India Visitor Visa Rules are set for a major change as the government has simplified the country’s visa framework to make it easier for foreign travellers to visit India for tourism, medical treatment, education and business.
The number of main visa categories has been reduced from 13 to nine, while the number of sub-categories has come down from 49 to 23.
The Ministry of Home Affairs announced the changes on November 11, 2026.
The revised framework also reduces the information applicants need to provide in visa application forms by around 65 to 70 per cent.
 India Visitor Visa Rules: Tourist Visa Gets a New Name
One of the biggest changes is the renaming of the existing Tourist Visa as the Visitor Visa.
The new category covers a wider range of activities, allowing eligible foreign nationals to combine tourism with certain short-term activities during their stay.
The Visitor Visa has been divided into two sub-categories: V-1 and V-2. These options are designed for travellers with different visit durations and purposes.
The V-1 visa will be issued for 30 days with multiple entries. Along with tourism, it will cover short-term business meetings, medical consultations, wellness retreats and short-duration medical treatment.
Foreign visitors can also use the V-1 category for short-term courses in Indian languages, music, art and craft, as well as short-duration yoga programmes, subject to the applicable conditions.
The V-2 visa is intended for longer visits. Depending on eligibility and the purpose of travel, it can be granted with a validity of one, five or 10 years. It covers activities permitted under V-1, along with mountaineering.
A separate provision allows foreign nationals travelling to India for mountaineering to receive a six-month multiple-entry visa.
Visa Application Forms to Become Shorter
Another important part of the reform is the reduction in the number of fields applicants must complete. The government has cut the required information by approximately 65 to 70 per cent across all 23 visa sub-categories.
The move is intended to reduce the time and effort involved in filling out applications while retaining the essential information needed for visa processing.
Fewer form fields may make the application process simpler for foreign visitors, students, patients and business professionals.
However, the reduction in fields should not be understood as an automatic removal of visa eligibility conditions or supporting-document requirements.
India Reduces Main Visa Categories From 13 to 9
Under the revised framework, India’s nine main visa categories are Business, Diplomatic, Work, Journalist, Medical, Official, Student, Visitor and Miscellaneous.
The consolidation is intended to reduce overlapping provisions and make it easier for applicants to identify the correct visa based on their purpose of travel.
The Miscellaneous category covers several groups, including people of Indian origin and their spouses and children, dependants of foreign nationals holding long-duration visas, and certain other specified categories.
The changes follow an earlier exercise in October 2025, when the government reduced the number of main visa categories from 22 to 13 and sub-categories from 63 to 49.
 When Will the New Indian Visa System Start?
The revised framework has been announced, but the updated visa system is not expected to become fully operational immediately.
The Ministry of Home Affairs is updating its information technology systems to implement the changes.
According to the government, visas under the rationalised framework are expected to be issued by the end of 2026.
Until the new system is implemented, foreign travellers should follow the categories and instructions currently displayed on the official Indian visa application portal.
India currently offers e-Visa facilities to nationals of 172 countries through 13 electronic visa sub-categories.
The government expects the broader changes to make travel, healthcare, education and business-related visits more straightforward.
For foreign nationals planning a trip to India, the key point is to check the latest visa instructions before applying.
The new Visitor Visa offers broader permitted activities, but travellers must still meet the relevant conditions for their chosen category.
