Type: Parliament Questions and Answers

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to satate :-

(a) whether India and Pakistan are working on a mechanism to issue multiple entry visa for businessmen as part of reducing non-tariff barriers for greater trade;

(b) if so, whether this move is easing movement between businessmen of the two countries; and

(c) if so, the details thereof ?

ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (SHRI E. AHAMED)

(a) to (c) The new Visa Agreement which was signed on September 8, 2012 has been operationalized. To address the concerns of the business community in both countries a separate category of ‘Business Visa’ has been introduced under the new Agreement. This visa fulfills a long pending demand of the business communities of both countries, which was being projected as one of the non-tariff barriers in India-Pakistan bilateral trade. A Business Visa will be issued to bona-fide businessmen who intend to travel for business purposes between India and Pakistan and who fall in two categories:

(i) Businessmen with income of Pak Rs. half million or equivalent per annum, or annual turnover/gross sale of Pak Rs. three million or equivalent will be given a one year Business Visa with five places, for upto four entries.
(ii) Businessmen with an income of at least Pak Rs. five million or equivalent per annum or turnover of Pak Rs. 30 million or equivalent per annum will be given one year multiple entry visas, for upto ten places, with exemption from police reporting.

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Pakistan
South Asia