Overview
- The Ministry of Home Affairs publicly set out the consolidated nine‑category visa framework on Wednesday, reducing overlapping routes to make the system easier to navigate.
- Main visa groups were cut from 13 to 9 and sub‑categories from 49 to 23, while the number of fields on application forms was reduced by about 65–70 percent to speed completion and review.
- The old Tourist Visa is now the Visitor Visa, split into V‑1 (30‑day multiple‑entry for short visits) and V‑2 (one, five or ten‑year options and a six‑month mountaineering provision).
- Medical, student and business rules were clarified: M‑1/M‑3 cover conventional and AYUSH treatment with attendant visas M‑2/M‑4, S‑1/S‑2 separate routine study from research programmes, and B‑1/B‑2 include a Production Investment Business Visa for technical specialists.
- The MHA is updating visa IT systems before switching over, the current e‑visa/ETA service for nationals of 172 countries will continue during the transition, and officials say the changes aim to boost medical tourism, student inflows and foreign business visits.