As of now, the authorities only allowed a limited category of people with resident permits to travel between countries.

India has started to ease air travel restrictions to and from the countries with which it has an ‘air bubble’ arrangement as a positive sign towards resumption of regular international air travel.

According to a report published in CNBC TV18, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) have taken a decision to relax norms on any type of visa for travel to and from India.

The Civil Aviation Ministry has made it easy for foreign nationals of these countries to avail Indian visa for travel related to business, medical and employment purposes, the report said. Similarly, Indian nationals looking to travel to countries with which India has an ‘air bubble’ arrangement, will be able to do so under the new norms, CNBC TV18 reported.

The ministry in a statement said, “Restrictions on the entry into India of OCI cardholders from countries with which MoCA has ‘air bubble’ arrangements have been removed. They are welcome to enter India.

Before the relaxation, the authorities only allowed a limited category of people with resident permits to travel between countries, the report mentioned.

An ‘air bubble’ arrangement is an agreement between countries allowing only a limited number of flights for people traveling as per the norms laid by the parties. India has an ‘air bubble’ agreement with the US, the UK. France, Germany, Kuwait and the UAE and it is planning to extend it to Canada and other countries.

The passengers traveling on ‘air bubble’ agreement will have to comply with the mandatory quarantine norms.