The Indian government has announced a major overhaul of its visa regime, reducing the number of main categories from 13 to nine and sub-categories from 49 to 23, to make it easier for foreign nationals to visit India for tourism, medical treatment, education, research and business. The Ministry of Home Affairs has also undertaken a separate exercise to simplify visa application forms, reducing the number of fields by 65-70 per cent across all 23 visa sub-categories.
The latest exercise follows an earlier rationalisation in October 2025, when the number of main visa categories.
The government said it studied visa systems in developed countries and global standards before undertaking the latest changes.
Tourist Visa Replaced With Visitor Visa
One significant change is the renaming of Tourist Visa to Visitor Visa, meaning a new category that covers a wider range of activities beyond conventional tourism, including business meetings, medical consultations, wellness retreats, and short-term cultural and educational courses.
The Visitor Visa has been divided into two sub-categories, V-1 and V-2. The V-1 visa will be granted for 30 days with multiple entries. Apart from tourism, it will cover short-term business meetings, medical consultations, wellness retreats, short-duration medical treatment, and courses in Indian languages, music, art and craft. Short-duration yoga programmes are also included. The V-2 visa is meant for longer visits and can be granted with a validity of one, five or 10 years, depending on eligibility. It covers activities permitted under V-1, along with mountaineering. A separate six-month multiple-entry provision has been made for mountaineering.
The broader visitor category is expected to make it easier for foreign nationals who combine tourism with other short-term activities during their stay in India.
Medical Visas To Get One-Year Validity
The government has also restructured the Medical Visa framework, retaining separate provisions for conventional medical treatment and treatment under AYUSH systems.
The M-1 visa will cover medical treatment other than AYUSH, while the M-3 visa will be applicable to treatment under AYUSH systems. Both categories, including their e-visa variants, will be granted for a default period of one year with multiple entries. Separate attendant visas have also been provided. M-2 will be issued to attendants accompanying M-1 visa holders, while M-4 will cover attendants of M-3 visa holders.
The government says the move will help foreign patients who require multiple consultations, follow-up appointments, or procedures over an extended period. Multiple-entry validity is expected to reduce the need for repeated visa applications during treatment.
The provision is also part of the government's broader push as part of the 'Heal in India' vision.
New Visa Provisions For Foreign Students, Researchers
The Student Visa category has been consolidated into two broad sub-categories, S-1 and S-2.
The S-1 visa will cover school, graduate and postgraduate education. The S-2 category will include PhD scholars, research students, visiting faculty, scientific and anthropological expeditions, internships and exchange programmes, among other academic activities. Foreign students admitted to Indian educational institutions through the Study in India portal may be granted an e-S1 visa for up to five years or the duration of their academic course, whichever is shorter. The visa will allow multiple entries.
The government believes the changes will provide more certainty to foreign students and researchers planning to study or undertake academic activities in India.
Business Visa Categories Streamlined
The Business Visa category has also been reorganised into B-1 and B-2. The B-1 visa will cover long-term business activities, including foreign nationals looking to establish industrial or business ventures in India. The B-2 visa will cover short-term, contract-based activities, including production investment business, conferences, sports, cultural performances and film shoots.
A specific provision has also been introduced for foreign subject-matter experts, engineers and technical personnel engaged by Indian companies. This includes specialists involved in installation and commissioning, quality checks, maintenance, production, IT and ERP operations, training, supply chain development, plant design and technical support. Such professionals may be granted a Production Investment Business Visa under the B-2 category through the e-visa platform. The government said this was earlier covered under the e-B4 visa nomenclature.
The changes are expected to provide more clarity to companies bringing foreign technical expertise into India.
E-Visa Facility Available To 172 Countries
India currently processes e-visas through electronic travel authorisation under 13 sub-categories. The facility is available to nationals of 172 countries.
The government is now updating its information technology systems to implement the changes across the visa regime. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, visas under the new rationalised framework are expected to be issued by the end of 2026.
The revised framework will have nine main categories: Business, Diplomatic, Work, Journalist, Medical, Official, Student, Visitor and Miscellaneous visas.
The Miscellaneous category will cover people of Indian origin and their spouses and children, dependents of foreign nationals holding long-duration visas, people joining specified institutions such as the Auroville Foundation, Afghan nationals seeking stay visas, and certain long-term visa categories for nationals from neighbouring countries.
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