India announces 30-day visa extension
India has announced extension of visa period and waiver of overstay penalty for foreigners stranded in the country due to the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
The Indian Consulate in Dubai issued a notification announcing that all visas and e-Visas expiring or soon to expire will be extended by one month on a free basis for Foreigners Regional Registration Offices (FRROS) having jurisdiction.
Officials said fines imposed on overstayers by foreign nationals affected by the ongoing conflict after February 28 will be waived.
Officials also clarified that exit permits will be issued free of cost to foreign nationals affected by the travel disruption so that they can leave India once the routes reopen.
The Consulate also said that if a foreign national is unable to apply for an exit permit and visa extension, it will not be considered a violation of migration law.
Foreign nationals coming to India due to diversion of flights will also be given Temporary Landing Permit (TLP) on a free basis, officials said.
This has happened when the conflict continues in West Asia and America and Israel are attacking Iran with their drone and missile attacks. In retaliation, Iran has directly attacked Israel and targeted American strategic bases in the Gulf region.
Around 500 Indian nationals traveled from Qatar to India and other global destinations on flights operated by Qatar Airways, the Indian Embassy in Doha said in an advisory.
In a post on Twitter, the embassy on Friday said the passengers traveled on Qatar Airways flights to Kochi and other destinations. The airline also facilitated transportation of the bodies of two Indian nationals who died of natural causes along with their family members to Kochi on humanitarian grounds.
The embassy said Qatar’s airspace is only partially open, resulting in limited flight operations by Qatar Airways.
“A flight to Mumbai has been planned by Qatar Airways on March 14,” the advisory said, referring to Mumbai.
The limited flight operations began following the Middle East security crisis triggered by Iranian missile and drone attacks targeting US military bases, embassies and civilian infrastructure in the Gulf region, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan.
The conflict has caused significant disruption to global energy supplies, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz, where about 20 percent of the world’s oil transits.
