India says Afghan nationals should apply for e-visas from now on, existing visas invalidated

• The Home Ministry has announced that e-visas are mandatory for Afghan nationals.
• All the Afghan nationals wishing to travel to India can apply for the e-visa on the official government portal.
• India has reportedly rescued hundreds of people from Afghanistan in the past one week.
  

Amid the “prevailing security situation” in Afghanistan, India’s Home Ministry on Wednesday, August 25, said that all Afghan nationals henceforth must travel to India only on e-Visa.

"Owing to the prevailing security situation in Afghanistan and streamlining of the visa process by introduction of the e-Emergency X-Misc visa, it has been decided that all Afghan nationals henceforth must travel to India only on e-Visa," the Home Ministry said in a statement.


Afghan nationals wishing to travel to India may apply for e-Visa on the official website, the ministry said.

The Ministry of Home Affairs’ press note also stated that, “Keeping in view some reports that certain passports of Afghan nationals have been misplaced, previously issued visas to all Afghan nationals, who are presently not in India, stand invalidated with immediate effect.”

Earlier on August 17, India had announced that it would issue an emergency e-Visa to Afghan nationals who want to come to the country in view of the worrying situation in Afghanistan after the Taliban captured power there.

"Afghan nationals wishing to travel to India may apply for an e-Visa at http://www.indianvisaonline.gov.in/ ," the government release stated.

India has reportedly evacuated hundreds of people including Afghan nationals from Afghanistan in the past one week as people rush to leave the nation after the Taliban seized control last week.

India has been reportedly allowed to operate two flights per day from Kabul to evacuate its nationals stranded in Afghanistan.





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