India reduces visa categories from 13 to 9, cuts application form columns by up to 70%; Check when it comes into effect

As per Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the required fields or columns for all 23 categories and sub-categories of Visas have been reduced in an attempt to simplify visa processing while retaining essential details. Check new visa categories.

India has simplified its visa regime by reducing the number of main visa categories from 13 to nine and sub-categories from 49 to 23. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has also rationalised visa application forms, reported ANI. According to the news agency, 23 categories and sub-categories have been revised, reducing the number of required columns or fields by 65% to 70%.

Ministry of Home Affairs to revise visa categories, forms

As per MHA, the move is aimed at reducing the time and effort required by foreign nationals to complete applications. It is also expected to improve the administrative efficiency through more focused scrutiny and processing.

"The Government of India has simplified its visa regime by reducing the number of main visa categories from 13 to 9 and the number of sub-categories from 49 to 23. The move aimed at making it more compact, coherent and responsive to the requirements of foreign nationals visiting India. To implement all changes made in the Indian Visa regime, the MHA is updating the IT systems, and by year-end, visas will be granted as per the new rationalisation," said the MHA, as quoted by the news agency.

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New visa categories in India

The nine revised categories will include Business, Diplomatic, Work, Journalist, Medical, Official, Student, Visitor and Miscellaneous visas.

The ministry announced the latest changes on August 27, following an earlier rationalisation in October 2025, when categories were brought down from 22 to 13 and sub-categories from 63 to 49.

The MHA said the government studied visa systems in developed countries and global standards before undertaking the changes. Officials said implementing similar travel purposes is likely to make it easier for applicants to identify the an appropriate category.

Currently, India offers e-visas to nationals of 172 countries across 13 sub-categories.

Tourist visa

The current Tourist Visa has been renamed Visitor Visa and divided into two categories-- V-1 and V-2. V-1 covers short visits for tourism, business meetings, medical, wellness and short-term cultural or language courses-related purposes with a validity of 30 days with multiple entries. V-2 covers longer visits, with validity of one, five or 10 years, and also includes mountaineering.

Medical visa

The Medical Visa involves conventional treatment under M-1 and AYUSH treatment under M-3. In both cases, entry is granted for one year with multiple entries. M-2 and M-4 visas are available to those accompanying a patient.

Student visa

Meanwhile, student visas have been consolidated into two categories. While S-1 covers school and higher education, S-2 is for research scholars, visiting faculty, internships and exchange students. Eligible students can enrolled through the Study in India portal to receive their e-S1 visas for up to five years or the duration of their course, whichever is less.

Business visa

Similarly, business visas have been divided into two categories. B-1 is for long-term, licence-based activities and B-2 is for short-term, contract-based business engagements. Production Investment Business visas which was earlier issued under the e-B4 nomenclature, will be available under B-2 going forward.

When it will be effective?

The ministry is currently updating its systems to implement the changes.

The revised framework is expected to come into effect by the end of this year, as per the MHA.

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Sneha Biswas specialises in covering entertainment and pop culture, with a specialisation on Bollywood, Hollywood, OTT platforms, K-pop, K-dramas, and major developments in the US entertainment industry. She believes in telling stories that balance speed with substance, and in making entertainment journalism contextual, culturally aware, and reader-first rather than purely reactive.<br><br> With over six years of experience in digital media, Sneha currently serves as a Deputy Chief Content Producer at Live Mint. She has spent more than three and a half years with the HT Group and returned to the organisation in February 2025, joining Live Mint to uplift the entertainment section. Over the past year, she has been closely involved in entertainment coverage including breaking news, explainers, trend reporting, box office reports and analysis for the audience.<br><br> Sneha is Google News certified, having completed training focused on newsroom best practices, digital reporting, and SEO-driven content strategies. Her work reflects a strong understanding of audience behaviour, search trends, and the evolving consumption patterns of entertainment news across formats.<br><br> Prior to her current role, Sneha has worked across multiple content and editorial functions within digital newsrooms, building expertise in content planning, editing, and real-time coverage. Her professional interests lie at the intersection of entertainment, internet culture, and global pop trends.<br><br> Working for the National city team, Biswas closely follows global entertainment movements while maintaining a strong pulse on what is happening in India.