Government of India
Ministry of Home Affairs
(Foreigners Division)
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Dated: 30th June, 2020
OFFICE MEMORANDUM
Subject: Visa & Travel restrictions in response to COVID -19 - Permitting certain categories of foreign nationals (including Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Cardholders) to enter India- regarding
The undersigned is directed to refer to this Ministry 's O.Ms of even number dated 17th April, 2020, 5th May, 2020, 7th May, 2020, 1st June, 2020 & 12th June, 2020 regarding Visa and Travel restrictions in response to COVID 19. Reference is also invited to this Ministry's Order No. 40-3/2020-DM-I (A) dated 24th, 2020 forwarding a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the movement of Indian nationals stranded outside the country and of specified persons to travel abroad, along with its partial modifications vide this Ministry's O.M. of even number dated 1st June, 2020. The Government has further considered the need for relaxation of visa & travel restrictions for more categories of foreign nationals who want to travel to India.
2. Accordingly, in supersession of this Ministry's O.Ms of even number dated 17th April, 2020, 5th May, 2020, 11th May, 2020, 1st June, 2020 & 12th June, 2020, it has been 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
(i) Minor children who hold OCI cards and whose parents are Indian nationals.
(ii) OCI cardholders who wish to come to India on account of family emergencies like critical medical conditions of immediate family members or death.
(iii) Married couples where one spouse is an OCI cardholder and the other is an Indian national.
(iv) Students, who are OCI cardholders where at least either of their parents is an Indian citizen or an OCI cardholder.
B) Other foreign nationals
(i) Foreign businessmen coming to India on a Business visa [other than on B-3 visa for sports] in non-scheduled commercial/chartered flights.
(ii) Foreign healthcare professionals, health researchers, engineers and technicians for technical work at lndian health sector facilities, including laboratories and factories. This is subject to a letter of invitation from a recognized and registered healthcare facility, registered pharmaceutical company or accredited university in India.
(iii) Foreigners, who are engineering, managerial, design specialists or specialists of other fields travelling to India on behalf of foreign business entities located in India. This includes all manufacturing units, design units, software and IT units as well as financial sector companies (banking and non-banking financial sector firms).
(iv) Foreign Technical specialists and engineers travelling for installation, repair and maintenance of foreign-origin machinery and equipment facilities in India, on the invitation of a registered Indian business entity. These could be for equipment installation, or is under warranty, or for after sales servicing or repair on commercial terms.
(v) Foreign nationals who are minor children where at least either of their parents is an Indian citizen or an OCI cardholder.
(vi) Foreign nationals married to Indian citizens.
(vii) Foreign nationals who are single parents of minor children holding Indian passports or OCI cards.
(viii) Students who are foreign nationals where at least one of their parents is an Indian citizen or an OCI Cardholder.
(ix) 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.
(x) Foreign nationals who are persons of Indian origin, who wish to come to India on account of family emergencies like critical medical conditions of immediate family members or death. For this purpose, the person of Indian origin means someone who or any of whose parents had held an Indian passport or such parent (s) is 1 are or had been a citizen of lndia earlier.
(xi) Foreign nationals stranded in the close neighbouring countries and seeking to exit to their destination country through India.
(xii) Foreign nationals coming on Medical grounds for treatment in India (including one Attendant, if so requested).
(xiii) Foreign nationals coming to India on any sub-categories of Employment Visa along with their dependents holding Dependent Visa.
3. All existing visas granted to foreigners except to those belonging to diplomatic, official, UN/International Organizations, employment and project categories shall remain suspended till prohibition on international air travel of passengers from/to India is lifted by the Government of lndia. Accordingly, foreign nationals covered in sub-paras B (i) to (xiii) above [other than those who are already holding valid visas of diplomatic, official, UN/International Organizations, employment and project categories] shall have to obtain a fresh visa of appropriate category from the Indian Missions/Posts abroad. Foreign nationals holding a valid long term multiple entry visa of appropriate category issued by the Indian Missions/Posts abroad shall also have to get a fresh visa from the Indian Mission/ Post concerned and in such cases, no visa fee will be charged. Such foreign nationals will not be permitted to travel to India on the strength of any electronic visa obtained earlier. The condition of obtaining a fresh visa will not apply to dependent family members of foreign diplomats/officials who are eligible for visa exemption in terms of bilateral visa exemption agreements or visa specific agreements entered into by India with various countries.
4. All incoming passenger traffic into India through any of the 107 Immigration Check Posts shall remain suspended till prohibition on international travel of passengers to/from India is lifted by the Government of India. However, such travel restrictions would not apply in the following cases:-
(i) Foreign nationals permitted to enter India as mentioned in para 2 above and foreign nationals holding valid diplomatic, official, UN/International Organizations, employment and project categories of visas, which have been exempted from the visa restrictions as mentioned in para 3 above.
(ii) Any aircraft, ship, train or any other vehicle and their crew/sailor/staff/driver/cleaner etc., by which the categories of foreign nationals mentioned in sub-para (i) above may travel to India.
5. This issues with the approval of the Competent Authority.
(Pramod Kumar)
Director (Foreigners)
