India eases passport and visa rules for Pakistani, Afghan and other nationals

India's Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has relaxed passport and visa requirements for several groups of foreign nationals living in India, and simplified the documents Indian, Nepalese and Bhutanese citizens need when travelling between the three countries. The changes were set out in the Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) (Amendment) Order, 2026, published in the Gazette on Thursday.

Key facts

• The Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) (Amendment) Order, 2026, was notified by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and published in the Gazette on 5 November 2026.
• Groups covered include certain Pakistani nationals, people of Indian origin with Malaysian or Singaporean citizenship, religious minorities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, registered Sri Lankan Tamils and certain Tibetan nationals.
• Indians, Nepalese and Bhutanese travelling directly between the three countries may use documents listed in the government's Visa Manual instead of a standard passport.
• Several exempted groups must still obtain an appropriate visa to keep living in India.
• No fees or application procedures are stated in the order as described.

Who is exempt from passport and visa rules?

Pakistani nationals who entered India on or before 31 December 2009 intending to settle permanently are exempt from the usual passport renewal requirements if they cannot renew their travel documents because they do not hold a Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) issued by Pakistan. The exemption comes with conditions: applicants must not have married or acquired immovable property in Pakistan, and there must be no adverse police or security agency reports about them.

Similar relief applies to people of Indian origin who took Malaysian or Singaporean citizenship and returned to India on or before 31 December 2009 using passports issued by those countries, where the passports have expired and cannot be renewed because the holders do not meet those countries' renewal requirements. The order defines a person of Indian origin as a foreign national — other than citizens of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Nepal or China — who previously held an Indian passport, or whose parents, grandparents or great-grandparents were born in and permanently resided in territories now forming part of India. Members of these categories must obtain an appropriate visa to continue residing in India.

The order also covers members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan who entered India on or before 31 December 2024 after fleeing religious persecution or the fear of it. Both those who arrived without valid travel documents and those whose passports or other documents have expired are covered, but they must secure the appropriate visa to continue their stay.

Registered Sri Lankan Tamil nationals who took refuge in India on or before 9 January 2015 are exempt from the general passport and visa requirements. Certain Tibetan nationals are also covered: those who entered India on permits issued by the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu between 1959 and 30 May 2003, or on special entry permits issued later at designated immigration posts along the Indo-Nepal border. They must register with the competent authorities and obtain a registration certificate.

What changes for travel between India, Nepal and Bhutan?

Indian, Nepalese and Bhutanese citizens travelling directly between the three countries by land or air may use the identification documents specified in the government's Visa Manual instead of standard passports. The relief does not extend to Indian citizens travelling to or returning from any country other than Nepal and Bhutan through the Indo-Nepal or Indo-Bhutan borders — they must carry valid passports and use designated immigration checkpoints.

Nepalese and Bhutanese citizens entering or leaving India after travelling through or transiting via China, Macau, Hong Kong or Pakistan must carry valid passports and visas. Standard documentation requirements continue to apply to any travel involving third countries.

What are the military exemptions?

Indian Army, Navy and Air Force personnel travelling on official duty are exempt from passport and visa requirements, as are family members accompanying them on government transport. Foreign crew members aboard military vessels visiting India for repairs are exempt from passport requirements if they have been issued Military Ship Repair Permits by immigration authorities and carry valid military identification. The order defines foreign military vessels as warships and other government-operated ships used for non-commercial purposes by another country's armed forces.

What this means for travellers

Travellers in any of the groups listed can no longer be refused solely for lacking a passport or visa as before, but many categories must still obtain a visa or registration certificate to stay in India. Anyone crossing the India–Nepal or India–Bhutan land borders should check whether their journey qualifies for the relaxed identification rules before setting out, since trips involving other countries still require passports and, where applicable, visas.

The order has been published in the Gazette and notified by the MHA. The order as described does not set out further deadlines or implementation dates.