Centre eases passport rules for certain Pakistani nationals residing in India

The Centre has relaxed passport and visa requirements for several foreign nationals in India, including specified Pakistani nationals, minority refugees, Sri Lankan Tamils and Tibetans. The amended order also clarifies identification and travel rules for Indian, Nepalese and Bhutanese citizens

New Delhi: The government has relaxed passport and visa rules for several categories of foreign nationals residing in the country, including certain Pakistani citizens, minority refugees, Sri Lankan Tamils and Tibetans, according to a gazette notification.

The Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) (Amendment) Order, 2026, published on Thursday, also streamlines travel and identification protocols for citizens of Nepal, Bhutan and India travelling between these neighbouring countries.

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Under the amended rules issued by the Union Home Ministry, Pakistani nationals who entered India on or before December 31, 2009, with the intention of residing permanently, are exempt from standard passport renewal requirements if they cannot renew their travel documents because they do not possess a Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) issued by Pakistan.

To qualify, they must not have married while in Pakistan or acquired any immovable property there. They must also have left behind family members who are Indian citizens when they went to Pakistan and undertake not to return to that country.

They must also have no adverse reports from the police or security agencies, the notification said.

A third category covered by the exemption comprises people of Indian origin who acquired Malaysian or Singaporean citizenship and returned to India on or before December 31, 2009, using passports issued by those countries. Their passports must have expired and remained unrenewed because they do not meet the respective countries’ renewal requirements.

For the purposes of this clause, a “person of Indian origin” means a foreign citizen (other than a citizen of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Nepal or China) who, at any time, held an Indian passport; or whose parents, grandparents or great-grandparents were born in and were permanent residents of India, as defined under the Government of India Act, 1935, or in other territories that subsequently became part of India, provided they were not citizens of any of the above-mentioned countries, the notification said.

All three categories will need to obtain an appropriate visa category to continue their stay in India.

Indian, Nepalese and Bhutanese citizens travelling directly between these neighbouring countries by land or air may present identification documents specified in the government’s official Visa Manual instead of standard passports, the notification said.

The notification further states that this exemption will not apply to Indian citizens departing for or returning from countries other than Nepal or Bhutan through the Indo-Nepal or Indo-Bhutan borders, by land or air. In such cases, they must possess valid passports and enter or exit India only through designated immigration posts.

Nepalese and Bhutanese citizens entering or exiting India after embarking from or transiting through China, Macau, Hong Kong or Pakistan must hold both a valid passport and a valid visa. Standard passport requirements also remain mandatory for regional border crossings to or from third countries, it said.

The rules exempt 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, after being compelled to seek shelter because of religious persecution or fear of religious persecution.

The exemption covers those who entered without valid passports or other travel documents, as well as those whose documents have expired. However, they must obtain an appropriate visa after entering India to continue their stay.

Registered Sri Lankan Tamil nationals who took shelter in India on or before January 9, 2015, are also exempt from the general passport and visa requirements under the revised provisions.

The order also covers certain Tibetans who entered India on permits issued by the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu between 1959 and May 30, 2003, or on special entry permits issued after that date through designated immigration posts on the Indo-Nepal border. They must register with the concerned authorities and obtain a certificate of registration.

Another provision exempts Indian Navy, Army and Air Force personnel entering or leaving the country on duty from passport and visa requirements. The exemption also extends to their family members accompanying them on government transport.

Foreign crew members of foreign military vessels visiting India for repairs and granted Military Ship Repair Permits by the Immigration Officer at the Immigration Post are also exempt from passport requirements, provided they carry their military identification documents.

“Explanation — For the purposes of this clause, foreign military vessels shall mean warships and other government ships operated for non-commercial purposes by the armed forces of another State,” the notification said.