Stapled visas by China not valid for travel: MEA

VISA-CHINA

New Delhi, Nov 12 (PTI) In a rebuff to China, India
Thursday made it clear that any paper visa "stapled" to the
passport in separate sheets rather than pasted will be treated
as invalid for travel out of the country.

"It has come to the attention of the government that
the Chinese Embassy here and its Consulates in Mumbai and
Kolkata are issuing visas on a separate piece of paper stapled
to the passport (rather than "pasted" as is the usual
practice), to certain categories of Indian nationals on the
basis of their domicile, ethnicity and/or place of issue of
the passport.
"Such paper visas stapled to the passport are not
considered valid for travel out of the country," India's
Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement here.
The snub comes in the wake of the reports that some
Kashmiri students and businessmen were given visa by the
Chinese embassy on a separate piece of paper, stapled to the
passport. Immigration officials at the airport denied
permission to such travellers to fly out.
The Ministry of External Affairs also asked its
citizens to ascertain from the Chinese embassy or Consulate
whether the visa issued to them will be affixed to the
passport or will be in the nature of a stapled paper visa to
avoid any inconvenience or financial loss. MORE PTI PYK
DDC


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