India Cuts Visa Categories from 13 to Nine

India’s Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced revised visa rules on 11 November 2026, reducing the number of main visa categories from 13 to nine and sub-categories from 49 to 23. The changes were approved on 27 August 2026.

Revised visa categories and applications

The Tourist Visa has been renamed the Visitor Visa. Its V-1 sub-category covers short-term activities for 30 days with multiple entries. V-2 covers longer visits, with validity of one, five or ten years. A six-month multiple-entry provision has also been introduced for mountaineering.

Medical visas, including e-Visas, will generally be issued for one year with multiple entries. This applies to conventional treatment under M-1 and AYUSH treatment under M-3. Visa application forms across the 23 categories and sub-categories will have 65–70% fewer fields.

The revised system is expected to become operational by the end of 2026, after MHA completes necessary IT upgrades. The changes follow an October 2025 rationalisation that reduced the main categories from 22 to 13.

Important Facts for Exams

• Foreigners Division remit: The MHA’s Foreigners Division handles visa and immigration alongside citizenship, overseas citizenship and foreign-contribution matters.
• Digital visa linkage: An electronic visa is stored digitally and linked to the passport number, so no visa label, sticker or stamp is placed in the passport before travel.
• Long-stay registration: Foreign nationals on Indian visas exceeding 180 days generally must register with an FRRO or FRO within 14 days of arrival, unless exempt.
• Online foreigner services: India’s e-FRRO portal accepts online requests for foreigner registration, visa extensions and exit permits, although officials may require an in-person appearance.