NEW DELHI, Nov. 12 — India has unveiled a comprehensive overhaul of its immigration and visa architecture, consolidating primary visa categories from 13 to nine and reducing sub-categories from 49 to 23 in a sweeping bid to modernize border protocols and simplify travel for international visitors, NDTV reported on Thursday.
According to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the revised regulatory framework eliminates redundant bureaucratic steps by trimming unnecessary data fields across the 23 updated application forms by 65 to 70 percent. The reform targets long-standing procedural bottlenecks faced by foreign tourists, medical patients, students, researchers, and corporate travelers.
Building on initial policy adjustments introduced in October 2025, this second phase aligns Indian visa administration with international migration norms and digital border standards. Technical infrastructure upgrades are currently underway, with the MHA targeting a nationwide rollout of the revamped system by December 2026.
Under the restructured nine-tier framework—encompassing Business, Diplomatic, Employment, Journalist, Medical, Official, Student, Visitor, and Miscellaneous visas—several key functional changes have been introduced:
‘Visitor Visa’ Replaces Tourist Visa: The traditional Tourist Visa is superseded by a versatile Visitor Visa covering leisure travel, short-term business meetings, initial medical consultations, wellness programs, and short courses in language, music, or arts. Sub-category V-1 grants a 30-day validity with multiple-entry privileges, while V-2 offers validity spanning one, five, or up to 10 years (subject to eligibility) and covers mountaineering expeditions.
Streamlined Medical & Wellness Tiers: Foreign patients seeking conventional healthcare will be issued M-1 visas, while those pursuing traditional AYUSH treatments will receive M-3 visas—both carrying standard one-year validity with multiple-entry facilities, including via e-Visa. Accompanying family members or medical attendants will be issued M-2 and M-4 visas respectively, eliminating repeated reapplications during follow-up care and supporting the government’s “Heal in India” initiative.
Dedicated Education & Research Tracks: Academic mobility is segmented into S-1 visas for general students from school through postgraduate levels, and S-2 visas for PhD researchers, visiting faculty, interns, and scientific expeditions. International students enrolling via the “Study in India” portal will be eligible for e-S1 visas valid for up to five years matching course duration.
Segmented Business & Technical Visas: Commercial travel is divided into B-1 (establishing new enterprises or long-term ventures) and B-2 (contractual assignments, investments, international conferences, sports, cultural events, and film production). Additionally, a new Production Investment Business Visa—also accessible via e-Visa—will facilitate foreign engineers and technical specialists engaged in equipment installation, manufacturing, maintenance, IT, and industrial training.
Citizens from 172 countries currently utilize India’s Electronic Travel Authorization (e-Visa) facility across 13 sub-categories, which will transition into the consolidated architecture. Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) and eligible dependents will be accommodated under the streamlined Miscellaneous category.
Source: Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India & NDTV Dispatches