MHA Notifies Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) Order, 2025

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has notified the Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) Order, 2025, introducing major exemptions from the requirements of valid passports, travel documents, and visas for certain categories of individuals and carriers.

Nepal and Bhutan Citizens Exempted
As per the order, citizens of Nepal and Bhutan entering India by land or air will not be required to furnish a passport or visa, continuing the long-standing travel arrangement between the three countries.

Exemption for Persecuted Minorities
The order also exempts individuals belonging to minority communities in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan—namely Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians—who were compelled to seek shelter in India due to religious persecution or fear of persecution.

• The exemption applies to those who entered India on or before December 31, 2024, without valid documents, or whose travel documents have since expired.
• Such individuals will not be required to possess a valid passport or visa under the new notification.