India Waives e-Visa Fees for Citizens of Six Gulf States From 5 August
India to Expand e-Visa Access to 25 Additional Countries on 15 August
Mumbai airport back on schedule after three days of monsoon chaos
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Five-Year e-Tourist Visa Reinstated for Nationals of 156 Countries
India has resumed issuance and recognition of the five-year multiple-entry e-Tourist Visa for citizens of 156 countries. The visa allows stays of up to 180 days per visit and streamlines travel for repeat leisure and short-term business visitors. Corporations can again rely on the long-term e-TV to cut application costs and reduce trip lead-times.
UK Updates India Travel Advisory, Highlights Border Restrictions and New e-OCI Rules
Britain’s FCDO refreshed its India travel advice on 9 July 2026, reiterating ‘no travel’ guidance for areas within 10 km of the Pakistan border and updating entry-document information to include India’s new e-OCI card. Corporate travellers should confirm insurance validity for restricted zones and carry a digital or physical OCI copy at immigration.
India Restores Long-Duration Tourist Visas and Reopens e-Tourist Visa Portal
New government guidance dated 9 July 2026 restores all previously issued long-duration tourist visas and re-opens India’s e-Tourist Visa portal. Travellers with existing five- and ten-year paper visas may resume entry, while new e-Tourist Visas (30-day, one-year, five-year) are again being issued online. The move removes one of the last pandemic-era barriers to inbound travel and offers faster processing for corporate meetings and incentives.
Five-Year e-Tourist Visa Fully Restored for 156 Countries, Page Updated 9 July
An embassy notice updated on 9 July confirms that India’s five-year e-tourist visa is fully restored for 156 nationalities, with immediate application availability. The clarification ends pandemic-era ambiguity and is expected to boost repeat leisure and MICE travel, though land-border entry on e-visas is still prohibited.
Fast Track Immigration – Trusted Traveller Programme Gains Momentum With New Awareness Push
A 9 July explainer has thrust India’s FTI-TTP trusted-traveller scheme back into focus, outlining eligibility, application steps and expansion plans to seven more airports. The publicity suggests government intent to fast-track enrolment, offering business travellers Global-Entry-style clearance if they register early.
India Launches Digital e-OCI Cards, Ending Mandatory Physical Booklets
From 8 July 2026, India will issue only app-based electronic OCI cards. Existing booklets stay valid but are no longer compulsory, and renewal on passport change is scrapped. The fully online process and QR-code credential will speed airport formalities and align OCI holders with India’s forthcoming Trusted Traveller lanes—welcome news for diaspora executives who fly in on short notice.
Government Orders Immigration Check-Points at Jewar and Agartala Airports to Open ‘At the Earliest’
Home Minister Amit Shah has instructed authorities to operationalise immigration counters at Noida’s Jewar International Airport and Agartala Airport without delay. The order is part of a broader plan to equip 62 airports with automated security lanes and launch a national Trusted Traveller programme, while mandating FRRO offices in every state capital by 2027. The measures promise smoother entry for business travellers and faster deployment of foreign talent to India’s growth corridors.
Kuwait Activates 15-Year Investor Residency, Opening Door for Indian Entrepreneurs
Kuwait has operationalised a 15-year Investor Residency Permit requiring a KWD 5 million (≈ ₹14 crore) investment and a KDIPA licence. The programme gives Indian owners, directors and their families a long-term foothold in the Gulf, offering greater stability than standard employment visas and dovetailing with Kuwait’s wider diversification push.
Year-Long PERM Backlog Continues to Stall U.S. Green Cards for Indian Professionals
New DOL figures confirm the PERM labour-certification queue is stuck at June 2025 filings, leaving Indian Green Card aspirants facing at least a year’s delay before they can progress to later stages. Employers are exploring alternative postings abroad, while families worry about children ageing out of dependent status. Absent legislative or regulatory fixes, the talent drain from the U.S. could widen.
U.S. Appeals Court Reinstates Bond Hearings, Easing Detention Risk for Indian Migrants
A Fifth Circuit ruling has invalidated the Trump administration’s policy of denying bond hearings to many migrants, restoring the right to seek release within 90 days of arrest. The change will directly affect Indian nationals detained in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi and reduce detention-related business disruption for U.S. employers of Indian temporary workers.
Thailand Ends Visa-Free Entry for Indians, Introduces Tougher On-Arrival Requirements
Thailand has scrapped visa-free entry for Indians with immediate effect. Visitors must now obtain a Visa on Arrival or e-Visa, complete an online Digital Arrival Card and prove financial sufficiency of THB 20,000 in cash. The tougher rules lengthen lead-times for leisure and short-term business trips and may strain Bangkok airport processing capacity.