Nepal, Bhutan Citizens Can Now Enter India Without Passport And Visa, Says MHA In Its New Directive

(MENAFN- Live Mint) The Ministry Of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued an order stating that the citizens of Nepal and Bhutan, including Indians entering India by land or air from the two neighbouring countries will not be required to show passport and visa, PTI reported.

The order, issued after the implementation of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, states members of India's naval, military, or air forces who are entering or leaving the country on official duty, along with their accompanying family members traveling on government transport, will not be required to carry a passport or visa .

What does the order say?

It mentions the requirement for a valid passport, other valid travel documents, and a valid visa for entry into, stay in, and exit from India shall not apply if“a citizen of India entering into India by land or by air over the Nepalese or Bhutanese frontier, a citizen of Nepal or Bhutan entering into India by land or air over the Nepal or Bhutan border or if he possesses a valid passport while entering or exiting India from or to a place other than Nepal or Bhutan but not from China, Macau, Hong Kong or Pakistan.”

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The provision also extends to Tibetans who have entered and are residing in India, or who are entering the country, provided they have registered with the appropriate registration authorities and obtained registration certificates. This applies to those who entered India between 1959 and May 30, 2003 using a Special Entry Permit issued by the Indian embassy in Kathmandu, as well as those who entered after May 30, 2003 up to the date the Act comes into effect, using a new Special Entry Permit issued by the Indian embassy in Kathmandu and arriving through an immigration post on the Indo-Nepal border designated by the Central government.

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Additionally, individuals from minority communities in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, namely Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians, who were forced to seek refuge in India due to religious persecution or the fear of it, and entered the country on or before December 31, 2024, will be exempt from the requirement to possess a valid passport and visa. This exemption applies whether they entered without valid travel documents or entered with valid documents that have since expired.

The rule also does not apply to Sri Lankan Tamil nationals who were registered and had taken refuge in India by January 9, 2015.

(With inputs from PTI)

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