Now Afghan citizens can come to India again, government started visa service

India has resumed visa service for citizens of Afghanistan wishing to travel to the country for business, education, and medical treatment. They can now apply online. India withdrew officials from its embassy in Kabul and suspended visa services after the Taliban seized power in August 2021.

According to the notice put up on the official visa portal of the Government of India, visas will be given in the categories of business, student, medical, medical attendant, entry, and UN diplomat. Each applicant has to upload the Afghan National Identity Card (Tazkira) online, which will contain personal details like name, date of birth, nationality, expiry date, etc. The documents required to complete the visa application are indicated against each type of visa.

The notice states that all documents, including business cards, invitation letters, etc., must be in the English language, failing which the application will be rejected. Biometric details of the applicant will be mandatorily recorded at immigration on arrival in India. Applicants must carry a copy of the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) at the time of travel. They should travel only if the ETA status appears on the official visa portal before the start of the journey.

Applicants are also able to view the status of their application online by going to Visa Status. Individuals going to India are also requested to refer to the instructions published by the Bureau of Immigration, Government of India. The applicant has to make his/her journey on the same passport on which the visa has been applied.

This is a crucial decision, considering that India's relations with the Taliban have normalized over the past few months. India has not, till now, recognized the Taliban's government in Afghanistan.

But India has been pushing hard to give humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. India reinstated its diplomatic presence in Kabul in June 2022 by sending a technical mission to its embassy in the capital. It has been accompanied by a number of top-level contacts with Afghanistan, including a May 15 meeting of Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar with his Afghan counterpart, Amir Khan Muttaqi. The terror strike in Pahalgam was denounced by the Taliban government, and it issued a statement that it stands with India in the fight against terror.