Category Archives: Visa

India and Saudi Arabia have signed a mutual short-stay visa exemption agreement, marking a significant milestone in their bilateral relations. The pact allows holders of diplomatic, special and official passports from both countries to travel visa-free for short stays. The move aims to ease official travel, reduce bureaucratic hurdles and reflect growing trust and cooperation between New Delhi and Riyadh.

Addressing a press conference, Prataprao Jadhav, Union MoS (Independent Charge), Ministry of Ayush, GoI, said India is expanding Ayush outreach globally through dedicated Ayush visas and attracted nearly 45,000–46,000 foreign patients last year. Many also arrive on regular travel visas for treatment. To support growing demand, the ministry is increasing Ayush health centres at major tourist destinations, strengthening India’s medical and wellness tourism appeal.

India is set to make travel significantly easier for Russian visitors with the introduction of a free 30-day e-tourist visa, which is expected to encourage more Russian travellers to visit India, reducing both cost and paperwork and a free 30-day group tourist visa, making it easier for travel agents and tour operators to bring Russian groups to India. The initiative is part of a broader effort to expand tourism and cultural engagement between the two countries at a time when Russia is seeking new travel partners, and India is diversifying inbound tourism markets.

The Czech Republic will open a new consulate in Mumbai next year. The aim is to streamline and expedite visa processing for Indian travellers.

TAAI has completed its innovative Visa Insights Workshop, hosted by VFS Global, in 7 cities of India, where VFS’ Mission people who receive visa applications from travel agents are invited to interact with the agency visa heads. “There ensues an exciting debate that goes on for few hours so that everyone understands the other and is on the same page. It has become a very successful event starting with Hyderabad, and going on to Pune, Jaipur, Bengaluru, Kolkata and soon to come to Mumbai. It is a way to work closely with VFS Global,” said Sunil Kumar, TAAI National President.

Udaan, a visa concierge and travel services firm with over three decades of expertise in visa concierge, has signed an MoU with Common Service Centres Special Purpose Vehicle (CSC SPV) to collaborate on CSC Safar, a travel services programme by CSC E-Governance Services India. The MoU was signed by Sanjay Kumar Rakesh, MD & CEO, CSC SPV, from CSC and Rajan Dua, MD & Founder, Udaan in the presence of senior officials. Under this partnership, Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs) will be empowered to assist applicants with their visa requirements. To ensure a seamless experience, CSC Safar provides VLEs with a dedicated mobile application and web interface. With a strong presence in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities across India, VLEs will enable customers to access visa services alongside other travel-related needs at convenient, local locations. According to Sanjay Kumar Rakesh, MD & CEO, CSC SPV, “this partnership with Udaan Travel to provide visa services on the CSC Safar portal will make the application process simpler and more accessible, empowering VLEs to serve travellers with ease and efficiency.” According to Rajan Dua, Founder and MD, Udaan. “We are proud to collaborate with CSC to simplify international travel for Indian travellers, thereby increasing our reach to a wider base of travellers.  At Udaan India, our longstanding commitment has been to make visa Concierge seamless and stress-free. This partnership enables us to extend our trusted expertise to CSC customers, ensuring they are fully prepared for travel with confidence and ease.” The MoU encompasses all aspects of visa Concierge services for Rural India, including application support, documentation guidance, appointment scheduling, and customer service.

The Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 that came into effect on 1 Sept, introduces an updated framework for foreigners travelling to India. The Act emphasises the use of valid travel documents and sets penalties, even jail time, for the use of forged documents. It defines new reporting requirements for hotels, universities, and hospitals.

VFS Global has signed a co-branding agreement with the Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia to strengthen and expand brand awareness of Indonesian tourism under the Wonderful Indonesia campaign for increasing international arrivals and encouraging investments into the country. As part of the agreement, VFS Global will help in increasing the brand awareness of the Wonderful Indonesia campaign and improving the quality and quantity of tourism marketing through brand partnerships. The agreement was signed between Ni Made Ayu Marthini, Deputy Minister for Marketing, Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Indonesia, and Mr. Kaushik Ghosh, Head – Australasia, VFS Global, on 13 August 2025 in Jakarta. Ni Made Ayu Marthini, Deputy Minister for Marketing, Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia, said, “We are excited to join forces with VFS Global in strengthening the Wonderful Indonesia campaign on the global stage. Through this co-branding agreement, we will amplify our tourism message and leverage VFS Global’s extensive presence in over 160 countries, combined with innovative outreach, to inspire more travellers to experience the beauty and diversity of Indonesia.” Since 2024, VFS Global is also an official partner of the Indonesian Directorate General of Immigration. As part of the partnership, VFS Global has launched a new e-VoA platform for nationals of all the 97 countries eligible for e-VoA, to provide them a quicker and smoother visa application journey online. Kaushik Ghosh, Head – Australasia, VFS Global, said, “We are honoured to collaborate with the Ministry of Tourism to strengthen global awareness of the country’s vibrant tourism offerings. With over 16 years of experience in tourism-related services, VFS Global brings proven expertise in promoting destinations to a global audience. Through the promotion of the e-Visa …

Airocity Visas has expanded its presence with the launch of a new branch in Chennai. Established in 2016, it has emerged as a trusted name in the travel industry for visa consultancy services. Headquartered in Delhi, the company also operates major branch offices in Mumbai and Chennai, India’s key metropolitan hubs.