India’s travel bubble extends to 13 countries: Who all can travel and which countries?

Team Udayavani, Sep 22, 2020, 2:21 PM IST

Though International flights in India will remain suspended till September 30, the country has established bilateral air bubble arrangements with 13 countries, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Canada, France, Germany, Iraq, Japan, Maldives, Nigeria, Qatar, UAE, UK and US.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, in a series of tweets, announced that India is negotiating with several other countries to enter into such travel arrangements. These include countries, such as Singapore, Russia, Israel, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Kenya, South Korea, the Philippines and Thailand.

Air bubbles are bilateral agreements through which a specific number of airlines, from both the countries, can fly. However, the agreement doesn’t permit an airline to fly passengers from somewhere else before or after the journey between the two countries, which have signed the agreement

It is said that Indian nationals holding a valid visa with validity of at least one month, other than visa for tourism purpose, are allowed to travel.

Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card holders from the countries with whom India has signed ‘air bubble’ arrangements, will be allowed to visit the country. Other foreigners from these countries have also been allowed to avail Indian visa facility for business, medical and employment purposes.

As per latest developments, Indians holding any type of valid Japanese visa can travel to Japan. Apart from this, this arrangement will also allow stranded foreign nationals and Japanese nationals with valid Japanese visas to travel from India to Japan.