Know all about SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) which India suspended
According to the Central government’s guidelines, Pakistani citizens will no longer be allowed to visit India under the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES)
Hyderabad: The Indian government announced on Wednesday that it is deactivating the SAARC Visa facilities for the Pakistani nationals in the country.
According to the Central government’s guidelines, Pakistani citizens will no longer be allowed to visit India under the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES).
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The directive also ordered any Pakistani nationals who are currently in India should leave the country within 48 hours.
The announcement comes amid the Indian government’s action against Pakistan over the recent terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22 which claimed 26 lives.
What is SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES)?
Established in 1992, SVES was designed to facilitate travel among member States of SAARC, which includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
Under the scheme, the SAARC Visa Exemption Sticker permitted individuals from 24 designated categories, including holders of diplomatic and official passports from member nations, to travel within India without a visa. However, this provision excluded nationals from Nepal, Bhutan, and Pakistan.
Nepalese and Bhutanese citizens have long enjoyed visa-free entry into India. In contrast, only certain Pakistani nationals qualified for a multiple-entry Business Visa, valid for up to one year and allowing access to a maximum of 10 Indian cities. Despite these measures, travel between India and Pakistan has remained limited due to ongoing political tensions, frequent border shutdowns, and revoked visa privileges.
In 2015, India revised its visa policy to offer select Pakistani businesspersons—those with credible financial records and verified credentials—a multiple-entry Business Visa valid for up to three years. These visas allowed travel to 15 specified locations within India.
Although diplomatic issues persisted, some people-to-people interactions continued under special arrangements. For instance, after the Pulwama attack in February 2019, the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor was inaugurated in November 2019, enabling Indian Sikh pilgrims to visit the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan without a visa.
However, a recent decision by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has formally revoked the 2015 special visa provision, casting doubt on the continuation of such cross-border arrangements in the near future.
