Govt restarts visa service for Afghan nationals

New Delhi: India has restarted the visa service for Afghanistan nationals wishing to visit the country for business, education and medical treatment and they can now apply online.

After the Taliban seized power in August 2021, India withdrew officials from its embassy in Kabul and suspended visa services.

According to a notice put up on the government of India's official visa portal , the visas will be given in the categories of business, student, medical, medical attendant, entry and UN diplomat.

Each applicant will have to upload online the Afghan National Identity Card (Tazkira) containing personal details like name, date of birth, nationality, expiry date etc.

The documents required for completing the visa application are indicated against each type of visa. All documents including business cards, invitation letters etc. must be in English language, failing which the application would be liable for rejection, the notice said.

Biometric details of the applicant will be mandatorily captured at the Immigration on arrival in India.

Applicants should carry a copy of Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) at the time of travel. They should travel only when the ETA status is shown as 'GRANTED' on the official visa portal prior to the commencement of the journey. Applicants can track the status of their application online by clicking visa status.

Those travelling to India are also advised to go through instructions available on the website of the government of India's Bureau of Immigration at .

The applicant must travel on the passport under which the application filed for a visa. Entry will be allowed into India on the new passport even if ETA has been issued on the old passport. However, in such cases, a traveller must carry the old passport on which ETA was issued.

Those who wish to apply for a business visa must mention the purpose of the visit like the establishment of an industrial/business venture, other business activities, sports persons and coaches including those engaged in commercial sports events in India on contract with remuneration.

A student visa will be given to those who were awarded Indian Council for Cultural Relations scholarships and those seeking admission in government educational institutes.

Medical visas will be given to patients and medical attendant visas will be given to attendants of patients.

There is a visa category called 'Entry visa' under which the travel document will be given to Afghan nationals intending to visit India to participate in cultural events and activities sponsored by reputed institutions in India for a short duration without remuneration.

Minor children accompanying an Afghan parent, who has come for medical treatment on a medical visa, a minor child from previous marriages of an Afghan national who is presently married to an Indian citizen/Person of Indian Origin/OCI cardholder among others will also be given the 'entry visa'.

Afghan nationals working as United Natioans diplomats will also be given a visa under the category of UN diplomat. All such persons will have to provide the Afghan National Identity Card (Tazkira) containing personal details like name, date of birth, nationality, expiry date etc.

India had withdrawn its officials from the embassy after the Taliban seized power in August 2021 following concerns over their security.

India has not yet recognised the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. However, India has been pitching for providing humanitarian aid to Afghanistan.

In June 2022, India re-established its diplomatic presence in Kabul by deploying a "technical team" in its embassy in the Afghan capital.

There have been several high-level contacts with Afghanistan since then, including a telephonic conversation between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Afghan counterpart Amir Khan Muttaqi on May 15.

Jaishankar had also appreciated Muttaqi's condemnation of the Pahalgam terrorist attack.