NEW DELHI: The Union home ministry has relaxed passport and visa requirements for several categories of foreign nationals residing in India, including Pakistani citizens who entered prior to December 31, 2009 with the intention to permanently reside in India but could not renew their Pakistani passport due to non-possession of computerised nationality identity card issued by Pakistan government.Other categories of foreign nationals for whom passport and visa rules have been eased as part of the Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) (Amendment) ORder, 2026, include citizens of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan belonging to their religious minorities; Sri Lankan Tamil refugees and Tibetans.The order also streamlines travel and identification protocols for the citizens of Nepal and Bhutan, allowing them to enter or exit India by producing any one of the documents specified in the visa manual; However, in case they are entering or exiting India from or to a place other than Nepal or Bhutan, they must in possession of a valid passport. Nepal and Bhutan citizens who have embarked at or transited through China Macau, Hong Kong or Pakistan, must be in possession of both a valid passport and valid visa.The requirement of a valid passport and visa would also not apply to a male member of the Muslim community, being originally an Indian citizen, who went to Pakistan after partition between August 15, 1947 and Dec 31, 1965 leaving behind family in India and returned to India on or before Dec 31, 2009, and settled in Keralam on a valid Pakistani passport but which has since expired or been lost. However, such a person should not have married or acquired immoveable property while in Pakistan; ,while going to Pakistan, left behind family members who are Indian citizens; shall not return to Pakistan; and should not have any adverse report from the police or security agencies.A citizen of India entering into India from Nepal or Bhutan or departing from India to Nepal or Bhutan by land or air shall produce before the immigration officer one of the documents specified in the visa manual to establish their identity, though this exemption would not be applicable if departing to or returning from countries other than Nepal or Bhutan through the Indo-Nepal or Indo-Bhutan border of by air. In all such cases, a valid passport will be required and the exit and entry into India shall be only through the designated immigration points.The provisions in the Act and rules with regard to requirement of valid passport or other valid travel document and valid visa for entry into, stay in and exit from India, shall also not apply for a member of naval, military or air forces of India, entering into or exiting from India on duty and members of the family of any such person when accompanying him on a government transport; registered Sri Lankan Tamil nationals who have taken shelter in India up to Jan 9, 2015; as well as the foreign crew of foreign military vessels coming for repairs in India who are granted military ship repair permits by the immigration officer, provided they hold their military identification documents.Exempted categories include a Tibetan who has entered India after 1959 but before May 30,, 2003 on an entry permit issued by the Embassy of India in Kathmandu; or who entered after May 30, 2003, on the special entry permit issued through the designated immigration post on the Indo-Nepal border and a certificate of registration was issued by the registration officer concerned.
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Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Christian, Jain and Parsi citizens of Pakistan who entered India before Dec 31, 2024, fearing religious persecution in their home country, without valid documents including passport or other travel documents; or with valid documents including passport that has since expired, would also get relief under the amended Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) order. However, such a person shall be required to obtain an appropriate category of visa after their entry into India, for continued stay.Also exempt now from requirement of a valid passport and visa are persons of Indian origin who subsequently acquired the citizenship of Malaysia or Singapore and returned to India on or before Dec 31, 2009 on a valid passport issued by either of those countries, which has since expired and is not being renewed by those countries because such person does not meet the conditions specified by those countries. Such persons must have documentary proof that they are a person of Indian origin.
