The government has made India's visa system simpler for foreign visitors.
The Ministry of Home Affairs, known as MHA, announced the changes on Wednesday.
The main visa categories have been cut from 13 to nine. Sub-categories have gone down from 49 to 23.
The ministry said the restructuring took place on August 27.
A visa category is the type of permission a visitor gets, based on why they are coming.
Fewer categories make it easier to pick the right one.
The ministry has also cut the number of fields in application forms by 65 to 70 per cent.
This applies to all 23 sub-categories. Essential verification details have been kept.
Graphic: News Anek, from the facts in this report
Key points
- Main visa categories fell from 13 to nine.
- Sub-categories fell from 49 to 23.
- Application form fields are cut by 65 to 70 per cent.
- The ministry expects the new system to work by the end of 2026.
So what are the new visitor visas?
The tourist visa has been renamed the Visitor Visa. It now has two sub-categories, V-1 and V-2.
The V-1 visa covers short trips.
These include business meetings, medical consultations, wellness visits, brief treatment, and short courses in Indian languages, music, art and craft.
It allows multiple entries over 30 days.
The V-2 visa is for longer stays. It is valid for one, five or 10 years, and it also covers mountaineering.
Mountaineers will get a six-month visa with multiple entries.
Medical visas now have four sub-categories. M-1 covers treatment outside AYUSH systems, and M-3 covers AYUSH treatment.
M-2 and M-4 are for the people who accompany patients. Medical visas will generally allow multiple entries for one year.
What changes for students, workers and businesses?
Student visas now fall under S-1 and S-2. S-1 covers school, graduate and postgraduate study.
S-2 covers research, PhD programmes, visiting faculty, internships and exchanges.
Students admitted through the Study in India portal may get multiple-entry e-S1 visas.
These can last up to five years or the course duration, whichever is shorter.
Business visas are split into B-1 and B-2. B-1 covers long-term, licence-based business.
B-2 covers short-term, contract-based work, such as production investment, conferences, sports, performing arts and films.
If an Indian company hires a foreign engineer or specialist, that person may get an electronic Production Investment Business Visa under B-2.
This replaces the earlier e-B4 provision.
What happens next for applicants?
The nine main categories are Business, Diplomatic, Work, Journalist, Medical, Official, Student, Visitor and Miscellaneous.
Miscellaneous visas cover eligible persons of Indian origin, dependants and some long-term stays.
The ministry said IT system updates should allow visas to be issued under the new framework by the end of 2026.
Until then, applicants should check the official visa portal for the latest rules.
