Some Australians will no longer be able to enter India to make surrogacy arrangements.

The decision affects women in NSW, Queensland and the ACT where overseas commercial surrogacy is illegal.
India already required a medical visa for such purposes, but now has a limited ban in place.

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In practice, that means residents of the two states and the ACT will not be permitted to enter into surrogacy arrangements in India, the Department of Foreign Affairs says.

It is possible that India will make further changes to its surrogacy policy in 2015 which could affect residents in other Australian states, it said in an updated travel advice.

The department recommends that Australians contemplating surrogacy contact the appropriate Indian mission in Australia for advice.

They should also familiarise themselves with India’s surrogacy laws and related visa regulations well in advance of any planned travel.

Visa guidelines for foreign nationals intending to visit India for commissioning surrogacy are strictly enforced, the department said.

The travel advice also notes mid-December 2014 information that militants may be planning attacks against upmarket hotels in Mumbai is still under investigation.

Australians have been reminded to exercise a high degree of caution in India due to the high threat of terrorist activity, civil unrest, crime and the high rate of vehicle accidents.

The warning comes after Australians travelling to Indonesia were also advised to exercise a high degree of caution following US government warnings about potential terrorist attacks.