India and Pakistan operationalised New Bilateral Visa Agreement

Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde and Pakistan's interior minister Rehman Malik on 14 December 2012 jointly operationalised the new visa agreement between India and Pakistan in New Delhi.
 
As per the Circular to this effect which was issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs to all the Indian Missions, State Governments/ Union Territories, Foreigners Regional Registration Officers (FRROs), FROs the visa-on-arrival is supposed to come into effect from 15 January 2013 and the group tourist visa from 15 March 2013.

Earlier on 8 September 2012 the Governments of India and Pakistan had signed on a new visa agreement to facilitate travel for the nationals of both countries wishing for of travelling to the other country and to promote people to people contact.

Key features of the new visa agreement:
Visitor Visa
• Places of visit allowable increased from three to five places.
• In exceptional cases visitor visa for one year could be issued in the past. Now provision made for issue of visa up to two years in following cases.

a. Persons above 65 years of age.
b. National of one country married to national of the other country.
c. Children below 12 years accompanying parents

Visa on Arrival can be granted at Attari/Wagah check-post to persons more than 65 years of age for 45 days with single entry (effective from 15 January 2013).

Business Visa - Exemption from Police Reporting for Business visa granted to businessmen with an annual income above Pak. 5 million rupees or equivalent or annual turnover above Pak. 30 million rupees or equivalent.

Group Tourist Visa-Group Tourist Visa for 30 days may be issued for travel in groups, with not less than 10 members and not more than 50 members in each group, organized by approved tour operators/travel agents (effective from 15 March 2013).

Entry and exit:

• Now entry and exit from different designated Immigration Check Posts can be allowed, if indicated in application.
• However, exit from Wagha/Attari on foot cannot be accepted unless the entry was also on foot via Attari/Wagah.

India and Pakistan had already started implementing the new liberal visa regime following the operationalisation of a bilateral visa agreement replacing the 38-year old tardy visa regime signed in 1974 by the two countries of India and Pakistan.