Govt relaxes passport, visa rules for foreigners living in India

New Delhi: The government has relaxed passport and visa rules for several categories of foreign nationals residing in the country, including certain Pakistani citizens, minority refugees, Sri Lankan Tamils, and Tibetans, according to a gazette notification.

The Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) (Amendment) Order, 2026, published on Thursday, November 5, also streamlines travel and identification protocols for citizens of Nepal, Bhutan, and India travelling between these neighbouring nations.

Pakistani nationals face conditions for passport exemption

Under the amended rules released by the Union Home Ministry, Pakistani nationals who entered India on or before December 31, 2009, with the intention to reside permanently, are exempt from standard passport renewal requirements if they cannot renew their travel documents due to the non-possession of a Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) issued by Pakistan.

To qualify, they must not have married while in Pakistan or acquired any immovable property there, must have left behind family members who are Indian citizens when going to Pakistan, and must undertake not to return to that country.

They must also have no adverse reports from police or security agencies, the notification said.

Exemption extended to certain Malaysian, Singaporean returnees

A third category covered by the exemption comprises people of Indian origin who acquired Malaysian or Singaporean citizenship and returned to India on or before December 31, 2009, on passports issued by those countries. The passports must have expired and remained unrenewed because the individuals do not meet the respective countries’ renewal requirements.

For the purposes of this clause, “person of Indian origin” means a foreign citizen (not being a citizen of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Nepal and China) if they, at any time, held an Indian passport; or they or either of their parents or grandparents or great-grandparents were born in and were permanent resident in India as mentioned in the Government of India Act, 1935 and other territories that became part of India thereafter, provided neither was at any time a citizen of the above-mentioned countries, the notification said.

All three categories will need to obtain an appropriate visa category to continue their stay in India.

Special travel rules for Indian, Nepalese and Bhutanese citizens

Indian, Nepalese, and Bhutanese citizens travelling directly between these neighbouring nations by land or air may present identification specified in the government’s official “Visa Manual” rather than standard passports, the notification said.

“Provided further that the exemption provided under this clause shall not apply to a citizen of India departing to or returning from countries other than Nepal or Bhutan through the Indo-Nepal or Indo-Bhutan border by land or by air, and in all such cases, they shall be required to possess a valid passport, and their exit from or entry into India shall be only through the designated immigration posts,” it said.

Nepalese and Bhutanese citizens entering or exiting India who embark from or transit through China, Macau, Hong Kong, or Pakistan must hold both a valid passport and a valid visa. Standard passport rules also remain mandatory for regional border crossings to or from third countries, it said.

Religious minorities, Sri Lankan Tamils covered

The rules exempt members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan who entered India on or before December 31, 2024, after being compelled to seek shelter because of religious persecution or fear of religious persecution.

The exemption covers those who entered without valid passports or other travel documents, as well as those whose documents have expired. However, they must obtain an appropriate visa after entering India for their continued stay.

Registered Sri Lankan Tamil nationals who took shelter in India on or before January 9, 2015, are also exempted from the general passport and visa requirements under the revised provisions.

Tibetans, military personnel also exempt

The order further covers certain Tibetans who entered India on permits issued by the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu between 1959 and May 30, 2003, or on special entry permits after that date through designated immigration posts on the Indo-Nepal border. They must register with the concerned authorities and obtain a certificate of registration.

Another provision exempts Indian naval, military, and air force personnel entering or leaving the country on duty from passport and visa requirements. The exemption also extends to their family members accompanying them on government transport.

The foreign crew of foreign military vessels coming to India for repairs and granted Military Ship Repair Permits by the Immigration Officer at the Immigration Post are also exempt from passport requirements, provided they have their Military Identification Documents.

“For this clause, foreign military vessels shall mean warships and other government ships operated for non-commercial purposes by the armed forces of another state,” the notification said.

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