Well, this is a new one on me…
When most countries have reopened for tourism, they’ve made their rules and that’s that. It may be that only people from countries X, Y and Z can enter. Or if you’re not fully vaccinated against Covid-19, you have to quarantine for a certain amount of time. Some countries require everyone to get tested before entry, some don’t, some require a second test a few days later, you get the point.
India has recently announced that, after an 18-month pause due to Covid, they will begin granting tourist visas for foreign visitors. As per a press release from the country’s Ministry of Home Affairs, tourists who plan to arrive by chartered flight will be able to do so starting on October 15, Other arrivals will be permitted effective November 15.
However, officials have decided that India’s entry requirements for visas will be based on “reciprocal treatment.” So the visa approval and requirements of the tourist would depend on what the applicant’s home country’s policy is for Indian tourists.
In other words, “tit for tat.”
The decision was made while members of India’s Ministry of Home Affairs were in a meeting where they were planning their reopening to tourists.
“In the meeting, it was decided to provide reciprocal treatment to tourists visiting India,” an unnamed official said. “Many countries have opened for tourists from foreign countries but have posed several restrictions for Indian travelers. The issues have been raised with the diplomats of concerned countries to get issues resolved.”
So an incoming foreign tourist might have to show their vaccination certificate, or maybe undergo a quarantine period, or may not be able to visit India at all. It would all depend on how their home country treated Indian tourists when they want to visit.
In other words, if you want to visit India, it doesn’t matter what Covid rates are like where you live, or whether or not you’re vaccinated, or what you’re vaccinated with. It’s all about how Indian tourists are allowed to enter your home country.
That’s….dumb.
But apparently true. From Aljazeera:
Earlier this month, India announced fully vaccinated British nationals arriving in India will be subjected to a 10-day mandatory quarantine, in response to similar measures imposed by the UK on Indian nationals.
The United Kingdom has not recognised the Indian version of the AstraZeneca vaccine, known as Covishield. India has called the decision “discriminatory” and imposed restrictions on all British arrivals irrespective of their vaccination status.
So there ya go.
If you have plans to visit India as a tourist once the gates are open, I guess the requirements will be whatever the U.S. requires of Indians when they’re allowed to visit in “early November.”
Feature Photo: Piqsels
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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
1 comment
The last thing I read, UK allowed the Covishield vaccine on the allowable vaccine list. So, what they are doing seems to be working. They are saying we’ll issue visas for vaccinated individuals but we’ll treat your citizens as well as you treat ours. I don’t know from when a country standing up for its citizens has become “dumb”. Oh well, this is America and we leave our citizens for Terrorists to play with.