2024 visa applications cross pre-Covid levels, Indian foreign travel up 11% YoY: Report

About 65 lakh visa applications were filed in India in 2019

Visa applications from India finally surpassed pre-Covid 2019 levels in 2024 by 4%, according to a Times of India report.

According to the visa and passport administration outsourcing company for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide, visa application volumes in India rose by 11% year-on-year in 2024.

Based on visa sourcing and technology service provider VFS Global data, the TOI report stated that about 65 lakh visa applications were filed in India in 2019. The number did not reach that mark until last year, when it touched about 67.6 lakh.

“India continues to show a strong demand for international travel, and it’s clear that this robust momentum will persist in 2025. We encourage applicants to apply for their visas well in advance to avoid the last-minute rush and ensure a smooth travel experience,” said Yummi Talwar, Chief Operating Officer – South Asia, VFS Global.

According to VFS Global, popular destinations for Indian travellers in 2024 included Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

The TOI quoted government data which showed over 3 crore Indians travelled abroad in 2024, 8.4% more than 2023's 2.8 crore & 12.3% more than 2019's 2.7 crore.

However, the number of foreigners coming to India is yet to recover. As per Union tourism ministry data, 2024 saw almost 96.6 lakh foreign tourist arrivals, 1.4% higher than 2023's 95.2 lakh but still 11.6% lower than 2019's 1.1 crore.

After Covid-19, the Indian travel industry has been waiting for inbound recovery. While developments in Bangladesh, India's biggest source country for inbound travels, dealt a further blow to the delayed recovery, industry sources told TOI that the Free Trade Agreement estimates need a relook.

"In reality, the foreign tourist numbers are only a fraction of the FTA numbers," Rajiv Mehra, president of inbound tour operators association IATO, told TOI.