India has announced a one-month visa extension and waiver of overstay penalties for foreign nationals stranded in the country due to the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
According to a notification from the Indian Consulate in Dubai, visas and e-visas expiring soon will be extended free of cost through jurisdictional FRROs. Authorities also confirmed that penalties for overstays after February 28 will be waived if delays were caused by the conflict.
Exit permits will be issued free of charge to affected foreigners once travel routes reopen. Officials clarified that the inability to apply for an extension or exit permit due to the situation will not be treated as a violation of immigration rules. Additionally, Temporary Landing Permits (TLPs) will be granted free of cost to passengers whose flights are diverted to India.
The decision comes as tensions in West Asia intensify, with US and Israeli strikes on Iran followed by Iranian retaliatory attacks on US bases and Israel. The conflict has disrupted flight operations across the Gulf, with Qatar’s airspace only partially open.
The Indian Embassy in Doha reported that nearly 500 Indian nationals travelled from Qatar to Kochi and other destinations on Qatar Airways flights. The airline also transported the mortal remains of two Indians who died of natural causes, along with their families, on humanitarian grounds.
Flight operations remain limited, with one Qatar Airways service to Mumbai scheduled for March 14. The crisis has also impacted global energy supplies, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz, through which nearly 20% of the world’s oil passes.
