Rapid Travel Chai

Since the Mumbai attacks, India has had a a confusing, frustrating rule in place restricting those on tourist visas from re-entering India within 60 days unless meeting certain criteria or receiving prior approval. I was in Sri Lanka, about to head to India, when this was rolled out and met many people stranded for a week or more trying to get approvals.

The system was tweaked repeatedly to try to not strand people on multi-country regional itineraries, but it still made India a hassle to use in its natural role as a regional hub. Since Dubai is already becoming ‘India’s leading airport,’ this did not help things.

Live from the Lounge made my weekend by sharing the news that this rule is gone for all but a few nationalities. Here’s to a good stomp on its grave and hope it never returns. India is already challenging enough to not have to deal with this.

See my earlier series on India visas, and restricted/protected areas (parts 1, 2 and 3, and am very happy that part 2 is now obsolete!).

Shafted no more at India's airports