India set to simplify visa forms
The overhaul will remove repetitive fields and align all 22 visa categories with global standards, officials said.
- The Union Ministry of Home Affairs plans to simplify visa application forms starting next year, reducing fields by approximately 70% to align with global standards.
- Fields such as "district" will be eliminated as they lack global equivalents, while the "local address" requirement will be liberalised to allow tourists to provide hotel or guest house details.
- Currently, India offers e-visas preceded by electronic travel authorisation to 147 countries across 22 visa categories, though applications run into nine pages.
- Tourism industry officials have urged the government to provide forms in Spanish, German, and Italian, while requesting a uniform 120-day application window and e-visas for Chinese travellers.
- With 91.5 lakh foreign tourists arriving in 2025, the industry is pressing for Protected Area Permit or Restricted Area Permit to be provided simultaneously with the visa.
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India plans visa overhaul, cut categories from 13 to nine and simplify application forms — What will change
The government is considering a major overhaul of the country's visa system, with an aim to simplify applications and align the system with global norms. Here's what will change.
Ministry of Home Affairs to reduce Indian visa categories from 13 to 9, trim application form - The Tribune
The Union Home Ministry is set to overhaul India’s visa regime by reducing the number of main visa categories from 13 to nine and trimming visa application forms by 70 per cent as part of an exercise to simplify the process, officials said on Wednesday. As part of a comprehensive review of the Visa Manual, […]
Indian authorities are planning to remove about 70 per cent of the visa questionnaire questions, which will make it easier to obtain a visa into the country, the changes may come into effect in 2027 and . . . 05.11.2026, PRIM
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