India has relaxed passport and visa requirements for some Pakistani nationals, minority refugees, Sri Lankan Tamils, and Tibetans. Here's who will be affected by the changes
India has introduced new passport and visa rules for foreigners. The changes cover select Pakistani citizens, minority refugees from Sri Lankan Tamils, Tibetans, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Separate travel relaxations have been issued for Nepalese and Bhutanese citizens. The new amendments provide relief to those who cannot renew their travel documents or were allowed to enter India under certain circumstances.
The renewed provisions are part of the Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) (Amendment) Order, 2026, published by the Union Home Ministry on November 5.
According to a PTI report, the exemptions apply to specific conditions, and several categories of people will still need to obtain a relevant visa if they want to continue their stay in India.
Under the revised provision, Pakistani nationals who came to India on or before December 31, 2009, and permanently plan to settle down can be relieved from standard passport renewal requirements.
The exemption applies to those who cannot renew their documents as they do not have a Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) issued by Pakistan.
However, it is pertinent to note that exemptions will have several conditions, as follows:
>> Individuals must not have married while living in Pakistan
>> One should not possess any immovable property in Pakistan.
>> When travelling to Pakistan, one must leave the family members who are Indian citizens behind.
>> Submit an undertaking that they will not return to Pakistan.
>> There should be no record of wrongdoing against them from police or security agencies.
The provision underscores a specific group of people who could not renew their Pakistani travel documents in the absence of the required identity card.
Under the new changes, the centre has also granted relief to six minority communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan who entered India on or before December 31, 2024, after facing religious suppression or fearing such persecution.
Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians are covered in the exemption.
The relief applies both to those who came to India without valid passports or other required travel documents and those whose documents expired later.
It is pertinent to note that any relief from passport requirements does not mean they are allowed to stay permanently. Individuals must acquire an appropriate visa after entering India to continue their stay.
This distinction is crucial: while some individuals may be exempt from standard entry and travel-document rules, they may still have to complete other immigration-related formalities.
Registered Sri Lankan Tamil citizens who sought refuge in India on or before January 9, 2015, have also been granted relief from the standard passport and visa requirements under the amended order.
Similar exemptions have been extended to certain Tibetan nationals.
These include Tibetans who entered India with permits issued by the Indian embassy in Kathmandu between 1959 and May 30, 2003.
The relief also covers those who arrived after that date using special entry permits through designated immigration checkpoints along the India-Nepal border.
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