The pandemic associated with Covid-19 has completely changed the order of things and caused significant economic, health and social damage. India, like all nations in the world, has been badly hit by the bites of the pandemic, prompting authorities to take tough measures (restricting freedom of movement, closing borders, etc.) to prevent and limit the spread of the virus. Since last year, several foreigners and international travelers have had difficulties getting to India. However, the Indian Ministry of the Interior recently decided to ease travel restrictions by reopening the country’s borders as early as October 2021.

Borders open since October 15th

Last year all governments decided to limit the permeability of their borders in order to reduce the number of cases of contamination. In this dynamic, India has suspended all visas it issued to foreigners. The authorities have also imposed severe restrictions on international travel. After more than a year of suspension and with the country’s health improving, the Indian government announced in a press release that it has finally decided to open its borders to tourists from October 15, 2021.

In addition, the reopening of the gates of India is to take place gradually and in two stages for tourists. The country will resume issuing tourist visas to group tourists on charter flights on October 15. Paradoxically, individual tourists who want to travel to India on a classic flight will have to wait until November 15th.

What are the conditions for entering and staying in India?

In order to get into a country, immanent conditions have to be met. The conditions and requirements may differ depending on the travel destination. The first of the conditions is to apply for a visa. It is this paper that gives you access to Indian territory. This paper is granted to different visitors according to the purpose of their visit. If you are a foreigner and want to enter India for tourist reasons, you will need a consular tourist visa or an electronic consular visa (e-tourist).

As mentioned earlier, you need to get there on a charter flight starting October 15th. All visas issued before this date will be suspended until further notice. It should be remembered that outside of the India tourist visa, you can get other types of visas, especially for medical or business reasons. You will also need to have a PCR test processed (with a negative result) 72 hours before the flight before you can travel to India.

What are the health obligations to travel to India?

For reasons of pandemic due to Covid 19, the following is required in addition to the visa for entry to India:

• 1 Negative PCR test, printed in English, with sampling less than 72 hours before entry.
• 1 Confirmation of registration on the embassy platform.
• 1 Confirmation of registration on the Delhi Airport or other airport website.
• The unvaccinated are subject to the compelling reason.

There is no quarantine on arrival in Delhi if you present your passport and visa for boarding.

In order to get your visa and travel to India, you no longer have to go to the Indian embassy or consulate in your area. Electronic visas, also known as e-visas, are available online to all travelers. All you have to do is make your request and you will receive it shortly in your mailbox. As India will reopen its borders on October 15th, you can start your inquiry now. However, travelers who apply for an e-visa (e-tourist, e-business or e-medical visa) must observe certain conditions.

Be careful though, as the process of obtaining the e-Visa is complicated. The application is only made in English and you will need to upload documents such as an ID photo and a photocopy of your passport. There are specialized websites like www.rapidevisa.fr to simplify your visa applications. You don’t have to fill out a form and the order can be completed with just a few clicks. This is an additional fee, but it is also the security of getting your visa, as the slightest mistake in entry means you risk being denied boarding.

On the way to free e-visas for the first 500,000 travelers?

All countries started opening their borders to revitalize their economies. As early as June 2021, India announced that it would take appropriate measures to stimulate tourism as soon as the travel restrictions were lifted, because this branch of the economy is a real pillar of the economy. To achieve this, the country plans to grant first-time travelers around half a million free tourist visas after the borders are opened. This initiative shows the extent to which the authorities want to stimulate the tourism sector in order to help actors hard hit by the effects of the pandemic. The country wants to encourage more international travelers to plan visits to India.

This decision will remain in effect until we wait for the 500,000 visitor visa limit. This means that the decision will be implemented until the originally specified quota has expired. In addition, it should be noted that the government has not yet officially communicated on the various methods of obtaining this free visa. Since this is just an ambition, nothing is final. It is not foreseeable whether this decision will apply to electronic visas (e-visas) and consular visas or whether additional evidence will have to be submitted due to the particular health situation. It is still too early to draw any conclusions.