The central government has relaxed passport and visa rules for several categories of foreign nationals residing in the country. These include some Pakistani nationals, minority refugees, Sri Lankan Tamils and Tibetans. The Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) (Amendment) Order, 2026, issued on Thursday, also eases travel and identification rules for citizens of Nepal, Bhutan and India between these neighboring countries.
According to the revised rules issued by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, Pakistani nationals who arrived in India on or before December 31, 2009 with the intention of permanent settlement in India are exempted from the normal conditions for passport renewal. This exemption applies to those who are unable to renew their travel documents due to lack of Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) issued by Pakistan.
To get this exemption, they should not have married or purchased any immovable property while living in Pakistan. Additionally, any family members left behind during their departure must be Indian citizens. Further, they should give an undertaking that they will not return to Pakistan. The notification also states that they should not have any adverse police or security reports against them.
The third category of exemption includes persons of Indian origin who acquired Malaysian or Singaporean citizenship and returned to India using passports issued by those countries on or before December 31, 2009. The passports of these individuals have expired and have not been renewed as they do not meet the renewal requirements of the respective countries.
According to the notification, under this provision, “person of Indian origin” means a foreign national (not being a citizen of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Nepal and China) who has ever held an Indian passport; or if the person, his parents, grandparents, or great-grandchildren were born in India and have been permanently resident in the territories specified in the Government of India Act, 1935, or in the territories which later became part of India, if they were never citizens of the above countries (Pakistan, Bangladesh, etc.).