INDIA TO SIMPLIFY VISA REGIME: CENTRE PLANS 70% REDUCTION IN APPLICATION FORM FIELDS, CUTS CATEGORIES FROM 13 TO NINE

November 4, 2026

The Union Home Ministry is preparing a major overhaul of India's visa framework, proposing to reduce the number of principal visa categories from 13 to nine and eliminate approximately 70 per cent of the fields in visa application forms.

The proposed changes are part of a comprehensive review of the Visa Manual, 2019, aimed at simplifying procedures, removing unnecessary documentation requirements and making the application process more user-friendly for foreign nationals seeking entry into India.

According to officials, the government has also decided to reduce the number of visa sub-categories from 49 to 23. The rationalisation is expected to bring greater consistency to the classification system while reducing overlapping and repetitive requirements across different types of visas.

A meeting held in August examined proposed amendments to various chapters and appendices of the existing Visa Manual. During the discussions, officials decided to streamline the visa framework and introduce a simpler structure conforming more closely to international practices.

The planned reduction in application-form fields is intended to eliminate redundant questions and information requirements that currently complicate the submission process. Officials said the revised forms would retain essential information while removing unnecessary repetitions.

The changes are expected to extend across the principal visa categories and their respective sub-categories.

The proposed overhaul represents an administrative effort to make India's visa system more accessible and efficient for international visitors, business travellers and other foreign nationals, while modernising the procedures governing entry into the country.