The German Federal Foreign Office on 4 July refreshed its India travel and security notice, keeping the partial travel warning intact but adding a new paragraph under “Entry and Customs” that highlights payment glitches and processing delays on India’s e-Visa portal—particularly for e-Business visas. Berlin urges travellers to apply at least four days in advance, carry a printed Electronic Travel Authorisation and be prepared for consulates to demand paper applications in complex cases. The advisory reflects complaints from German SMEs that sudden portal outages have jeopardised installation timelines for machinery projects. Indian authorities have not reported systemic issues, but the bilateral Joint Working Group on Tourism is expected to discuss performance benchmarks for the e-Visa platform later this quarter. For mobility teams the update is a reminder that the e-Business visa, though nominally fast, is not risk-free. Companies are advised to build in contingency lead time and keep FRRO support letters handy for on-arrival clarifications.
Source: Auswärtiges Amt
