Indians looking to travel back to their host countries from India will have to wait a little longer. A new condition set forth by the Indian government, which makes three months’ visa validity mandatory, has made flying out of the country more complicated for Indian nationals. Here is what we know about the new rule. By Amitha Ameen
View this post on Instagram
An official memorandum released by the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on June 1, announced a revised Standard Operating Protocol (SOP) for people stranded in India who are wishing to travel abroad.
According to the SOP, “Only those persons shall be allowed to travel to the destination countries, who are citizens of that country or who have a green card of OCI card. Indian nationals who are holding a visa of that country with a minimum residual validity of three months.”
View this post on Instagram
The statement also added that any Indian national with a confirmed offer of job or admission in educational institutions can be allowed to travel with a minimum visa of the validity of the month.
This new rule proves complicated for many UAE resident Indian nationals who are currently stranded in India. Although the UAE has already announced that all visas expiring after March 1 will be automatically considered valid until the year-end, owing to the Coronavirus pandemic scenario, it doesn’t help those stranded owing to the new rule.
View this post on Instagram
The stranded residents who cannot meet the three months’ visa validity rule worry that they will not be able to return to the UAE if the policy is not changed immediately.
Related: The UAE Introduces 5-Year Multiple Entry Tourist Visas