Nepal and Bhutan Citizens Can Now Enter India Without Passport or Visa Under New Order

In a bid to promote cross-border tourism, the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has announced that citizens of Nepal and Bhutan can enter India without a passport or visa starting September 1, 2025. The Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) Order, 2025, allows citizens of Nepal and Bhutan to enter India when arriving by land or air through their respective borders (without a passport or visa). The MHA informed, the requirement of a passport or any other travel documents, a 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".As per the MHA’s notification under Section 33 of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025:Citizens of Nepal and Bhutan coming by land or air from their respective countries are not required to show a passport or visa.The rule is also applicable to Indian nationals entering India by land or air via Nepal or Bhutan.However, citizens of Nepal and Bhutan must carry valid passports and visas if entering from any third nation—except if arriving with such documents from China, Macau, Hong Kong, or Pakistan.Identity DocumentationNepali and Bhutanese citizens still need to carry valid identity proof such as:Citizenship certificateVoter ID (issued by the Election Commission of their country)Limited-validity photo-ID issued by their mission in IndiaFor kids aged 10–18, a school principal’s photo-ID accompanying parents; no ID required for children under 10Extended Exemptions under the New OrderThe 2025 exemption consolidates and replaces earlier provisions (1957 and 2007 orders), and also extends passport and visa relaxations to:Members of Indian Armed Forces, along with their families when travelling on government transport Registered Tibetans who entered via Special Entry Permits issued by the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu, both before and after May 30, 2003 Minority community refugees (Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, Christians) from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh who entered India on or before December 31, 2024, regardless of whether their travel documents are valid or expired Registered Sri Lankan Tamils who took shelter in India on or before January 9, 2015Impact on travellersNow Nepali and Bhutanese tourists and travellers planning to explore India can do that without worrying about a passport or visa. For tourism or personal visits, citizens from Nepal and Bhutan can directly enter from their home country using alternate IDs. This will simplify the documentation process and boost cross-border connectivity, trade, and ties while preserving national security.