Indians from both neighboring countries, along with the citizens of Nepal and Bhutan, will not need to present passports or visas as before.

According to an order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) after the implementation of the Immigration and Foreign (Civil) Act, 2025, members of the Indian Navy, Army or Air Force, who enter India or go out of the country, will not need to have passports or visas. In addition, family members of such soldiers, when they go into a government vehicle with such a person, will also not need to have a passport or visa.

The Ministry of Home Affairs said, ‘There will be no need for legitimate passport or other legitimate travel documents and legitimate visas to enter India, stay and go out, provided that an Indian citizen enters India via road or air from the border of Nepal or Bhutan, or a Nepali or Bhutani citizen enters India by road or air from the border of Nepal or Bhutan, or by any other place, or any other place has any place and any other place. Enters India or goes out of India. The ministry said, “But this discount will not be applicable to those traveling from China, Macau, Hong Kong or Pakistan.”

This provision also applies to those Tibetans who have already entered India and are living in the country or are entering India, provided that they have registered with the concerned registration officers and obtained the registration certificate.

According to the ministry, this provision will also apply in that situation if they have entered India on a special entry permit issued by the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu after 1959, or if they have entered India through the Indo-Donor Border on the new special entry permit issued by the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu till the date of implementation of the Act after 30 May 2003.

Minority communities of Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan- Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian, who were forced to take shelter in India due to fear of religious harassment or religious harassment and entered the country on or before 31 December 2024 without legitimate documents, including passports or other travel documents, or other travel documents, or other travel documents, or other travel documents, or other travel documents. Are, and the validity of such documents is exhausted, they will be exempted from the rule of valid passports and visas. This rule will not apply to the registered Sri Lankan Tamil citizens who took refuge in India till 9 January 2015.