The Home Ministry on Friday eased restrictions on the entry of foreign nationals or foreigners into the country norms, allowing a larger number of Overseas Citizen of India cardholders and foreign nationals related to OCI cardholders or citizens to enter India.
Among those allowed entries into India are married couples one of whom is an OCI cardholder and another Indian national, and students who are OCI cardholders and whose at least one parent is Indian or OCI cardholder.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has allowed certain categories of foreigners, including OCI cardholders and minors who hold OCI cards and whose parents are Indian nationals, a senior ministry official told PTI.
OCI cardholders who wish to come to India on account of family emergencies like critical medical conditions of immediate family members or death have also been granted permission to travel to India.
The government has also allowed married couples, where one spouse is an OCI cardholder and the other is an Indian national, to enter the country.
Foreigners were restricted from visiting India ever since the nationwide lockdown was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 24 to check the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Foreign nationals who are single parents of minor children holding Indian passports or OCI cards, students who are foreign nationals where at least one of their parents is an Indian citizen or an OCI cardholder were allowed to visit India
Dependent family members of foreign diplomats and official and service passport holding service staff accredited to foreign diplomatic missions, consular offices, or accredited international organizations in India can now come to India.
However, these foreign nationals will have to obtain a fresh visa of appropriate categories from the Indian Missions and Posts abroad.
Foreign nationals holding a valid long term multiple entry visa of appropriate category issued by the Indian missions and posts abroad shall have to get the visa re-validated from the Indian Mission and post concerned.
Such foreign nationals will not be permitted to travel to India on the strength of any electronic visa obtained earlier.
