Sri Lankan Tamil refugees exempt from India's passport and visa requirements

India's Union Home Ministry has published the Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) (Amendment) Order, 2026, relaxing passport and visa requirements for selected foreign nationals, including registered Sri Lankan Tamil refugees. The order was published on 5 November 2026 and also covers certain Pakistani nationals, Tibetans and minority refugees from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

The amendments give relief mainly to people who cannot renew their travel documents or who entered India under specific circumstances. Separate travel relaxations have been issued for Nepalese and Bhutanese citizens, although the source does not give details of those measures.

Key facts

• Order: Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) (Amendment) Order, 2026
• Published by: India's Union Home Ministry on 5 November 2026
• Who benefits: registered Sri Lankan Tamils, certain Pakistani nationals, Tibetans and minority refugees from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan
• What changes: exemption from standard passport and, in some cases, visa requirements
• Important limit: passport relief does not by itself grant permission to stay permanently

What relief do Sri Lankan Tamils get?

Registered Sri Lankan Tamil citizens who sought refuge in India on or before 9 January 2015 are exempt from the standard passport and visa requirements under the amended order. The source does not state any further conditions specific to this group, nor does it give a separate application procedure or fee.

Who else is covered?

Pakistani nationals who arrived in India on or before 31 December 2009 and plan to settle permanently can be relieved of standard passport renewal requirements if they cannot renew their documents because they do not hold a Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) issued by Pakistan. Conditions include: they must not have married while living in Pakistan, must not own immovable property in Pakistan, must leave Indian-citizen family members behind when travelling to Pakistan, must give an undertaking that they will not return to Pakistan, and must have no police or security record against them.

Six minority communities — Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians — from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan who entered India on or before 31 December 2024 after facing or fearing religious persecution are also covered. The relief applies both to those who arrived without valid travel documents and to those whose documents expired afterwards.

Certain Tibetan nationals are included as well: those who entered India with permits issued by the Indian embassy in Kathmandu between 1959 and 30 May 2003, and those who arrived later using special entry permits through designated immigration checkpoints on the India-Nepal border.

Does the exemption allow a permanent stay?

No. The order makes clear that relief from passport requirements does not mean the person may stay in India permanently. Individuals must obtain an appropriate visa after entering India if they wish to continue their stay, and several categories still need to complete other immigration formalities.

What this means for travellers

The changes are aimed at people already in India who cannot renew their travel documents, rather than at new arrivals or tourists. Anyone in the affected groups should check whether their nationality, community and arrival date fall within the categories named in the order, and should still plan to secure the relevant visa to remain in India.

No start date beyond the order's publication on 5 November 2026, application process or fee is stated in the source.