India is moving towards a more streamlined visa system to make travel and entry procedures easier for foreign nationals. The central government has reduced the number of fields in the visa application form by 65% to 70%, while cutting the main visa categories from 13 to 9 and sub-categories from 49 to 23.
According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the revised framework aims to simplify the application process, remove unnecessary paperwork and align visa provisions with the changing needs of international visitors.
The ministry is upgrading its information technology infrastructure to support the new system and plans to begin issuing visas under the revised framework by the end of this year. The latest changes were formally introduced on August 27, following an earlier restructuring exercise in October 2025, when the number of main categories was reduced from 22 to 13 and sub-categories from 63 to 49.
Under the updated framework, the 9 main visa categories will include business, diplomatic, employment, journalist, medical, official, student, visitor and miscellaneous visas.
Tourist visa renamed as visitor visa
One of the key changes is the renaming of the tourist visa as the visitor visa, with provisions covering a broader range of activities beyond sightseeing.
The visitor visa will have 2 sub-categories:
- V-1 visa: Valid for 30 days with multiple entries. It will allow foreign nationals to attend business meetings, seek medical consultations, participate in wellness retreats, undergo short-term treatment and enrol in short courses related to Indian languages, music, art and crafts.
- V-2 visa: Available for 1, 5 or 10 years. It will cover all activities permitted under the V-1 category, along with mountaineering. Foreign nationals travelling specifically for mountaineering expeditions will also be eligible for a 6-month multiple-entry visa.
Business visas divided into 2 categories
The business visa framework has been reorganised into B-1 and B-2 categories to distinguish between long-term and short-term commercial activities.
The B-1 visa will cover long-term and licence-based business engagements, including establishing industries and commercial enterprises in India.
The B-2 visa will apply to short-term and contract-based business assignments. The revised provisions also aim to simplify entry requirements for foreign specialists, engineers and technical professionals working with Indian companies.
Revised medical and student visa provisions
The government has also introduced changes to medical and educational visas to better define the purpose of international travel.
Under the medical visa framework:
- M-1 visa: For general medical treatment.
- M-3 visa: For treatment under the AYUSH system.
- M-2 visa: For attendants accompanying M-1 visa holders.
- M-4 visa: For attendants accompanying M-3 visa holders.
Both M-1 and M-3 visas will generally be valid for 1 year and permit multiple entries.
For international students, the student visa has been divided into 2 categories:
- S-1 visa: For school, undergraduate and postgraduate studies.
- S-2 visa: For higher academic and research activities, including PhD programmes, research work, internships, exchange programmes and visiting faculty assignments.
The revised framework is expected to make visa selection easier for foreign nationals while providing clearer guidelines for business professionals, students, medical visitors and international travellers.
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