Indian, Nepalese and Bhutanese citizens must now produce specific identity documents when travelling between the three nations by land or air.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Thursday notified the Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) (Amendment) Order, 2026, according to reports by Times of India and ANI. The amendment mandates that Indian nationals travelling to or returning from Nepal or Bhutan by land or air must produce one of the identity documents specified in the visa manual.
Under the new rules, Indian citizens must also provide any information requested by an immigration officer. This exemption does not apply to Indians travelling to or from countries other than Nepal or Bhutan through the Indo-Nepal or Indo-Bhutan borders. Such travellers must possess a valid passport and use designated immigration posts.
Citizens of Nepal and Bhutan entering or leaving India by land or air are also required to produce identity documents from the visa manual. However, they must possess a valid passport and visa if they have boarded a flight or transited through China, Macau, Hong Kong or Pakistan.
The order specifies several categories of people exempted from passport and visa requirements. These include Indian Navy, Army and Air Force members on official duty and their families on government transport, and registered Sri Lankan Tamil nationals who took shelter in India on or before January 9, 2015.
Other exemptions apply to certain Tibetan nationals and foreign crew members of military vessels visiting India for repairs with a Military Ship Repair Permit. Members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian minority communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan who entered India by December 31, 2024, due to religious persecution are also covered.
