The Home Ministry has extended the visa of foreigners stranded in India till August 31, a statement said. Foreigners would not be charged any amount as a renewal fee or overstay penalty.
The Ministry stated that as commercial flight operations had been suspended on account of the COVID-19 pandemic since March 2020, a number of foreign nationals who had arrived in India before March 2020 on valid visas had been stranded here.
“Keeping in view the difficulties being faced by such foreign nationals in getting their visas extended in India due to the lockdown, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had issued an order on 29.06.2020 conveying that the Indian Visa or stay stipulation period of such foreign nationals expiring post 30.06.2020 shall be deemed to be valid until 30 more days from the date of resumption of normal international flight operations, on gratis basis. However, such foreign nationals have been applying for extension of their visas or stay stipulation period on a monthly basis,” said the statement.
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It said that in the light of non-resumption of commercial flight operations, it had been decided that the visa or stay stipulation period of such foreign nationals stranded in India would be considered as deemed to be valid till August 31 on gratis basis, without the levy of any overstay penalty. “These foreign nationals will not be required to submit any application to the FRRO/FRO concerned for extension of their visas,” the Home Ministry said.
“Such foreign nationals may apply for an exit permission to the FRRO/FRO concerned before exiting the country, which would be granted on gratis basis without levy of any overstay penalty,” the statement said.