Travelling To Nepal Or Bhutan? Check New Rules For ID, Passport By Home Ministry

Travelling between India, Nepal and Bhutan will now come with a clearly defined identity-document requirement. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has amended the immigration exemption rules, making it mandatory for Indian, Nepalese and Bhutanese citizens to produce specified identity documents when crossing borders by road or air.

The change also clarifies what happens when travellers are heading beyond these three countries and when a passport and visa become compulsory.

The New Immigration Rules

The MHA has amended the Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) Order, 2025, through the Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) (Amendment) Order, 2026, issued on November 5.

Under the revised order, Indian citizens travelling to Nepal or Bhutan or returning to India from either country must produce any one of the identity documents listed in the Visa Manual. This applies to journeys by both land and air. Immigration officers can ask travellers to establish their identity and provide the required information.

The same rule applies to Nepalese and Bhutanese citizens entering or leaving India.

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The exemption is limited to travel between India, Nepal and Bhutan. It does not cover Indian citizens using the India-Nepal or India-Bhutan borders to travel to another country.

For instance, an Indian citizen travelling through Nepal or Bhutan to reach a third country cannot use this exemption for the onwards international journey. In such cases, a valid passport is compulsory. The traveller must also enter or leave India through a designated immigration post.

Nepalese and Bhutanese citizens travelling to or from countries other than Nepal and Bhutan must also carry a valid passport. There is a further condition for those entering or leaving India. If they have embarked at or transited through China, Macau, Hong Kong or Pakistan, they must possess both a valid passport and a valid visa.

The Exemptions Travellers Should Note

The amended order also retains specific exemptions from passport, travel document and visa requirements for certain categories.

These include Indian Navy, Army and Air Force personnel travelling on duty. Their family members are also covered when travelling with them on government transport.

Other categories include registered Sri Lankan Tamil nationals who took shelter in India on or before January 9, 2015; foreign crew members of military vessels visiting India for repairs after receiving Military Ship Repair Permits, and certain Tibetan nationals who entered India through designated procedures and registered with the authorities.

Exemption For Minority Communities From Afghanistan, Bangladesh And Pakistan

The order also covers members of six minority communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan: Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians.

The provision applies to those who were compelled to seek shelter in India because of religious persecution or fear of religious persecution and entered the country on or before December 31, 2024.

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It covers people who entered without valid travel documents, as well as those whose documents were valid at the time of entry but have since expired.

However, this does not mean they can stay in India indefinitely without further documentation. They must obtain the appropriate category of visa after entering India to continue their stay.

The amendment has been issued by the MHA under Section 33 of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025.