Planning a trip to India could soon become easier for foreign visitors. The Central Government has announced a major overhaul of the country’s visa system, reducing the number of main visa categories from 13 to nine and sub-categories from 49 to 23. Scroll on to know more about this.
India Revises Visa Rules For Foreigners
According to The Hindu, one of the biggest changes is the renaming of the existing Tourist Visa to Visitor Visa, which will cover activities beyond sightseeing and holidays. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has also reduced the number of fields in visa application forms by 65-70%, making the process less cumbersome. Here are the major changes you should know about.
1. Tourist Visa Renamed Visitor Visa
The new Visitor Visa has two sub-categories:
- V-1: A 30-day multiple-entry visa covering tourism, business meetings, medical consultations, wellness retreats and short-term cultural courses.
- V-2: A longer-duration visa available for one, five or 10 years, depending on approval. It also covers activities permitted under V-1 and mountaineering.
Also Read: Indian Passport Holders, Beware! 5 Reasons You Could Be Denied Entry Despite Visa-Free Access
2. Medical Visa Rules Revised
The government has introduced four medical visa categories. M-1 and M-2 cover conventional medical treatment and accompanying attendants, while M-3 and M-4 cover AYUSH treatment and their attendants. Medical visas will generally be valid for one year with multiple entries.
3. New Student Visa Categories
Student Visas have been divided into S-1 and S-2. While S-1 covers school, graduate and postgraduate education, S-2 is meant for PhD scholars, researchers, visiting faculty, internships and student exchange programmes. Eligible students registered through the Study in India portal can also receive an e-S1 visa valid for up to five years or the duration of their course, whichever is shorter.
4. Business Visa Categories Restructured
Business Visas have been divided into B-1 and B-2. The former covers long-term business activities, including setting up ventures in India, while B-2 covers short-term contractual assignments, conferences, sports and film-related activities. Foreign technical experts and engineers can also apply under the revised provisions for production-related assignments.
5. Visa Application Forms Have Fewer Fields
The MHA has reduced the number of fields and columns in visa application forms by 65-70%. This is expected to reduce paperwork and make applications easier to complete.
6. India Now Has Nine Main Visa Categories
The revised framework consolidates 13 main categories into nine: Business, Diplomatic, Work, Journalist, Medical, Official, Student, Visitor and Miscellaneous Visas.
7. When Will The New Visa Rules Come Into Effect?
The revised framework was implemented on August 27, 2026. However, the government is updating its IT systems, and visas under the new framework are expected to be issued by the end of 2026.
Currently, India’s e-Visa facility is available to nationals of 172 countries. These changes are expected to simplify the process for foreign tourists, students, medical patients and business travellers visiting India.
Also Read: Australia Visa Update! Indian Applicants May Now Need To Provide Fingerprints And Facial Images
Cover Image Courtesy: Canva Pro/maybefalse (representative image)
FAQs
What are the two new Visitor Visa categories in India?
The Visitor Visa has two sub-categories: V-1, which is generally granted for 30 days with multiple entries, and V-2, which offers longer validity of one, five or 10 years, depending on approval.
How many visa categories does India have now?
India has reduced its main visa categories from 13 to nine and sub-categories from 49 to 23.
What are the new medical visa categories in India?
The revised framework includes M-1 and M-2 for conventional medical treatment and accompanying attendants, and M-3 and M-4 for AYUSH treatment and their attendants.
