or Nepal is required). Special permits are needed to enter Lakshadweep Islands. Maldivian citizens are allowed to visit Minicoy island for fifteen days if allowed by the High Commissioner of India to the Maldives. Pakistani passport holders and persons of Pakistani origin Persons who ever held Pakistani citizenship, or who have a parent or spouse that held Pakistani citizenship are ineligible for e-Visas, and so must apply to their local Indian mission for visas. Applicants who once held Pakistani citizenship require lengthy processing times, while foreign spouses and those of Pakistani origin who never held Pakistani citizenship typically experience shorter processing times. India also forbids Pakistani applicants with dual nationality from applying on their non-Pakistani passport. Visa on arrival for persons over 65 years of age As of 31 March 2013, Pakistani citizens over the age of 65 with the sole objective of meeting friends or family are granted a 45-day visa upon arrival at the Attari-Wagah Checkpoint, so long as the applicant provides a sponsorship certificate from their contacts in India attesting that they will be responsible for the visit of their Pakistani friend or relative, and which must also be countersigned by a DM, SP, SDM, Tehsildar, BDO, SHO, Groups A officer of State and Central Government, or principal/headmaster of a government college or government school who attest that they personally know the sponsor. This scheme does not apply to those who wish to visit Punjab, Kerala and Restricted Areas, nor does it apply to those who have ever been denied an Indian visa before. Diplomatic or official passports Holders of diplomatic or service category passports of the following countries do not require a visa for India – Albania, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Chile, Colombia, Comoros, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Israel, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lesotho, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nicaragua, Oman, Palestine, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Serbia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Tunisia, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, Venezuela and Vietnam and diplomatic passports only of the following countries – Afghanistan, Armenia, Botswana, Cuba, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland,