India has revised its visa framework to make it easier for foreign nationals to visit, study, work and seek medical treatment in the country. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has reduced the number of main visa categories from 13 to nine and sub-categories from 49 to 23. The government has also cut the number of fields in visa application forms by 65% to 70%, aiming to reduce paperwork and simplify the application process.

The changes, announced by the Centre on Wednesday, November 11, are part of a broader effort to make India’s immigration system more accessible and efficient. The revised framework is expected to benefit foreign tourists, students, medical visitors, researchers, investors and business professionals.

The government said the changes were introduced on August 27, 2026, following a review of existing visa provisions and an examination of international practices. The Ministry of Home Affairs is currently updating its information technology systems to implement the revised framework. Visas under the new system are expected to be issued by the end of 2026.

Tourist visa renamed Visitor Visa

One of the most significant changes is the renaming of India’s Tourist Visa as the Visitor Visa. The revised category covers a wider range of activities beyond conventional sightseeing and tourism.

The Visitor Visa has been divided into two sub-categories, V-1 and V-2, depending on the purpose and duration of travel.

The V-1 visa is designed for short-term visits and will be issued for 30 days with multiple entries. Apart from tourism, it covers business meetings, medical consultations, wellness retreats, short-duration medical treatment and short courses in Indian languages, music, art and craft.

The V-2 visa is intended for longer visits and will have validity options of one, five or 10 years, depending on the approval. It covers activities permitted under the V-1 category as well as mountaineering. Foreign nationals visiting India for mountaineering will be eligible for a six-month multiple-entry visa.

The revised arrangement is expected to make travel planning easier for foreign visitors who may combine tourism with medical consultations, business meetings or cultural activities during their stay.

Medical visa rules reorganised

The government has also revised the medical visa framework to make it easier for international patients seeking treatment in India.

Under the new arrangement, medical visas have been divided according to the type of treatment. The M-1 category will cover medical treatment other than AYUSH systems, while the M-3 category will apply to treatment under AYUSH systems.

Both categories, including their electronic visa variants, will ordinarily be granted for one year with multiple entries. This will allow patients to travel to India for consultations, treatment procedures and follow-up appointments without having to apply for a fresh visa each time.

The framework also provides separate categories for accompanying attendants. M-2 visas will be issued to attendants accompanying M-1 visa holders, while M-4 visas will cover attendants accompanying M-3 visa holders.

The government expects these changes to support India’s medical value tourism sector by making healthcare-related travel more convenient for international patients.

Student and business visa categories simplified

Changes have also been introduced in student visas to provide clearer options for foreign nationals pursuing education and research in India.

The Student Visa category has been consolidated into two broad sub-categories. S-1 covers school, undergraduate and postgraduate education, while S-2 applies to PhD scholars, research students, visiting faculty, internships and student exchange programmes, along with other specified academic activities.

Foreign students enrolled in Indian educational institutions through the Study in India portal may receive an e-S1 visa with multiple entries for up to five years or the duration of their academic course, whichever is shorter.

The business visa framework has also been reorganised into B-1 and B-2 categories.

The B-1 visa covers long-term, licence-based business activities, including setting up industrial or commercial ventures in India. The B-2 visa is intended for short-term, contract-based activities such as conferences, sports events, cultural performances, film production and production-related investments.

A specific provision has also been introduced for foreign technical specialists, engineers and subject-matter experts working with Indian companies. Those involved in installation, commissioning, maintenance, training, technology transfer and other specialised assignments can apply under the Production Investment Business Visa within the B-2 category through the e-Visa platform. This replaces the earlier e-B4 nomenclature for such assignments.

Visa application forms to require less information

Reducing paperwork is another major component of the revised Indian visa regime. The MHA has undertaken a comprehensive exercise to simplify application forms across all 23 visa sub-categories, reducing the number of fields by 65% to 70%.

The government said the initiative would reduce the time and effort required from foreign applicants while retaining essential information needed for visa processing.

The shorter forms are also expected to improve administrative efficiency by allowing officials to focus on relevant details during application scrutiny.

Currently, India’s e-Visa facility is available to nationals of 172 countries under 13 sub-categories. The government aims to make the revised visa framework easier to navigate by reducing overlapping provisions and bringing similar travel purposes under common categories.

Nine main visa categories under the revised system

The revised framework includes Business, Diplomatic, Work, Journalist, Medical, Official, Student, Visitor and Miscellaneous visas.

The Miscellaneous category covers people of Indian origin and their families, dependants of foreign nationals holding long-term visas and other specified purposes that do not fall under the remaining categories.

The latest changes follow an earlier rationalisation in October 2025, when the government reduced the number of main visa categories from 22 to 13 and sub-categories from 63 to 49.