Key points
- The Home Ministry has cut main visa categories from 13 to 9 and sub-categories from 49 to 23.
- Required fields in application forms fall by 65% to 70% across all 23 sub-categories.
- Visas under the new framework are to be issued by the end of this year, once IT systems are updated.
India has cut its main visa categories from 13 to 9 and its sub-categories from 49 to 23, the Home Ministry said on Wednesday, November 11, in the second round of simplification in just over a year. Application forms will also shrink, with the required fields cut by 65% to 70% in every sub-category.
According to reports on the ministry’s statement, the new structure is not yet in use. The ministry said visas would be granted under it by the end of the year, while it updates its IT systems.
What the new structure looks like
The nine main categories are Business, Diplomatic, Work, Journalist, Medical, Official, Student, Visitor and Miscellaneous. The old Tourist visa becomes the Visitor visa. The Miscellaneous category takes in Persons of Indian Origin and their spouses and children, people joining specified institutions such as the Auroville Foundation, dependents on long-duration visas, stay visas for Afghan nationals and long-term visas for some neighbouring-country nationals.
The ministry said it studied visa systems in developed countries and global standards before settling on the design. Grouping similar purposes of travel under one head is meant to make it clear which category an applicant needs. In its words, the change aims to make the system “more compact, coherent and responsive to the requirements of foreign nationals visiting India”, and to “reduce time and effort required to complete an application”.
Visitor, medical, student and business visas
The details that matter most to travellers sit in the sub-categories.
Visitor. The V-1 visa covers short stays for business meetings, medical consultations, wellness retreats, short treatment and short courses, and is granted for 30 days with multiple entries. The V-2 visa covers longer visits and is valid for one, five or 10 years. It also covers mountaineering, for which a six-month multiple-entry visa is issued.
Medical. Treatment is split into two tracks. M-1 is for non-AYUSH treatment and M-3 for AYUSH treatment. Both, including their e-visa versions, default to one year with multiple entries. M-2 and M-4 are the matching attendant visas for holders of M-1 and M-3.
Student. S-1 covers school, graduate and postgraduate education. S-2 is for PhD and research scholars, visiting faculty, research and expedition visitors, interns and exchange students. A student enrolled through the Study in India portal can get an e-S1 visa for up to five years or the length of the course, whichever is shorter, with multiple entries.
Business. B-1 is for long-term, licence-based activity such as setting up an industrial or business venture. B-2 is for short-term, contract-based work, including conferences, sports, performing arts and films. Foreign specialists and engineers sent to Indian companies for technical tasks, such as installation, training or production work, can get a Production Investment Business visa under B-2 through the e-visa platform. That replaces the earlier e-B4 label.
The Work category is meant for long-term employment with Indian companies or organisations, and covers NGO and missionary work. Journalist visas are for accredited journalists. Diplomatic and Official visas cover diplomats and non-diplomatic officials, including United Nations staff, and their dependents.
How we got here
The simplification is the second in about 13 months. In October 2025 the ministry reduced the main categories from 22 to 13 and the sub-categories from 63 to 49. The latest change takes both numbers down again, to 9 and 23.
Electronic visas are now processed under 13 sub-categories and are open to nationals of 172 countries. Earlier this month, on November 6, the Centre separately eased passport and visa rules for several groups of long-settled foreigners, including persecuted minorities, Sri Lankan Tamils and Tibetans.
Why it matters
For a foreign student, patient, executive or tourist, the change shows up in two places: fewer boxes to choose from when applying, and a form with roughly a third of the fields it had. For Indian universities, hospitals and companies that sponsor visitors, a clearer category reduces the chance of a wrong application being returned. The longer validity options, five years for Study in India students and up to 10 years for V-2 visitors, matter to those who travel to India often.
The reports on the statement do not mention visa fees, and none carries a reaction yet from industry bodies, universities or foreign missions.
What happens next
The ministry has given no exact start date. It says visas under the new structure will be issued by the end of 2026, after its IT systems are updated.