Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and guidance of Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, the Government of India has simplified its visa regime. The step aims at making it more compact, coherent and responsive to the requirements of foreign nationals visiting India. On 27th August, 2026, the Ministry of Home Affairs reduced the number of main visa categories from 13 to 9 and the number of sub-categories from 49 to 23. This follows the earlier rationalisation undertaken in October, 2025, when the main visa categories were reduced from 22 to 13 and sub-categories from 63 to 49. While considering the simplification of Indian Visa regime, the Government of India studied the Visa system of the developed countries and global standards.
Key Developments & Strategic Framework
The consolidation of similar purposes of travel is calibrated to providing greater clarity and ease in identifying the appropriate visa category while facilitating legitimate foreign arrivals.
Detailing the operational roadmap, visa is processed by electronic travel authorization under 13 sub categories. The facility of e-visa is presently available to the nationals of 172 countries.
Greater flexibility for short and long stays
Official Perspectives & Key Statements
In official remarks concerning the development, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi highlighted the imperative of rigorous milestone tracking, cross-agency alignment, and steadfast adherence to established operational timelines.
Contextual Background & Implementation Scope
The erstwhile Tourist Visa has been renamed Visitor Visa, reflecting a broader range of permitted purposes beyond conventional tourism. 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.
In terms of implementation context, 1 Visa: In addition to other eligible visitor activities, it covers short-term activities such as business meetings, medical consultations, wellness retreats, short-duration medical treatment and short-term courses in Indian languages, music, art and craft. It is granted for 30 days with multiple entries.
2 Visa: Intended for longer-duration visits, with validity of 1, 5 or 10 years, as specified. It covers the activities permissible under V-1 and mountaineering. For mountaineering, a visa of six months, with multiple entries, will be granted.
Looking Forward: Strategic Roadmap
Administrative bodies and departmental task forces will maintain active oversight across designated implementation cycles, ensuring scheduled deliverables translate into tangible public outcomes.
Reporting and source materials courtesy of Press Information Bureau.