India restores regular visa, 5-year e-Visa with immediate effect

India has restored all currently valid regular (paper) visa given to nationals of all countries with immediate effect.

Fresh regular (paper) tourist visa up to 5 years' validity will also be issued to nationals of eligible countries -- subject to restrictions imposed from time to time, Home Ministry officials said.

The government has also decided to restore 5-year e-Visa given to citizens of 156 countries, reports our New Delhi correspondent.

The decision to restore the e-Visa and paper visa came two years after their suspension following the outbreak of Covid-19.

Currently valid regular (paper) tourist visa with validity of 5 years -- issued to foreign nationals of all countries -- that remained suspended since March 2020, shall stand restored, according to the officials.

Foreign nationals with tourist and e-tourist Visas will be able to enter India only through designated sea immigration check posts or airports by flights, including those under the 'Vande Bharat Mission or 'air bubble' scheme or by any flights as allowed by the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

In no case, the foreign nationals will be allowed to enter through land border or riverine routes on tourist visa or e-tourist visa, the officials said.

The decision to restore different types of visa was on the cards as India has already decided to allow resumption of regular international commercial flights from March 26 after a two-year hiatus forced by the pandemic.

According to the officials, all currently valid old long duration (10 years) regular tourist visa given for the nationals of the United States and Japan have been restored.

Fresh long duration (10 year) tourist visa will also be issued to US and Japanese nationals.