In a move widely welcomed by the international travel and hospitality sector, the Government of India has reinstated all categories of long-duration regular (paper) tourist visas as well as the suspended e-Tourist visa options (one-month, one-year and five-year) with immediate effect. An official notification dated 18 May 2026 on the Embassy of India (Berne) website confirms that foreign nationals who still hold unexpired paper tourist visas issued before the pandemic may once again enter India on the same documents. Fresh applications for long-duration paper tourist visas are also being accepted at Indian missions abroad. Equally significant is the revival of the e-Tourist visa programme, dormant since March 2020. The electronic system now resumes for all nationalities that were eligible pre-pandemic—over 160 countries—and travellers can begin filing applications on the Indian e-Visa portal.
![India Fully Restores Long-Duration Tourist Visas and e-Tourist Visas]()
For travellers who prefer expert assistance, the visa specialists at VisaHQ can streamline both the revived e-Tourist visa and long-duration paper visa processes. Their online platform (https://www.visahq.com/india/) provides step-by-step guidance, document checklists and real-time status tracking, helping individuals and corporate travel departments avoid common errors and meet the new 72-hour filing benchmarks.
According to Ministry of Home Affairs officials, the backlog of pending e-Tourist visa requests has already been cleared, and consulates have been instructed to maintain a 72-hour service standard for new filings. The decision comes as India pursues an ambitious “Visit India 2026” campaign aimed at attracting 15 million foreign tourists this year—roughly 125 % of 2025 arrivals. Industry stakeholders expect immediate benefits for inbound tour operators, MICE organisers and hotel chains that rely on advance group bookings. Corporates arranging incentive travel or short executive retreats now regain a low-friction visa channel, while long-stay digital-nomad tourists regain the popular five-year multiple-entry option. For mobility managers, the announcement removes months of ambiguity over whether clients had to switch from lapsed paper visas to new electronic authorisations. Travellers who were stranded abroad with unused, still-valid stickers can now plan trips without additional fees. Companies should nevertheless remind assignees that biometric capture on arrival and the mandatory e-Arrival Card (introduced on 1 April 2026) remain in place. All travellers must complete the online disembarkation form at least 72 hours before departure, or risk airline boarding delays. In practical terms, the restored e-Tourist visa supports seamless multiple border entries—vital for executives who combine India meetings with short hops to neighbouring markets. With visa flexibility once again aligned to pre-COVID norms, India positions itself to reclaim lost ground in business and leisure travel just ahead of the peak monsoon conference season.
For travellers who prefer expert assistance, the visa specialists at VisaHQ can streamline both the revived e-Tourist visa and long-duration paper visa processes. Their online platform (https://www.visahq.com/india/) provides step-by-step guidance, document checklists and real-time status tracking, helping individuals and corporate travel departments avoid common errors and meet the new 72-hour filing benchmarks.
According to Ministry of Home Affairs officials, the backlog of pending e-Tourist visa requests has already been cleared, and consulates have been instructed to maintain a 72-hour service standard for new filings. The decision comes as India pursues an ambitious “Visit India 2026” campaign aimed at attracting 15 million foreign tourists this year—roughly 125 % of 2025 arrivals. Industry stakeholders expect immediate benefits for inbound tour operators, MICE organisers and hotel chains that rely on advance group bookings. Corporates arranging incentive travel or short executive retreats now regain a low-friction visa channel, while long-stay digital-nomad tourists regain the popular five-year multiple-entry option. For mobility managers, the announcement removes months of ambiguity over whether clients had to switch from lapsed paper visas to new electronic authorisations. Travellers who were stranded abroad with unused, still-valid stickers can now plan trips without additional fees. Companies should nevertheless remind assignees that biometric capture on arrival and the mandatory e-Arrival Card (introduced on 1 April 2026) remain in place. All travellers must complete the online disembarkation form at least 72 hours before departure, or risk airline boarding delays. In practical terms, the restored e-Tourist visa supports seamless multiple border entries—vital for executives who combine India meetings with short hops to neighbouring markets. With visa flexibility once again aligned to pre-COVID norms, India positions itself to reclaim lost ground in business and leisure travel just ahead of the peak monsoon conference season.
