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Ayush Visa launched for foreigners seeking treatment under Indian medicine systems

The Government of India yesterday launched the Ayush Visa, a newly created category created for foreign nationals looking to receive medical treatment here through traditional Indian systems of medicine.

The introduction of this visa category fulfils the proposal to create a special visa scheme that allows foreigners to visit India exclusively for therapeutic care, wellness, and Yoga treatments under Ayush systems and other Indian systems of medicine, the government said.

A new chapter, Chapter 11A, titled “Ayush Visa” has been updated in the Visa manual. This chapter focuses on treatment under the Indian systems of medicine, and it has been introduced after the existing Chapter 11 – Medical visa. Amendments have been made to various chapters of the Visa Manual, 2019, to accommodate this new visa category, the Ayush ministry said in a statement.

According to Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister of Ayush and Ports, Shipping & Waterways, this move will have a positive impact on medical value travel in India. The initiative aligns with their vision of promoting Indian traditional medicine on a global scale, he added.
Sonowal, said, “The creation of a new category of Ayush Visa for foreign nationals seeking treatment under Ayush systems/Indian systems of medicine is a significant step. It will boost Medical Value Travel in India. This initiative will strengthen our endeavour to accomplish Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for making Indian traditional medicine a global phenomenon. I also want to compliment Shri Amit Shah, Union Home Minister, GoI for his efforts in creating a special Ayush Visa category.”

The Ministry of Ayush in the statement said the introduction of Ayush Visa category is part of the country’s roadmap for the Heal in India initiative.

 

15.24 lakh foreigners visited India in 2021; highest from US, followed by Bangladesh

Over 15 lakh foreigners, including 4.29 lakh US nationals and 2.4 lakh Bangladeshis, had visited India last year when the country was on an extended period of coronavirus restrictions and visa regulations, officials said. Ten countries accounted for 74.39 per cent of the total arrival of foreigners during 2021, while 25.61 per cent of the incoming foreigners were from the rest of the nations, a home ministry official said.

A total of 15,24,469 foreigners visited India between January 1 and December 31, 2021. The maximum number of foreigners who visited India during this period were from the United States (4,29,860), followed by those from Bangladesh (2,40,554), United Kingdom (1,64,143), Canada (80,437) and Nepal (52,544).

As many as 36,451 citizens from Afghanistan, 33,864 nationals from Australia, 33,772 from Germany, 32,064 from Portugal and 30,374 citizens of France visited India during 2021, the official said. All international flights were suspended during the nationwide lockdown, which was first announced in India from March 25 to April 21 in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and it was extended thrice till May 31.

Even though the government had announced gradual reopening of various activities from June 2020, many restrictions continued for the remaining months of 2020 and a few months in 2021. Scheduled international flights from India to international destinations remained suspended for two years from March 25, 2020, till March 27, 2022. During this period, international flights were operated only under the ‘air-bubble’ arrangements, the official said. There were visa restrictions too on foreigners travelling to India after the coronavirus outbreak.

In order to control its spread, the home ministry took a series of steps to curtail the inward and outward movement of international passengers, both foreigners as well as Indians, in a calibrated manner since February 2020.With the phased unlocking in India, the central government has relaxed the visa and travel restrictions in a phased manner since May 2020.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had issued orders on October 21, 2020, permitting following categories of foreign nationals to enter India by water routes or by flights, including those under the Vande Bharat Mission or ‘air bubble’ (bilateral air travel arrangements) scheme or by any non-scheduled commercial flights as allowed by the Ministry of Civil Aviation.Those who were allowed include Overseas Citizen of India and Person of Indian Origin cardholders holding passports of any country.

All foreign nationals intending to visit India for any purpose (including their dependents on an appropriate category of dependent visa) except those on tourist visa were also allowed.In March 2021, the MHA restored e-Visa regime with all the sub-categories, except e-tourist visa, for the nationals of 156 countries. Subsequently from October 15, 2021, tourist and e-tourist visas were also allowed.

New Zealand to stay closed to foreigners for another 5 months

Indians can travel to the country from April 30

New Zealand on November 24 said that it will not reopen to foreign travellers for at least another five months, as it slowly relaxes some of the world’s toughest pandemic border restrictions.

The Pacific nation’s Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said New Zealanders stranded in Australia could return home from mid-January and Kiwis travelling from elsewhere would be allowed in a month later.

But foreign nationals must wait until the end of April under the blueprint for a phased reopening unveiled on November 24. “We acknowledge it’s been tough, but the end of heavily restricted travel is now in sight,” Hipkins told.

New Zealand closed its borders in March last year, requiring all international arrivals to undergo two weeks of hotel quarantine, a period that was recently cut to seven days.

Hipkins said under the new regime, travellers would self isolate for seven days provided they were fully vaccinated and passed a series of Covid-19 tests. The move comes amid mounting pressure from overseas-based New Zealanders frustrated at being unable to book spots in the overstretched hotel quarantine system.

The border announcement comes as New Zealand prepares to revamp its domestic Covid-19 response to scrap lockdowns in recognition that the highly contagious Delta variant is now firmly embedded in the community.

Its previous strategy of eliminating the virus completely has resulted in just 40 deaths in a population of five million but officials have admitted Delta means the goal is no longer achievable.

Hipkins acknowledged many New Zealanders wanted the border open for Christmas but said it was not a realistic expectation. “There continues to be a global pandemic, with case numbers surging in Europe and other parts of the world. So, we need to be careful about reopening our border” he said.

Hipkins said from next month India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Fiji and Brazil would no longer be classified as very-high risk countries, making their nationals eligible to travel to New Zealand from April 30.

He said there was a possibility “bespoke” arrangements would allow international students and Australians to travel before April 30 but could offer no guarantees. (Source HT)