Visas and travel under the new India–UK Free Trade Agreement: What's changing?
The recently finalised India–UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which concluded recently on May 6, 2025, marks a significant milestone in bilateral relations, particularly in enhancing professional mobility between the two nations.
This agreement will facilitate the movement of various professionals, including contractual service suppliers, business visitors, investors, intra-corporate transferees, and independent professionals such as yoga instructors, musicians, and chefs.
Increased accessibility for professionals in India
The FTA makes it simpler for Indian professionals to work in the UK by introducing rules that streamline employment laws and visa procedures. Under business mobility options, the UK has increased the range of occupations for which highly qualified Indian experts can apply.
However, to utilise these expanded routes, professionals must prove they have the necessary experience and qualifications for those specific roles, as the UK will require them to meet strict standards before allowing them to work in the country.
Read more:
27 airports closed, around 400+ flights cancelled; all you need to know
Social security exemptions
A notable provision waives national insurance payments for UK-based companies seconding Indian workers, reducing costs and potentially increasing the number of
Indian professionals in the UK
.
This exemption, which will remain valid for the first three years, was one of the key demands made by the Indian side to avoid double taxation. This was not welcomed by some of the critics though, who argue that the agreement could undercut British workers and increase immigration. Meanwhile, the government maintains that the deal won't significantly affect immigration.
Read more:
5 amazing desert experiences from across the world
The UK Government emphasises that the FTA preserves Britain's existing immigration rules.
Douglas Alexander, Minister of State at the Department for Business and Trade, clarified that the deal does not affect the points-based system. It only covers business mobility, which is different from immigration, as it is about travel for specific and temporary business purposes. It's anticipated that by 2040, this deal will increase bilateral trade by £25.5 billion ($34 billion) a year.
This major development also indicates greater and enhanced collaboration and mutual economic expansion between the fifth and sixth largest economies in the world.
All things considered, the FTA between India and the UK is a big step toward enhancing economic relations and promoting business travel between the two countries.
Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
27 minutes ago
- News18
US, UK, France, Russia Mourn Loss After Air India Plane Crashes In Ahmedabad
Last Updated: Ahmedabad Plane Crash: World leaders and diplomatic missions from Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom and France expressed deep condolences. A London-bound Air India flight carrying 242 people, including 169 Indian nationals, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, triggering a wave of shock and sorrow across the globe. World leaders and diplomatic missions from Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom and France expressed deep condolences and solidarity with India in the wake of the tragedy. Flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, departed Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:38 PM en route to London Gatwick but was involved in a catastrophic incident minutes after takeoff. On board were 53 British nationals, 7 Portuguese, 1 Canadian, and the remaining passengers were Indian citizens. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed deep sorrow over the tragic crash of the London-bound Air India flight in Ahmedabad, calling the emerging scenes 'devastating." In a post on X, Keir Starmer said he is being kept updated on the developing situation and extended his thoughts to the passengers and their families. 'My thoughts are with the passengers and their families at this deeply distressing time," he wrote, acknowledging the presence of many British nationals on board the ill-fated flight. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, expressed deep sorrow over the tragic plane crash in Ahmedabad, calling it 'heartbreaking." In a message addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she offered her condolences to the bereaved families and said, 'Europe stands in solidarity with you and the people of India in this moment of sorrow." French Ambassador Thierry Mathou echoed the sentiment, saying, 'France is deeply saddened by reports of a plane crash in #Ahmedabad. Our thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones. We express our full solidarity at this difficult time." Gideon Sa'ar, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Israel, expressed his condolences over the Ahmedabad plane crash, saying he was deeply saddened by the tragedy. 'Our hearts are with the Indian people following this terrible incident," he wrote, extending solidarity to those affected. The US Consulate in Mumbai acknowledged the crash and advised American citizens in the region to check in with loved ones: 'We are aware of a plane crash in Ahmedabad today, June 12, 2025… If you are in the affected area and need immediate emergency services, please contact local authorities." The UK Embassy confirmed that the flight was headed for London and added, 'We are working with local authorities to urgently establish the facts and provide support. Our thoughts are with all those affected." What We Know So Far Air India has not yet disclosed the number of casualties but stated that injured passengers are being taken to nearby hospitals. The nature of the crash remains under investigation. Emergency response teams are at the site, and the Civil Aviation Ministry has launched a formal inquiry. First Published: June 12, 2025, 16:01 IST
New Indian Express
33 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
Indian markets remain volatile amid global uncertainties and geopolitical tensions
CHENNAI: Indian equity markets remained volatile on Thursday amid heightened volatility, as global uncertainty and geopolitical tensions continued to weigh on investor sentiment. Weak global cues, combined with rising crude oil prices and mixed corporate activity, contributed to broad-based selling across sectors. BSE Sensex at 82,254.04 fell 261.10 points or 0.32% at 12.49 am and Nifty 50 shed 106 points or 0.42% to 25,035.20. Broader markets like Nifty MidCap 100 and Nifty Small Cap too mirrored the benchmark indices sliding 0.86% each. Global Cues Today's investor caution mainly stemmed from the ongoing assessment of the US-China trade agreement progress, and tensions in the Middle East, especially between US and Iran, lifting global crude oil prices and increasing fears of inflationary pressure Mixed signals from the US Federal Reserve on the interest rate trajectory also caused market worries. Today's only sectoral gainer was Nifty Pharma (0.7%) in the morning trade. While the sectoral losers were Nifty FMCG and Nifty Realty, which are 1.0% down due to rate sensitivity and concerns around demand growth weighed on these sectors. At the same time, a defensive buying trend helped lift pharmaceutical stocks amid global uncertainty. Top stocks performed today under Sensex were Asian Paints, Bajaj Finserv, Sun Pharma. While, the top losers included Infosys, Eternal, Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M), and Hindustan Unilever (HUL). Stocks in Focus Share prices of Paytm's parent One 97 Communications Ltd declined 10% to ₹864.20 today, triggered by a sharp sell-off on high volumes following the Finance Ministry's denial of reports suggesting a merchant discount rate (MDR) being charged on UPI transactions. Sentiment was hit due to perceived regulatory overhang and profitability concerns in digital payments. Similarly, Asian Paints witnessed high activity with 35 million shares changing hands in a large block deal during the pre-opening session on NSE. The stock ended among the top gainers, possibly buoyed by strategic buying amid stable fundamentals. According to analysts near-term market direction is now likely to be guided by global risk sentiment and oil price trends, any further updates on the US-China trade dynamic, domestic macroeconomic indicators such as inflation data and IIP figures, and movement in foreign institutional investment (FII) flows. (Disclaimer: The stock trends mentioned in this report are for informational purposes only. Investors are advised to seek professional advice and rely on authentic market intelligence before making any investment decisions.)
India.com
34 minutes ago
- India.com
India is not imposing a trade ban on Pakistan supporter Turkey due to..., even Erdogan will be unaware of this reason
India is not imposing a trade ban on Pakistan supporter Turkey due to..., even Erdogan will be unaware of this reason Even after Turkey openly supported Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, India has not taken any drastic step against the foe country. In fact, the government has adopted a very soft stance regarding trade. The reason for this is that India sells more goods to Turkey than it buys from it. In this way, India earns a profit of 2.73 billion dollars every year. When Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan not only made statements in favour of Pakistan but also sent drones, every Indian was so angry that demands started rising to stop everything from tourism to trade with Turkey. Why is India not banning trade with Turkey? According to the report of The Indian Express, an official said that the government has received many applications demanding a ban on the import of goods from Turkey. He said that apple producers of Himachal Pradesh and marble traders of Udaipur have demanded a ban on importing goods from Turkey, but India has a trade surplus with Turkey, that is, India sells more goods to Turkey than it buys from there. The official said that if trade with Turkey was banned, it would be a strong geopolitical message, but it would depend on how far you want to take it. What does India-Turkey trade in? Another reason for continuing trade with Turkey is that the trade surplus includes industrial exports. Such as engineering goods, electronics, organic-inorganic chemicals, whose export has increased significantly in the last five years. On the other hand, if we talk about Turkey, India mainly imports fruits, dry fruits, gold and marble from it. However, apple traders and marble traders of Udaipur, angry with Turkey for supporting Pakistan during Operation Sindoor , had demanded a ban on imports from Turkey. In this regard, he had also written a letter to the Prime Minister's Office. In the last few years, Turkey had also increased the import of petroleum products, but in the financial year 2025, it saw a decline. How much did India and Turkey trade last year? According to official figures, Turkey imported goods worth $2.99 billion to India last year, out of which fruits and dry fruits worth $107.12 million were purchased. At the same time, gold worth $270.83 million was purchased in the financial year 2025, which was more than in 2024. In 2024, gold worth $104.56 million came from Turkey to India. Talking about India, exports worth $5.72 billion were made to Turkey in the financial year 2025, out of which 50 percent i.e. $3 billion was engineering exports. Micro, Small Medium Enterprises (MSME) exports accounted for 35-40 percent. According to this, India has sold more goods worth $2.73 billion than Turkey.
