India relaxes rules for foreign nationals

India on Friday further relaxed Covid-19 lockdown measures, issuing an order allowing several categories of foreign nationals including Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) cardholders to travel to India on special flights and naval ships being run by the government.

According to a notification issued on Friday, among those who are now eligible to come to India include foreigners married to Indian citizens, dependent family members of foreign diplomats posted in India, married couples where one spouse is an OCI cardholder and the other is an Indian national, minors who hold OCI cards but their parents are Indian citizens, and students who hold OCI cards with one of the parents being an Indian citizen or holding an OCI card.

Others allowed entry are minors who are foreigners with at least one of their parents being an Indian citizen or OCI cardholder; foreign nationals married to Indian citizens; foreign nationals who are single parents of minor children holding Indian passports or OCI cards; and foreign students with one of the parents having Indian citizenship or an OCI card.

The notification says foreigners permitted to travel to India on Friday will have to obtain a fresh visa of appropriate category and those with valid long-term multiple-entry visas will have to get the visa revalidated from Indian missions abroad. Any e-visa will be valid for their travel, it says.