India set to reopen to tourist visas as COVID situation eases

Foreign tourists will be able to apply for a visa starting October 15 – the first time since March 2020 COVID lockdown.

India will reopen to tourism from October 15, the government said, after more than a year of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Foreign nationals will be able to apply for a visa for the first time since March 2020, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government imposed a strict lockdown in response to the pandemic.

“After considering various inputs, the MHA (home ministry) has decided to begin granting fresh Tourist Visas for foreigners coming to India through chartered flights with effect from October 15, 2021,” the home ministry said in a statement on Thursday.