Japan quintuples standard visa fees—but keeps India on ₹ 500 concessional rate
India launches e-OCI card and speeds up airport clearance for diaspora travellers
India Opens Dialogue with Washington as U.S. Tightens Student-and-Visitor Visa Rules
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New Delhi raises U.S. visa delays with Washington amid peak student season
India’s foreign ministry says it is pressing the U.S. to ease visa interview backlogs that are jeopardising Indian students’ autumn-semester start dates and delaying corporate travel. Washington plans to open additional student slots and expand interview waivers, but staffing constraints persist.
Indian admits scramble for scarce U.S. student-visa appointments
Hindustan Times reports an unprecedented shortage of F-1 interview slots, leaving many Indian students without appointments before classes begin. Universities are offering deferrals, and experts warn that the uncertainty may redirect talent to countries with faster, digital visa pipelines.
Passport fees jump after decade-long freeze—Tatkaal cost now ₹ 6,000
Ordinary Indian passport fees have increased by up to 67%, with Tatkaal charges reaching ₹ 6,000. Employers and travellers must revise budgets, but MEA promises faster turnaround and new digital payment options.
Student-Visa Appointment Crisis Deepens as Indian Admits Race Against U.S. Embassy Slots
Indian students bound for U.S. universities face unprecedented difficulties securing F-1 visa appointments, with available interview dates now after the August semester start. The crunch threatens enrolments, scholarships and corporate graduate-hire pipelines.
Indian students face crunch for U.S. visa appointments as autumn semester nears
With just weeks left before U.S. universities open, Indian students are struggling to secure F-1 visa interviews, as first-available slots at major consulates slip into October. The crunch may force deferrals and has implications for companies counting on fresh graduate hires.
India opens dialogue with Washington over stricter U.S. visa rules
The MEA has begun talks with the United States after the DHS replaced ‘duration-of-status’ admissions with fixed four-year visas for students, exchange visitors and journalists. India will argue that repeated extension costs and administrative risks could deter the record numbers of Indians heading to the U.S. for study and work, and will seek in-country renewal options. Corporates should prepare for extra compliance and budgeting.
Thailand keeps visa-free entry for Indians but trims stay to 30 days, mandates digital arrival card
Thailand has scrapped plans to remove visa-free entry for Indians but is cutting the allowable stay to 30 days and making digital arrival-card registration compulsory. The move restores certainty for business and leisure travel but demands new compliance steps before departure.
India digitises OCI scheme—new applicants receive e-OCI only
All fresh OCI cards are now issued digitally, and existing cardholders can download an e-OCI version for travel and immigration use. The move slashes processing times and costs for both applicants and employers relocating staff to India.
Government Kicks Off ‘Modified UDAN’ Workshop, Sets Roadmap for Next Decade of Regional Flying
India’s Civil Aviation Ministry has outlined ‘Modified UDAN’, promising broader regional air links, incentives for green aircraft and cheaper airport charges. Better connectivity to smaller industrial towns could significantly streamline workforce mobility and supply-chain travel for multinationals.
Supreme Court Fast-Tracks Government Appeal on Overseas Visa Outsourcing Tender
The Supreme Court will hear on 20 July the Centre’s challenge to a Delhi High Court decision that scrapped tenders for outsourcing CPV services in Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Singapore and Canberra. The suspension has already disrupted passport renewals and visa processing for expatriates and business travellers; a stay could restore services temporarily, while rejection would force India to find emergency alternatives. The outcome will directly affect mobility planning for multinational firms and millions of Indian nationals overseas.
UK updates India travel advisory: mandatory Ebola self-declaration and new e-OCI rules
On 17 July 2026 the UK FCDO added two key requirements to its India travel advice: travellers must complete the Air Suvidha 2.0 health Self-Declaration within 24 hours of departure for Ebola screening, and new OCI holders must rely on digital e-OCI cards rather than physical booklets. Corporates should update traveller check-lists immediately to avoid boarding denials and immigration delays.
India opens talks with Washington after U.S. tightens visa-stay rules for foreign students and visitors
The MEA says it has opened a dialogue with the U.S. after draft DHS regulations proposed fixed end-dates for student, exchange and media visas. The change could force hundreds of thousands of Indians to seek extensions mid-course, creating cost and risk for businesses, universities and travellers. Companies should begin contingency planning for tighter visa-validity windows.
Delhi High Court scraps outsourced visa-services tender; VFS operations in Australia and Singapore on hold
The Delhi High Court has cancelled India’s multi-country visa-services outsourcing tender, leading VFS Global to halt processing in Australia and likely Singapore, Kuwait and Abu Dhabi. The MEA has appealed to the Supreme Court, but thousands of applications are already delayed, forcing businesses to rethink travel schedules and explore alternative visa channels.
Delhi High Court cancels outsourcing tender, disrupting Indian passport & visa services in Australia and Singapore
The Delhi High Court annulled India’s outsourcing contract for passport, visa and consular work in Australia, Singapore, the UAE and Kuwait on 17 July 2026, citing opaque bid evaluation. Services through VFS Global are already suspended in Australia and may halt elsewhere, delaying renewals and police-clearance certificates for Indians abroad and foreign travellers to India.
Technical Glitch Grounds Kozhikode–Muscat Flight, Stranding 144 Passengers for Seven Hours
A seven-hour mechanical delay on a Kozhikode–Muscat flight stranded 144 passengers on 17 July, triggering protests and forcing Salam Air to provide refreshments under DGCA guidelines. The episode underscores mounting schedule pressure on India–Gulf routes and the need for employers to build buffer time into crew rotations.
Air Suvidha 2.0 goes live: India activates compulsory digital health form for all arrivals
India re-launched its digital health declaration as Air Suvidha 2.0 on 17 July 2026. All passengers must upload the form within 24 hours of departure, or risk boarding refusal and secondary screening on arrival. The move gives authorities pre-arrival Ebola surveillance data and obliges companies to weave the new requirement into travel approval and data-privacy processes.
Delhi High Court Voids Passport-Visa Outsourcing Contracts, Orders Fresh Global Bids
The Delhi High Court has cancelled the government’s outsourcing contracts for passport and visa services in Australia, Singapore, the UAE and Kuwait, instructing officials to restart the tender with transparent criteria. Immediate service interruptions are already being felt, raising lead times for PCCs and visas and forcing some applicants to travel to India for paperwork. Corporations must brace for longer timelines until a fresh procurement is completed—or until the Supreme Court stays the judgment.
UK updates India travel advisory: e-OCI now accepted, Ebola screening and self-declaration forms introduced
The FCDO’s 17 July advisory confirms that India’s new e-OCI card is fully valid for entry while also introducing mandatory Ebola screening and an online Self-Declaration Form for all international passengers. UK travellers to India must now factor in additional health documentation, and firms should update mobility policies accordingly.
Indian High Commission in Singapore warns of proliferating fake visa websites, urges applicants to use official portal
The Indian High Commission in Singapore has issued a 17 July warning about bogus visa websites and reminds applicants that “indianvisaonline.gov.in” is the sole authorised portal. Companies risk financial loss and data breaches if employees use unverified sites.
UK Updates India Travel Advisory: Mandatory Ebola Self-Declaration and e-OCI Recognition
Britain’s latest travel advice for India introduces a compulsory online Ebola health form and explicitly accepts the new electronic OCI card as valid proof of lifelong visa status. Employers and travellers must incorporate the Air Suvidha 2.0 declaration into boarding procedures and ensure e-OCI details are linked to current passports.