India resumes visas for Afghans after 5-year hiatus
Afghan nationals can now finally avail visas to India after a five-year-long hiatus as New Delhi on Monday resumed the service to the Afghanistan people.
The move, which hasn’t been announced formally, comes after a trilateral meeting between China, Pakistan and Afghanistan announced the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) extension to the Taliban-ruled nation.
India resumed granting visas to Afghan citizens across multiple categories, including business, medical, and entry visas for artists and relatives, five years after suspending all visa services following the Taliban’s takeover in Afghanistan.
A notification on the government’s official visa portal, indianvisaonline.gov.in, confirmed the rollout of the ‘AFGHAN Visa’ module.
The newly updated portal lists categories, including student, business, medical, medical attendant, entry, and UN diplomat visas. Applicants are required to upload a recent front-facing photograph, along with the passport and national ID card (Tazkira), which must contain personal details such as name, date of birth, nationality, and expiry date.
Entry visas are also being issued to artists, cultural personalities, academicians, and professionals invited to participate in cultural events or activities sponsored by recognised Indian institutions. Children from previous marriages of Afghan nationals married to Indian citizens or Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders are also eligible.
Afghans who own property in India, dependent parents of students visiting India for higher education, and parents of students below 18 years can also apply under the entry visa category.
The business visa category has been expanded to include sportspersons and coaches engaged in commercial sports events in India on paid contracts. This category also covers investors and Afghan nationals planning to establish industrial or business ventures in India, as well as those required to undertake frequent, long-term business activities.
India suspended visa services for Afghan nationals in August 2021 after the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan following the withdrawal of US-led forces. With the Taliban’s return to power, India shut down its embassies and consulates in the country due to security concerns and uncertainty over the legitimacy of the new regime.
At the time, India introduced the limited ‘e-Emergency X-Miscellaneous visa’ for stranded Afghans, primarily focusing on Hindus, the minority and Sikhs. The resumption of visa services coincides with India’s efforts to engage with the Taliban regime through diplomatic channels.
In April, the Indian diplomatic delegation met acting Afghanistan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Kabul to discuss key concerns, including the Taliban’s request to facilitate Afghan students and patients traveling to India for medical and academic purposes.
India