Are tourist visas allowed for entry into India?
 

Wife and kids are US passport holders with Indian tourist visas issued before 2020 by Indian Consulate. Would they be allowed to enter with proper testing? They don’t plan on traveling till summer of 2021 so I was just wondering. I know things can change overnight so I will just keep this thread so we can post any new information that comes along.

Thanks

i understand all visas were suspended as tourist entry was not allowed....so once entry is open then visas that are still valid will be eligible for entry....

Not tourist visas, but Entry Visas (X) are allowed to visit for certain circumstances. Not for tourist reasons, ofcourse.

That's the scenario I'm in tune with, too :tu:

I tried getting a definitive answer to this, but received a couple of versions of what the policy is/might be around multi-entry tourist visas.

One suggested that visas are suspended and will be resurrected with credit for the months they were invalid. That would create such a nightmare of complications, I think not even Indian bureaucracy would attempt it. So I'll go with the simpler, alternative version that one-year visas are toast, and the longer term visas will simply retain their original validity.

that's what my sources at the various ministries have told me as well....no one knows what will happen once they open up tourism & start welcoming everyone back but this seems like the most likely scenario....

Yes, assuming the purpose of the entry into India is allowed for entry at the time (for the Indian visa type previously-issued) and that the issued visa has not yet crossed its printed expiration date at the time of use.

About the idea of the Indian government extending validity periods for visas that couldn't be used due to the period of time when they couldn't/can't be used:

I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for the Indian government to say all Indian visas are valid for use for X period of time beyond their printed expiration date, even as it wouldn't take a whole lot for the Indian government to do just that if/when it wanted to do so.

If you want to go to India for a valid reason (eg visit friends and relatives etc) and have a pre Covid19 tourist visa, the consulates are willing to revalidate the existing visa so you can travel. What will happen when tourism resumes no one knows or even has wasted time to think about. ;)

We have multiple entry tourist visas issued pre-COVID. Is there a certain procedure for this? Our visit would be to visit family and friends only — no tourist travel around India.

Thanks

There are reports that people have used those visa without any prior revalidation and travelled to India. The official line is that you have to contact the Indian consulate and either get the visa revalidated or get a special 'X' type visa for travel: https://boi.gov.in/content/advisory-...ted-covid-19-1

It sounds like your wife/kids might be eligible for OCI. Why not just apply for that? OCIs are free to enter India without restrictions. Quarantine is required of course, but you won't be hassled about the visa as an OCI.

Most Indian Missions have suspended the OCI application process, so its not that easy to get an OCI card right now.

I had my son's OCI renewed about two months ago. They switched agencies (from Cox and Kings) to a new provider. But they are still processing them.

I expect to be applying for my OCI in a couple of months. Anyone have any experience with the new vendor? Just when I thought I have mastered the Renunciation followed by the New OCI Application process for both my wife and child, they change vendors.

This is the official response from Indian Consulate, DC

Sir,

All visas except for tourist visas, e-visas and medical visas have been restored.
https://boi.gov.in/content/advisory-...ted-covid-19-1

Exemptions can be obtained from institutional quarantine only. Home quarantine is mandatory.
https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/0511202...alarrivals.pdf

Best Regards,

Covid-19 control room
Ministry of External Affairs
New Delhi.

It doesn't matter, that still counts as "tourist" travel for the purposes of immigration. If you have an urgent need to visit family (e.g., medical emergencies) you can apply for an X (entry) visa with appropriate justification. Otherwise, simply wanting to meet them falls under the tourism category, and as others have mentioned, tourist visas are still suspended and cannot currently be revalidated.

From the horse's mouth: https://boi.gov.in/content/advisory-...ted-covid-19-1

Medical and tourist visas and all electronic visas (which includes tourist and business e-visas) remain suspended.