The Union home ministry has relaxed passport and visa requirements for several categories of foreign nationals residing in India, including Pakistani citizens who entered prior to December 31, 2009 with the intention to permanently reside in India but could not renew their Pakistani passport due to non-possession of computerized nationality identity card issued by the Pakistan government.
The Times of India reports that other categories if foreign nationals for whom passport and visa rules have been eased as part of the Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) (Amendment)) Order 2026, include citizens of Pakistan, Afghanistan and other minorities.
The order also streamlines travel and identification protocols for the citizens of Nepal and Bhutan, allowing them to enter or exit India by producing any one of the documents specified in the visa manual: However, in case they are entering or exiting India from or to a place other than Nepal or Bhutan, they must be in possession of a valid passport.Nepal and Bhutan citizens who have embarked at or transited through China, Macau, Hng King or Pakistan, must be in possession of both a valid passport and a valid visa.
The requirements of a valid passport and visa would also not apply to a male member of the Muslim community, being originally an Indian citizen, who went to Pakistan after partition between August 15, 1947 and Dec 31, 1965 leaving behind family in India and returned to India on or before Dec 31, 2009, and settled in Keralam on a valid Pakistani passport but which has since expired or been lost.
