The new amendment provides exemptions for specific groups including Pakistani citizens, minority refugees, and citizens of Nepal and Bhutan.
The Union Home Ministry has amended passport and visa regulations for various categories of foreign nationals living in India, according to a report by The Indian Express. The Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) (Amendment) Order, 2026, was published on Thursday.
Under the new rules, Pakistani nationals who arrived in India by December 31, 2009, to live permanently may be exempt from standard passport renewal. This applies if they cannot renew documents because they do not have a Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) from Pakistan. To qualify, they must have no adverse police or security reports, must not have married or owned property in Pakistan, and must undertake not to return to that country.
The order also exempts members of the Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, and Christian communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan who entered India by December 31, 2024, due to religious persecution. Additionally, people of Indian origin who moved to Malaysia or Singapore and returned to India by December 31, 2009, are covered if they cannot renew their foreign passports.
Travel protocols have been streamlined for citizens of India, Nepal, and Bhutan. Those travelling directly between these three nations may use identification specified in the official Visa Manual instead of standard passports.
However, Nepalese and Bhutanese citizens transiting through China, Macau, Hong Kong, or Pakistan must still hold valid passports and visas. Indian citizens travelling to or from countries other than Nepal or Bhutan via land borders must also possess valid passports.
