Check countries that have eased travel restrictions for Indian students

The central government has notified that travel restrictions are being eased for Indian students by many countries, including the US, Canada, the UK, Netherlands and Germany. More countries are expected to open their borders when the COVID-19 situation improves. 

Several countries imposed travel restrictions for Indians after India was hit by the second wave of the pandemic. "We have been making efforts for easing travel restrictions, wherever in place, for Indian students enrolled in foreign universities to make their travel to respective countries possible,” Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan had said in reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.  

“Our missions abroad have been actively taking up these issues with the respective Governments and have been impressing upon those Governments to ease the travel restrictions. Also the issue of travel restrictions has been taken up at the Ministerial level with several countries,” he had said.  

So far, travel restrictions have been eased for Indian students by countries such as the US, the UK, Canada, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and Georgia, and more countries are expected to open up travel in future.  

Global Indian Students Portal expected to be launched in 2022 

Muraleedharan said the government was developing a Global Indian Students Portal (GISP) for Indian students who want to go abroad for studies. The portal, which will have information on courses, foreign universities, nodal officers and accreditation requirements to help students make informed decisions, is expected to be launched in 2022.  

No COVID vaccination proof required for Indian students entering US 

A senior American diplomat had recently assured that the Indian students would not require any proof of COVID-19 vaccination to enter the US. “They will need a negative report of their COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours prior to their departure,” he had said. 

Several Indian students aspiring to fly to the US for higher studies has been worried in view of certain restrictions in getting visa appointments due to the pandemic.  

 Read more:

• Indian students enrolled in EU universities stranded back home due to travel ban
• Vaccine dilemma, travel restrictions baffle students studying abroad but stuck in India