India simplifies visa regime by cutting categories and application forms
The Ministry of Home Affairs has reduced main visa categories from 13 to nine and shortened application forms by up to 70 per cent.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced on Wednesday that the government has overhauled the Indian visa regime to make it more streamlined. According to reports from The Hindu, India Today, and India TV, the number of main visa categories has been reduced from 13 to nine, while sub-categories have been cut from 49 to 23.
The ministry stated that the changes aim to make the process more efficient and better suited to the needs of international visitors. To achieve this, the government studied global standards and visa systems in developed nations. The number of required fields in visa application forms has also been reduced by 65 to 70 per cent.
The former Tourist Visa has been renamed the Visitor Visa to include a broader range of activities. This category is now split into V-1 visas for short-term stays of 30 days, such as business meetings or wellness retreats, and V-2 visas for longer visits of one, five, or 10 years, which also cover mountaineering.
The Medical Visa framework continues to offer separate provisions for conventional treatment (M-1) and AYUSH systems (M-3), with attendant visas (M-2 and M-4) available for both. Additionally, the Student Visa has been consolidated into two sub-categories, S-1 for school and degree courses, and S-2 for research and academic activities.
A new Production Investment Business Visa has been created for technical personnel and specialists engaged by Indian companies for tasks like installation, maintenance, and IT support. The ministry is currently updating IT systems to implement these changes, which are expected to be fully operational by the end of the year.