Indian visa centres gear up to serve applicants better during Ramadan

In response to the huge surge in the demand for Indian visas during the holy month of Ramadan, the Indian High Commission has taken additional steps to facilitate the visa applicants.

According to a High Commission press release, special provisions include: Increasing working hours from 8am to 8pm - visa application deposit time from 8am to 4pm and visa delivery time (passport collection for applicants) from 5pm to 8pm; increasing manpower to guide applicants and manage their orderly movement to the respective counters; and deployment of additional staff at visa application counters to ensure quick processing.

Special provisions also include dedicated floor managers to coordinate processing and delivery, special facility for senior citizens and war veterans (Muktijoddhas), and scaling up of display monitors and signage's at IVAC centre for guiding applicants.

IVAC centres will additionally remain open on 17 April which is otherwise a public holiday.

Two years after international travel was suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Indian government  decided to restore all categories of tourist visas for foreign nationals and also issue fresh visas with immediate effect from 15 March.