Will India Impose Cess on Foreign Travel? PM Narendra Modi Calls Report 'Totally False'
Amid swirling speculation about a possible government levy on foreign travel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has categorically rejected reports claiming that the Centre was considering imposing a cess, tax or surcharge on international travel to offset fiscal pressures arising from the ongoing conflict-linked economic situation.
Amid swirling speculation about a possible government levy on foreign travel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has categorically rejected reports claiming that the Centre was considering imposing a cess, tax or surcharge on international travel to offset fiscal pressures arising from the ongoing conflict-linked economic situation.
What Did the Report Claim?
A media report, citing government sources, claimed that discussions were taking place at the "highest levels" regarding a possible temporary cess or surcharge on foreign travel. According to the report, the proposed levy was being considered to cushion the fiscal impact of the ongoing war situation and rising crude oil and import costs. Delhi Announces 2 Days WFH per Week in Government Offices After PM Narendra Modi’s Appeal To Save Fuel.
The report further claimed that any such cess or surcharge on foreign travel would flow directly to the Centre instead of the divisible tax pool and could remain in place for up to one year as a temporary measure. It also noted that the finance ministry had not responded to queries regarding the proposal.
What Did PM Modi Say?
PM Modi swiftly and firmly denied the claims in a post on X.
"This is totally false. Not an iota of truth in this. There is no question of putting such restrictions on foreign travel. We remain committed to improving 'Ease of Doing Business' and 'Ease of Living' for our people," he wrote.
PM Modi Rubbishes Reports of Cess on Foreign Travel
This is totally false.
Not an iota of truth in this.
There is no question of putting such restrictions on foreign travel.
We remain committed to improving ‘Ease of Doing Business’ and ‘Ease of Living’ for our people. https://t.co/9lxjbxz0nV
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 15, 2026
Fact Check Verdict: FALSE
The claim that India is considering a cess or surcharge on foreign travel is false, as directly and unambiguously denied by Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself. No official government communication, finance ministry statement or policy document has confirmed any such proposal. Harsh Goenka Urges RPG Employees To Cut Travel, Carpool and Work From Home After PM Narendra Modi’s Austerity Appeal.
Context: Why Did the Report Gain Traction?
The report gained credibility partly because PM Modi had, just days earlier on May 10, appealed to citizens at a public gathering in Hyderabad to avoid buying gold and postpone non-essential foreign travel for one year in order to conserve foreign exchange reserves amid the global energy crisis triggered by the ongoing US-Israeli conflict with Iran.
However, an appeal to citizens to voluntarily reduce foreign travel is fundamentally different from imposing a government cess or tax on international travel. The two must not be conflated.
Fact check
India is considering imposing a cess or surcharge on foreign travel.
False. PM Modi has categorically denied the reports, calling them 'totally false' with 'not an iota of truth.'
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 15, 2026 10:39 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
