In a late-evening circular dated 9 October 2026, the High Commission of India in Nairobi announced an extension of regular Indian visas and e-Visas for foreign nationals unable to depart India due to the deteriorating security situation in West Asia. The measure includes a waiver of overstay penalties accruing from 1 October until further notice. Although published by the Kenya post, the directive applies globally and mirrors relief granted during the Covid-19 lockdowns. Foreign business travellers, consultants and dependants inside India whose visas expired this month can remain lawfully without visiting an FRRO office; exit permits will be granted free of charge once commercial flights normalise. The Bureau of Immigration is updating its e-FRRO portal to auto-extend affected records. Hotels have been advised not to penalise guests for visa-date discrepancies. However, those on employment visas must continue to pay income tax on India-sourced income if their stay exceeds 182 days in FY 2026-27. Companies hosting expatriates should document the extension notice and keep copies of employees’ old visa stickers plus the advisory when applying for Goods-and-Services Tax (GST) registrations or bank KYC updates, as legacy systems may still flag an ‘expired’ visa.
