The Ministry of Home Affairs has directed Foreigners Regional Registration Offices (FRROs) across India to facilitate expedited visa extensions for foreign nationals unable to depart because of widespread flight cancellations through West Asia. The advisory, reported by Kerala-based portal Onmanorama on 1 March 2026, instructs affected visitors to contact their nearest FRRO for assistance and to retain proof of cancelled tickets.
At the same time, airlines released detailed waiver policies. IndiGo extended its suspension of Middle-East services to 2 March and broadened fee-free changes to include Almaty, Tashkent, Baku and Tbilisi, which normally require overflying Iranian airspace. Air India published a fresh list of 22 cancelled flights and offered full refunds or rebooking within a 15-day window.
If the paperwork surrounding emergency extensions feels daunting, VisaHQ can help. Its online portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) tracks the latest FRRO directives, lets travelers submit extension documents digitally, and provides live guidance for both immediate India-related needs and future trips once routes reopen.
![India Offers Visa Extensions for Stranded Foreigners; Airlines Publish Waiver Lists]()
Kerala’s three international airports alone recorded 80 cancellations on 1 March, while Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Delhi saw a combined 100 scrubbings, according to airport help-desk tallies. State governments have begun setting up information counters and compiling stranded-tourist databases to coordinate hotel availability and onward travel once routes reopen.
The FRRO move prevents inadvertent overstay penalties and reassures international students, many of whom hold visas that expire in early March. Universities have been asked to issue confirmation letters should extensions exceed the usual 14-day grace period.
Travel-risk consultants advise foreign companies with staff in India to keep digital copies of new FRRO endorsement stamps, as airlines may request them at check-in when outbound flights resume.
At the same time, airlines released detailed waiver policies. IndiGo extended its suspension of Middle-East services to 2 March and broadened fee-free changes to include Almaty, Tashkent, Baku and Tbilisi, which normally require overflying Iranian airspace. Air India published a fresh list of 22 cancelled flights and offered full refunds or rebooking within a 15-day window.
If the paperwork surrounding emergency extensions feels daunting, VisaHQ can help. Its online portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) tracks the latest FRRO directives, lets travelers submit extension documents digitally, and provides live guidance for both immediate India-related needs and future trips once routes reopen.
Kerala’s three international airports alone recorded 80 cancellations on 1 March, while Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Delhi saw a combined 100 scrubbings, according to airport help-desk tallies. State governments have begun setting up information counters and compiling stranded-tourist databases to coordinate hotel availability and onward travel once routes reopen.
The FRRO move prevents inadvertent overstay penalties and reassures international students, many of whom hold visas that expire in early March. Universities have been asked to issue confirmation letters should extensions exceed the usual 14-day grace period.
Travel-risk consultants advise foreign companies with staff in India to keep digital copies of new FRRO endorsement stamps, as airlines may request them at check-in when outbound flights resume.
