Visa, immigration system should not create additional hurdles:

Image
Press Trust of India New Delhi
Last Updated : Feb 08 2017 | 5:13 PM IST
India has conveyed to Hong Kong that it is important that visa and immigration system help people-to-people exchanges and not create additional hurdles after it scrapped visa-free 14-day stay for Indians.
Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh in a written reply to Lok Sabha said Hong Kong it also been reminded of India's liberalisation of visa system for Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) passport holders through online visa facility.
He noted that earlier Indian passport holders who visit Hong Kong for less than 14 days for tourism and such purposes could enter without first obtaining visa but since January 23 Hong Kong authorities have introduced mandatory pre-arrival registration.
"Government of India has conveyed to HKSAR authorities that in view of expanding people-to-people and business ties, it is important that visa and immigration system help such exchanges and not create additional hurdles.
"They have also been reminded of Government of India's liberalisation of visa system for HKSAR passport holders through online visa facility," Singh said.
According to the Hong Kong information services department website, "From January 23, Indian nationals must apply for and complete online pre-arrival registration before enjoying their 14-day visa-free visit, or entering Hong Kong during transit.
"The pre-arrival registration for Indian nationals' platform will launch on December 19. Registration is free. The computer system will display the result instantly once the registration is made."
Only those Indian nationals who successfully complete online pre-arrival registration could enter Hong Kong and obtain visa on arrival. For others they are required to obtain prior visa before arriving in Hong Kong.

Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Feb 08 2017 | 5:13 PM IST

Next Story