Indian travellers heading to or returning from Nepal or Bhutan can still cross the border without a passport in many cases, but new rules make a clear distinction for journeys involving third countries.
The Ministry of Home Affairs notified the Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) (Amendment) Order, 2026 (dated 4 November and published around 5 November). Under the amended rules:
- Direct travel between India and Nepal/Bhutan (by land or air): Indian citizens, as well as Nepalese and Bhutanese citizens, may still enter or exit without a passport. They must produce one of the approved identity documents listed in the government’s Visa Manual and provide any information requested by immigration officers.
- Indians travelling to or from a third country via Nepal or Bhutan: The passport exemption does not apply. Travellers must carry a valid passport and enter or leave India only through designated immigration checkpoints.
- Nepalese and Bhutanese nationals: The exemption also does not apply when they are travelling to or from a country other than Nepal or Bhutan. In those cases they need a valid passport. Additionally, if they have embarked from or transited through China, Hong Kong, Macau, or Pakistan, they must carry both a valid passport and a valid visa.
These changes form part of broader updates to the Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) Order, 2025. The notification also addresses other categories of foreign nationals, but the Nepal/Bhutan provisions are the ones most relevant to routine regional travel.
In short: direct India–Nepal or India–Bhutan trips remain relatively straightforward with approved ID, but any routing through those countries toward a third destination (or certain transit paths for Nepalese/Bhutanese travellers) now requires standard passport (and sometimes visa) formalities.