India Streamlines Visa Process, Cuts Categories and Reduces Fields

In a move to overhaul India’s visa system, the Ministry of Home Affairs has introduced significant changes, condensing the primary visa categories from 13 to 9 and sub-categories from 49 to 23. This revamp aims to make the visa application process more efficient, provide clearer guidelines on the purpose of travel, and cater to foreign nationals visiting India for purposes such as tourism, business, healthcare, education, and other activities.

The latest reforms, implemented on August 27, 2026, build upon an earlier restructuring effort in October 2025, which reduced the main visa categories from 22 to 13 and sub-categories from 63 to 49. As part of these reforms, the ministry has also streamlined visa application forms across all 23 categories and sub-categories, decreasing the number of required fields by roughly 65 to 70 percent.

Simplified Application Process

The primary goal of these changes is to minimize the complexity and time required for visa applications, thereby enhancing administrative efficiency. Currently, the ministry is upgrading its IT systems to integrate the revised framework, with the expectation that visas will be issued under the new categories by the end of 2026.

A notable modification is the reclassification of the Tourist Visa to the Visitor Visa, broadening its scope to encompass a wider array of short-term travel purposes. This category has been subdivided into V-1 and V-2 sub-categories.

Visitor Visa Sub-Categories

The V-1 Visa is designed for short-term visits, including purposes such as tourism, business meetings, medical consultations, wellness retreats, short-duration medical treatment, and courses in Indian languages, music, art, and craft. This visa will be valid for 30 days and allow multiple entries.

In contrast, the V-2 Visa is intended for longer-duration visits, offering validity options of one, five, or 10 years, as applicable. It will cover activities permitted under V-1, as well as mountaineering. A six-month multiple-entry visa will be available specifically for mountaineering activities.

Changes to Medical and Student Visas

The Medical Visa category will continue to differentiate between conventional medical treatment and treatment under AYUSH systems. The M-1 Visa will apply to medical treatments other than AYUSH, while the M-3 Visa will be used for AYUSH treatments. Both categories, including their electronic visa variants, will be issued with a default validity of one year and multiple entries.

The Student Visa framework has been streamlined into two sub-categories: S-1 for school, undergraduate, and postgraduate education, and S-2 for doctoral and research scholars, visiting faculty, foreign research students, internships, academic exchanges, and other specified educational activities.

The revised system will consist of nine main categories: Business Visa, Diplomatic Visa, Work Visa, Journalist Visa, Medical Visa, Official Visa, Student Visa, Visitor Visa, and Miscellaneous Visa. According to the ministry, the primary objective of this restructuring is to eliminate overlapping visa classifications and make the application process more accessible to foreign travelers.

Consolidated Business and Technical Visas

The B-2 Visa now covers short-term, contract-based activities, including production investment, conferences, sports, performing arts, and film-related work. It also includes provisions for foreign technical specialists, engineers, and professionals engaged by Indian companies for installation, maintenance, training, and technology transfer. Eligible applicants can obtain a Production Investment Business Visa through the e-Visa platform.