India's visa system to become much simpler! Ministry of Home Affairs takes this major decision..

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs is set to simplify India’s visa regime by reducing the number of main visa categories from 13 to 9 and cutting the number of fields in the visa application form by up to 70 percent. Officials stated on Wednesday that, as part of a comprehensive review of the Visa Manual, 2019, various chapters and appendices are expected to be amended. The objective is to streamline the categories under which visas are issued.

Reduction in Visa Categories
In this regard, a meeting was held in August to discuss amendments to various sections of the Visa Manual, 2019. It was decided to rationalize and simplify India’s visa system. According to sources, the number of main visa categories is set to be reduced from 13 to 9, and the number of sub-categories from 49 to 23. The Centre has also decided to remove 70 percent of the fields (blank spaces to be filled in) from the visa application form. The aim is to make the application process simpler and more user-friendly by eliminating redundant, repetitive, or unnecessary fields.

Approximately 9.15 Million Foreign Tourists
According to the Ministry of Tourism, India received approximately 9.15 million (91.5 lakh) foreign tourists in 2025, compared to 9.95 million (99.5 lakh) in 2024 and 10.9 million (1.09 crore) in 2019—the year before the pandemic. The number of foreign tourists visiting the country has yet to return to pre-pandemic levels. The tourism industry has called for comprehensive changes to make traveling to India easier for international visitors. These changes include allowing applicants from all countries to apply 120 days in advance, permitting Chinese citizens to apply for an e-visa, and making visa application forms available in other languages, such as Spanish, German, and Italian.

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