India
India Eases Passport and Visa Rules for Selected Foreign Nationals
The Union Home Ministry has amended passport and visa regulations for several groups of foreign residents in India, as announced in the Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) (Amendment) Order, 2026, published Thursday. Pakistani nationals who entered India on or before 31 December 2009 with the intention of permanent residence are now exempt from the usual passport renewal process if they cannot renew their travel documents because they lack a Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) issued by Pakistan. To qualify, applicants must not have married or acquired immovable property in Pakistan, must have left behind family members who are Indian citizens when they went to Pakistan, must agree not to return to Pakistan, and must have no adverse reports from police or security agencies. The amendment also exempts members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, and Christian communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan who entered India on or before 31 December 2024 after being forced to seek shelter due to religious persecution or fear of it. Additionally, the changes streamline travel and identification procedures for citizens of Nepal, Bhutan, and India traveling between these neighboring countries.