visas and regular visas, nationals from 117 countries can apply for the former and the rest for the latter.
Although the issue of tourist visas has resumed, the ban on regular international flights continues until the end of November.
People who get their visas now will need to travel by flights operated under the temporary ‘air bubble’ arrangement that India has with 28 countries.
The government is said to have resumed issuing tourist visas because the limited number of flights has led to a surge in airfares.
Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced in June that once visas begin to be issued, visa fees will be waived for the first 500,000 applications. However, the fee waiver only applies once per tourist.
The offer will cost the government 1 billion rupees ($13.4 million).
- Jim Pollard
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