New Delhi, August 20: France on Thursday became the first country to open its borders for Indians. The French government allowed Indian students, researchers and teachers to send applications for the short-stay and long-stay. Emmanuel Lenain, the ambassador of France to India, gave this information through a tweet. Seven French visa processing centres in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Kochi started their operations from August 17.

Lenain tweeted, “Finally, the wait is over! Delighted to announce that our visa service is now open for receiving applications for the short-stay and long-stay student visa category.” In another tweet, he said, “Talent passport, professors or researchers, “Assistant de Français” – visa applicants who fall under these categories are welcome to apply as well.” New Schengen Visa Application Rules For Indian Citizens: Revised Fees and Advance Filing Details.

Tweets by French Ambassador in India:

He also shared a list of instruction which students and researchers travelling from India should follow. According to the guidelines shared, passengers from India must mandatorily present a COVID-19 PCR test carried out less than 72 hours before departure or to take this test on arrival in France. The French government also asked people arriving at visa processing centres in India to follow social distancing norms. French Embassy Says 7 Centres Opened in India to Receive Visa Applications.

The United States also resumed processing student visas from August 17. This facility is available in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata. Notably, India has an air bubble facility both with the US and France. According to the air bubble facility, people eligible as per government norms are allowed to travel between the two countries.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 20, 2020 11:39 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).