India simplifies visa norms; categories cut, forms to be 70% leaner

New Delhi The government has simplified its visa regime by reducing the categories from 13 to nine and making the application forms leaner by up to 70%, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in a statement on Wednesday (November 11, 2026).

The “Tourist Visa” has been renamed “Visitor Visa”, reflecting a broader range of permitted purposes beyond conventional tourism, the Ministry said.

A specific provision, the Production Investment Business Visa, has been carved out for foreign subject-matter specialists, engineers and technical personnel engaged by Indian companies in activities such as installation and commissioning, quality checks and essential maintenance, production, IT, training, supply-chain development, plant design and bring-up, senior management and technical support, including transfer of know-how, technology and services.