India visa rules: categories cut from 13 to 9, forms 70% shorter
India's Home Ministry has cut visa categories from 13 to 9 and sub-categories from 49 to 23, with forms up to 70% shorter. What changes, and for whom.
India has cut its main visa categories from 13 to 9 and trimmed application forms by up to 70%, its Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said, in the second big overhaul of the system in about a year.
What changes
- Fewer types: main categories go from 13 to 9, and sub-categories from 49 to 23, The Statesman reported.
- Shorter forms: the number of fields to fill in falls by 65% to 70% across all 23 sub-categories.
- New names: the tourist visa becomes the “Visitor Visa”, with two sub-types, V-1 and V-2. Student visas are merged into S-1 and S-2.
- When: reports say the new framework should be fully in place by the end of 2026.
This follows an October 2025 change that cut the main categories from 22 to 13. India currently offers e-visas to nationals of more than 170 countries.
Why India is doing it
Reports on the change describe the aim as making it quicker for tourists, patients, students and business travellers to apply, with fewer fields to get wrong. The changes to tourist, medical and student visas are the ones most travellers will notice.
Does this help Pakistanis?
Not directly. Pakistani passport holders are not eligible for India’s e-visa and go through a separate process, and India suspended visa services for Pakistani nationals in April 2025. The reported changes say nothing about Pakistan, so Pakistani travellers should not expect easier Indian visas from this reform. Kartarpur Corridor pilgrims, who travel the other way, are not affected.
What to watch
The new forms will appear on India’s official visa portal as each category switches over. Anyone applying in the meantime should use the form shown on the portal on the day, not an older guide.
