Indian embassy reduces medical visa fee

Staff Reporter MUSCAT: Realising the surge in medical visa applications to India from Oman, the Indian embassy in Muscat has reduced the medical visa fee.

From April 1, medical visa applicants will have to pay OMR30.900 for visa valid up to six months and OMR46.300 for visa valid up to one year.

According to BLS International Oman, the agency which processes visas to India, a medical visa to India for six month currently costs OMR33.450.

The embassy has also taken steps to speed up the processing of medical visa applications and opening of a separate counter at BLS centre for receiving applications for medical visas.

In 2016, the Indian embassy had issued 95,000 visas from Oman to India and in the first two months of this year, it has issued 20,000 visas.

“There has been a growing interest amongst the people of Oman for travelling to India for tourism, business, leisure and medical treatment, which is reflected in the fact that in order to increase the number of medical tourists to India and to project India as a preferred medical destination due to its world class medical fa- cilities, the government has decided to reduce medical visa fee as compared to tourist visa fee,” the embassy said.

Additionally, to boost business and trade relations, the Indian government has decided to issue, business visa valid upto one year at a fee of OMR 46.300 from April 1.

‘Businesspersons, with strong and long-standing business relations with India, who are required to travel to India frequently at a short notice, will be offered business visa valid up to five years at OMR96.300,” the embassy said.

Further, the Indian government has also revised the tourist visa fee to OMR38.600 for visa valid up to one year and OMR77.100 for visa valid up to five years.

Entry visa fee for the people going for training or other purposes will be OMR30.900 for entry visa valid up to six months while OMR46.300 fee will be for visa valid from six months to one year.

Further, a fee of OMR77.100 will be charged for entry visa for duration ranging from one year to five years. “All the revised visa fees mentioned will be charged from April 01 do not include the contribution of OMR1.000 to Indian Community Welfare Fund and visa application processing charges of OMR1.650 levied by BLS centre,” the embassy added.