The Ministry of Home Affairs has amended immigration rules to extend exemptions from passport and travel document requirements to several categories of foreign nationals residing in India, including certain Pakistani citizens, minority communities from neighbouring countries, registered Sri Lankan Tamil refugees and Tibetans. The Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) (Amendment) Order, 2026, published in the Official Gazette, also incorporates a definition of the Visa Manual issued by the Central Government, covering instructions relating to visas, immigration and connected matters.
Under the revised provisions, Indian citizens travelling to Nepal or Bhutan by land or air will not require passports, provided they produce any one of the identity documents specified in the Visa Manual before an Immigration Officer. They must also provide any information requested by the officer. Similar exemptions apply to citizens of Nepal and Bhutan entering or exiting India, subject to the prescribed identity documentation and requirements.
The amended order includes registered Sri Lankan Tamil nationals who took shelter in India on or before January 9, 2015, among the exempted categories. It also covers members of the Indian Navy, Army and Air Force travelling on official duty, along with family members accompanying them on Government transport. Foreign crew members of military vessels visiting India for repairs are eligible for exemption if they hold valid military identification documents and obtain Military Ship Repair Permits.
The exemptions also extend to members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan who entered India on or before December 31, 2024, after being compelled to seek shelter due to religious persecution or fear of persecution. While they are exempt from passport and travel document requirements under the specified provisions, they must obtain an appropriate category of visa for their continued stay in India.
Certain Pakistani nationals who entered India on or before December 31, 2009, intending to reside permanently but have been unable to renew their passports due to the absence of a Computerised National Identity Card issued by Pakistan have also been included. The order further covers certain male members of the Muslim community who were originally Indian citizens, moved to Pakistan after Partition between August 15, 1947, and December 31, 1965, and returned to India on or before December 31, 2009.
The revised provisions also cover persons of Indian origin who acquired Malaysian or Singaporean citizenship and returned to India on or before December 31, 2009, using passports issued by either country that have since expired and cannot be renewed. The amendment sets out category-specific exemptions from passport and travel document requirements, while applicable visa conditions and other prescribed requirements continue to govern the stay of those covered.