Why in news?
MHA has cut visa categories from 13 to 9, renamed Tourist Visa as ‘Visitor Visa’ and trimmed forms by 65–70%.
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: Visa categories and new changes, e-Visa, Immigration and Foreigners Act 2025, constitutional provisions on aliens, OCI, Bureau of Immigration.
Visa: Basic Concepts
- Visa: Permission given by a country to a foreign national to enter, stay for a fixed period and for a fixed purpose. It does not guarantee entry – the immigration officer at the port of entry takes the final call.
- Passport vs Visa: A passport is issued by one’s own country and proves identity and nationality. A visa is issued by the country one wants to visit.
- Who handles what in India: Visa policy and immigration – Ministry of Home Affairs (Foreigners Division). Passports for Indians – Ministry of External Affairs under the Passports Act, 1967. Visas are physically issued by Indian Missions abroad, and e-Visas online.
- Bureau of Immigration (BoI): Handles immigration checks at airports, seaports and land checkposts. Foreigners Regional Registration Offices (FRROs) handle registration and extension of stay (online through e-FRRO).
- No visa needed: Citizens of Nepal and Bhutan do not need a visa to enter India (they need valid ID when coming from places other than their own country).
What Has Changed?
| Feature | Earlier | Now (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Main visa categories | 22 (before Oct 2025), then 13 | 9 |
| Sub-categories | 63 (before Oct 2025), then 49 | 23 |
| Tourist Visa | Only for tourism | Renamed ‘Visitor Visa’ with wider permitted purposes |
| Application form | Lengthy, many columns | Fields cut by 65–70% |
| Visa for foreign technical experts | No specific category | Production Investment Business Visa |
| Rollout | – | Visas as per new system by end of 2026; IT systems being updated |
The rationalisation is happening in two rounds – October 2025 and August 27, 2026. The MHA says it studied visa systems of developed countries and global standards before making the changes.
New Visa Structure
| Visa | Covers | Validity / Entries |
|---|---|---|
| Visitor Visa (V-1) | Tourism plus business meetings, medical consultations, wellness retreats, short medical treatment, short courses in Indian languages, music, art and craft | 30 days, multiple entries |
| Visitor Visa (V-2) | Longer visits – all V-1 activities plus mountaineering | 1, 5 or 10 years |
| Medical Visa (M-1) | Treatment under conventional (allopathic) medicine | 1 year (default), multiple entries |
| Medical Visa (M-3) | Treatment under AYUSH systems | 1 year (default), multiple entries |
| Medical Attendant Visa | For persons accompanying the patient | Linked to the medical visa |
| Production Investment Business Visa | Foreign specialists, engineers, technicians working with firms on installation, commissioning, quality checks, maintenance, production, IT, training, supply chain, plant design, senior management, transfer of know-how | As per category rules |
Note: M-1 and M-3 visas, including their e-Visa versions, will be granted for one year by default.
e-Visa
- Launched in 2014 as ‘Tourist Visa on Arrival enabled with Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)’; later renamed e-Visa and split into categories like e-Tourist, e-Business, e-Medical, e-Conference etc.
- Processed through Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) under 13 sub-categories at present.
- Available to nationals of 172 countries.
- Entry allowed only through designated airports and seaports; applicant gets approval online before travel.
- Global practice: Similar online pre-travel authorisations exist elsewhere – ESTA (USA), ETA (UK) and ETIAS (European Union).
Constitutional provisions
- Union List, Entry 17: Citizenship, naturalisation and aliens.
- Union List, Entry 19: Admission into, emigration and expulsion from India; passports and visas.
- So only Parliament can make laws on visas and foreigners.
Practice MCQ
Q1. Consider the following statements regarding the recent changes in India’s visa regime:
1. The Tourist Visa has been renamed as Visitor Visa, and its V-1 sub-category also allows short-duration medical treatment.
2. Treatment under AYUSH systems is covered under a separate visa within the Medical Visa framework.
3. The e-Visa facility is available to nationals of all countries except those sharing land borders with India.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one (b) Only two (c) All three (d) None
Answer: (b). Statement 3 is incorrect – e-Visa is available to nationals of 172 countries; it is not based on sharing land borders.
Q2. With reference to the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, consider the following statements:
1. It has replaced the Foreigners Act, 1946 and the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920.
2. ‘Passports and visas’ is a subject in the Concurrent List, so States can also legislate on it.
3. It gives statutory status to the Bureau of Immigration.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only (b) 1 and 3 only (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (b). Statement 2 is incorrect – ‘Passports and visas’ is in Entry 19 of the Union List.
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