India Simplifies Visa Regime and Reduces Application Paperwork by 70 Percent

The Indian government has simplified its visa regime by reducing the number of main visa categories from 13 to nine and cutting the number of fields in application forms by up to 70 percent.

The Ministry of Home Affairs announced on Wednesday that the number of sub-categories has also been reduced from 49 to 23 to make the process faster and more applicant-friendly for foreign nationals.

The initiative is intended to boost foreign tourist arrivals, medical value travel and student enrollment by removing redundant information requirements and clarifying the purpose of various travel permits.

“The category has been organised into two sub-categories, V-1 and V-2, so that applicants may select a visa suited to the nature and duration of their proposed visit,” the ministry said.

Under the new framework, the former Tourist Visa has been renamed the Visitor Visa to reflect a wider range of activities beyond traditional tourism.

The V-1 visa is designed for short-term visits of 30 days, including business meetings and medical consultations, while the V-2 visa covers longer stays of up to 10 years.

The government also created a specific Production Investment Business Visa for foreign engineers and technical specialists working on projects such as plant design, IT support and quality checks.

Student visas have been consolidated into two categories, with S-1 covering general education and S-2 catering to PhD scholars, researchers and interns.

Officials stated that the changes were informed by a study of visa systems in developed countries and follow a previous rationalization effort conducted in October 2025.

The Ministry of Home Affairs is currently updating its information technology systems to accommodate the new framework, with the revised visa process expected to be fully operational by the end of 2026.