OCI cardholders allowed to travel to India

- ADVERTISEMENT -

The Government of India has decided to permit more categories of foreign nationals, including Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Cardholders, to enter India, after restrictions were placed in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

According to a press release issued by the Indian Embassy in Washington, DC, the following categories are now permitted to travel to India:

• Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Cardholders
• Minor children who hold OCI cards and whose parents are Indian nationals.
• OCI cardholders who wish to come to India on account of family emergencies like critical medical conditions of immediate family members or death.
• Married couples where one spouse is an OCI cardholder and the other is an Indian national.
• Students who are OCI cardholders where at least one of their parents is an Indian citizen or an OCI cardholder.

Other foreign nationals:

• Foreign nationals who are minor children where at least one of their parents is an Indian citizen or an OCI cardholder.
• Foreign nationals married to Indian citizens.
• 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.
• 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.

The release said some foreign nationals have to obtain a fresh visa of appropriate category from the Embassy of India, Washington DC or one of its Consulates in the US.

“Foreign nationals holding a valid long-term multiple entry visa of appropriate category issued by the Indian Embassy/Consulate shall have to get the visa re-validated from the Indian Embassy/Consulate concerned. Such foreign nationals will not be permitted to travel to India on the strength of any electronic visa obtained earlier. It is clarified that applicants with emergency visa issued since March 13, 2020 by the Embassy of India, Washington DC or one of its Consulates in USA do not require re-validation of visa”, the release said.