India Streamlines Visa System, Cuts Categories to Nine

The Government of India has introduced major changes to its visa framework, reducing the number of primary visa categories from 13 to 9 and sub-categories from 49 to 23. The move is expected to simplify the application process and encourage more international tourists, medical visitors and foreign students to come to the country.

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the revised system will also significantly reduce paperwork, with the number of fields and columns in visa application forms being cut by 65 to 70 per cent across the 23 categories and sub-categories.

This is the second phase of the government’s visa reform initiative. In October last year, the number of main visa categories was brought down from 22 to 13, while sub-categories were reduced from 63 to 49.

The ministry is currently upgrading its information technology systems to introduce the revised framework. The new visa structure is expected to become fully operational by the end of this year, following completion of the necessary technical changes.