Does the SAARC make travel between the countries easier?

Just like being a part of the EU makes the travel between the EU connected countries easier, the SAARC does the same for the countries connected. Although the countries are not connected politically but just through the passport agency, it does help ease travel. The SAARC headquarters are located in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. […]

Just like being a part of the EU makes the travel between the EU connected countries easier, the SAARC does the same for the countries connected. Although the countries are not connected politically but just through the passport agency, it does help ease travel. The SAARC headquarters are located in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. Furthermore, the SAARC is usually presided by one of the diplomats from countries that are a part of it.

There have been a lot of talks about the details regarding travel and how it would be implemented. The most popular idea was creating a permit that people could apply for if they were interested in travelling between the countries. There was a basic process that involved providing a passport and other supporting documents. These documents would be handled by the backend of the website and verified through the details on the passport before issuing the permit. There would be a tie-up between the Government and the SAARC authorities so as to keep complete transparency throughout the system.

Additionally, there have been conversations between the countries in terms of the vehicles passing through as well. There would be permits created for goods vehicles passing through the countries. They would be valid for a maximum of five years but would have to be verified annually. More information about this would be discussed in terms of the weight of the vehicles, the type of goods that would be transported, etc.

What is the SAARC visa exemption scheme?

This was a scheme launched in 1992 for the sake of bettering the relations between many of the countries in the SAARC. It stated that some individuals falling under a certain category of dignitaries were entitled to a special travel document. This document would exempt them from visas when travelling around the SAARC. The initial list included 24 categories of individuals that included Dignitaries, Judges of higher courts, Parliamentarians, Senior Officials, Businessmen, Journalists, Sportsmen among others