Centre simplifies visa regime by cutting categories and paperwork
The Ministry of Home Affairs has reduced main visa categories to nine to ease travel, education and medical treatment for foreign nationals.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced on Wednesday that it has streamlined India's visa system by lowering the number of primary visa categories to nine and sub-categories to 23. According to reports from the Times of India and Rediff, the move aims to make the process more efficient for foreign nationals visiting the country.
The government has also decreased the number of fields required in visa application forms by 65-70 per cent. This follows a previous rationalisation in October 2025, when the main categories were reduced from 22 to 13 and sub-categories from 63 to 49.
Under the new framework, the former Tourist Visa is now the Visitor Visa, which is split into V-1 and V-2 sub-categories. The V-1 visa is for short-term activities like business meetings or medical consultations, while the V-2 visa covers longer visits and mountaineering.
The Student Visa category has been consolidated into two groups: S-1 for school and graduate studies, and S-2 for PhD scholars, research students, and exchange programmes. Students using the Study in India portal may receive an e-S1 Visa for up to five years or the duration of their course.
Medical visas remain distinct, with M-1 for conventional treatment and M-3 for AYUSH systems. The MHA stated that these changes were designed after studying global standards to provide greater clarity for legitimate arrivals.
The ministry is currently updating its information technology systems to implement these changes. Visas under the revised system are expected to be issued by the end of 2026.