The Union Home Ministry has notified the Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) (Amendment) Order, 2026, relaxing passport and visa requirements for several categories of foreign nationals already living in India.
The changes cover certain Pakistani nationals who entered the country on or before December 31, 2009, intending to settle permanently and who cannot renew their Pakistani passports because they lack a Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC).
Eligibility is limited: applicants must not have married or acquired immovable property in Pakistan, must have left behind Indian-citizen family members, must undertake not to return to Pakistan, and must have no adverse police or security reports.
The order also exempts members of the Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, and Christian communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan who entered India on or before December 31, 2024, due to religious persecution or fear of it. They no longer need valid passports or visas at the time of entry, but must obtain an appropriate visa category to remain in the country.
Similar facilitations apply to certain Sri Lankan Tamil refugees and Tibetans, while travel and identification rules between India, Nepal, and Bhutan have been streamlined.
The amendments address long-standing practical difficulties for people whose foreign documents have expired or cannot be renewed, while retaining security and visa conditions for continued stay.