India has restored all currently valid five-year e-tourist visas given to citizens of 156 countries and regular paper visas to nationals of all countries with immediate effect, after two years of their suspension following the COVID-19 outbreak. Officials also informed that all currently valid old long duration regular tourist visas given to nationals of the US and Japan have been restored.

An official told PTI that fresh long duration tourist visas will also be issued to the US and Japanese nationals. The government has decided that the currently valid e-tourist visa issued for five years, which was suspended since March 2020, shall stand restored to the nationals of 156 countries.

Nationals of these 156 countries will also be eligible for issuance of fresh e-tourist visas as per the Visa Manual, 2019. Currently, a valid regular (paper) tourist visa with a validity of 5 years, issued to foreign nationals of all countries, which remained suspended since March 2020, shall stand restored.

Fresh regular (paper) tourist visas up to five years validity will also be issued to the nationals of the eligible countries subject to the restrictions imposed from time to time, the official said. Currently, valid old long duration (10 years) regular tourist visa which too remained suspended since March 2020, shall stand restored for the nationals of the USA and Japan.

Fresh long duration (10 years) tourist visas will also be issued to the nationals of the USA and Japan. The foreign nationals on tourist and e-tourist visas will be able to enter into India only through designated Sea Immigration Check Posts or Airport ICPs by flights, including those under the 'Vande Bharat Mission or 'air bubble' scheme or by any flights as allowed by the DGCA or Ministry of Civil Aviation.

The foreign nationals will not be allowed to enter through the land border or riverine routes on a tourist visa or e-tourist visa in any case. The government instructions will not be applicable to Afghanistan nationals who will continue to be governed by the separate instructions issued by the Union Home Ministry regarding grant of e-Emergency X-Misc visa, the official said.

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