The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has rationalised India’s visa regime, reducing the number of main visa categories from 13 to 9 and sub-categories from 49 to 23. The revised framework was implemented on 27 August 2026 to simplify visa procedures and facilitate foreign nationals visiting India.
- Visitor Visa: The Tourist Visa has been renamed Visitor Visa and divided into V-1 (short-term visits) and V-2 (longer visits).
- Medical Visa: Separate provisions have been retained for conventional medical treatment (M-1) and AYUSH treatment (M-3), along with attendant visas.
- Student Visa: Consolidated into S-1 for school and higher education and S-2 for research, PhD scholars, internships and academic exchange programmes.
- Business Visa: Divided into B-1 for long-term business activities and B-2 for short-term contractual activities, including production investment and technical services.
- Simplified Application Forms: The number of fields in visa application forms has been reduced by 65–70%.
The nine main visa categories are: Business, Diplomatic, Work, Journalist, Medical, Official, Student, Visitor and Miscellaneous.
