India is considering cutting the number of fields on its visa application forms by approximately 70%. The proposed reform, which could take effect in 2027, would cover all visa categories and aims to make the application process easier for international travelers.
India has added a new service to its official e-Visa portal allowing travelers to transfer certain valid e-Visas to a new passport. Initial tests conducted by VisasNews show that the procedure is limited to one-year and five-year authorizations and is intended for cases where the previous passport has been lost, stolen, or was not returned to its holder.
India is gradually automating biometric registration for travelers arriving with an electronic visa. Four new kiosks have just gone into service at Kolkata Airport, while similar equipment is already operating in Delhi, Mumbai, and Thiruvananthapuram. The kiosks allow travelers to scan their passport and register their photo and fingerprints before proceeding to an immigration counter.
India is clarifying the rules for its new “e-Group Visit Visa,” designed for groups of foreign tourists arriving in the country aboard cruise ships. Valid for 30 days and allowing multiple entries, applications will be submitted collectively by cruise operators or their agents. The service, however, is not yet available through India’s official e-Visa portal.
Uzbekistan has announced plans to introduce a 30-day visa-free regime with India. Uzbek authorities have described the measure as reciprocal and say it is intended to boost tourism between the two countries. However, no effective date has yet been announced.
Starting September 1, 2026, international travelers departing India will be able to present an electronic boarding pass at immigration. Paper boarding passes will remain accepted, but immigration officers will no longer stamp them.
Following the announcement of new entry points in India for e-Visa holders, the official portal now lists 85 locations where travelers can enter the country with an electronic visa. The list includes 36 airports, 38 seaports and 11 land border crossings.
India is exploring ways to simplify its tourist visa system, including the possibility of a visa on arrival for certain travelers. The e-Visa portal could also be streamlined to reduce friction before departure.
India has relaunched Air Suvidha 2.0, a mandatory online health declaration for international passengers arriving in the country. The system is designed to strengthen health surveillance at points of entry amid the Ebola/Bundibugyo outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.
India’s 30-day e-Tourist Visa now allows multiple entries, instead of the two entries previously permitted.
Starting June 3, 2026, Indian nationals no longer need an airport transit visa to connect through a German airport on their way to a third country.
Following the World Health Organization’s declaration of a public health emergency of international concern, several countries have stepped up health screening measures for travelers arriving from Ebola-affected areas.
Indian travelers connecting through a French airport no longer need an airport transit visa, provided they remain in the international transit area and continue onward to a third country. The measure took effect on April 10, 2026, following the publication of an official order in the Journal officiel.
India is further expanding the number of entry points available to travelers holding an electronic visa. Fourteen additional seaports can now be used to enter the country with an e-Visa.
As it does every year between April and June, India has once again lowered the price of its 30-day tourist e-Visa to $10 during the off-season, compared with $25 the rest of the year. In 2026, however, the measure could benefit a wider range of travelers, as this electronic visa can now be applied for much earlier than before.
