In a policy move aimed at deepening South-South trade and easing labour mobility, the Government of India has abolished visa fees for citizens of 48 UN-designated Least Developed Countries (LDCs) who apply for Indian Business or Employment visas. The change, posted on 30 January on multiple embassy websites, takes immediate effect and will be mirrored across all Indian missions worldwide.
The LDC list spans large regional partners—Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, Ethiopia—as well as smaller economies such as Vanuatu and Tuvalu. Applicants will still need to satisfy standard eligibility, security and medical checks, but the waiver eliminates charges that ranged from US $120 to US $300 depending on reciprocity tables. For a Bangladeshi IT engineer or a Rwandan agritech entrepreneur, the saving is material, especially when family dependants are factored in.
Delhi’s logic is twofold. First, the waiver underpins India’s “Viksit Bharat, Viksit Vishwa” (Developed India, Developed World) agenda, which seeks to make the country a hub for Global South value chains. Second, it supports Indian companies that rely on short-term project specialists from neighbouring markets but face tight project budgets. EPC contractors building power lines in Nepal or textile mills importing skilled technicians from Ethiopia stand to benefit immediately.
![India Waives Business and Employment Visa Fees for Applicants From 48 Least-Developed Countries]()
Companies and travellers who want to take advantage of the new fee waiver can streamline the process through VisaHQ. The firm’s India desk (https://www.visahq.com/india/) pre-screens applications, books appointments and keeps track of post-arrival e-FRRO formalities—services that remain valuable even when the government fee drops to zero, sparing employers and entrepreneurs costly delays or rejections.
Mobility advisers should update cost projections for inbound assignments and review invitation letters: although the fee is waived, missions may require proof that the traveller’s home country reciprocates or at least does not over-charge Indian nationals. Employers must also continue to register foreign workers on the e-FRRO portal within 24 hours of arrival.
Consular officers in Budapest, which handles Hungary and Bosnia & Herzegovina, confirmed that the waiver applies globally and will be coded into the e-Visa system later this quarter. The Ministry of External Affairs is expected to publish a consolidated FAQ in February.
The LDC list spans large regional partners—Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, Ethiopia—as well as smaller economies such as Vanuatu and Tuvalu. Applicants will still need to satisfy standard eligibility, security and medical checks, but the waiver eliminates charges that ranged from US $120 to US $300 depending on reciprocity tables. For a Bangladeshi IT engineer or a Rwandan agritech entrepreneur, the saving is material, especially when family dependants are factored in.
Delhi’s logic is twofold. First, the waiver underpins India’s “Viksit Bharat, Viksit Vishwa” (Developed India, Developed World) agenda, which seeks to make the country a hub for Global South value chains. Second, it supports Indian companies that rely on short-term project specialists from neighbouring markets but face tight project budgets. EPC contractors building power lines in Nepal or textile mills importing skilled technicians from Ethiopia stand to benefit immediately.
Companies and travellers who want to take advantage of the new fee waiver can streamline the process through VisaHQ. The firm’s India desk (https://www.visahq.com/india/) pre-screens applications, books appointments and keeps track of post-arrival e-FRRO formalities—services that remain valuable even when the government fee drops to zero, sparing employers and entrepreneurs costly delays or rejections.
Mobility advisers should update cost projections for inbound assignments and review invitation letters: although the fee is waived, missions may require proof that the traveller’s home country reciprocates or at least does not over-charge Indian nationals. Employers must also continue to register foreign workers on the e-FRRO portal within 24 hours of arrival.
Consular officers in Budapest, which handles Hungary and Bosnia & Herzegovina, confirmed that the waiver applies globally and will be coded into the e-Visa system later this quarter. The Ministry of External Affairs is expected to publish a consolidated FAQ in February.
