Visa rules that changed for Indian travellers in 2025 and 2026

In short: Visa rules moved a lot for Indian passport holders over the past year. Some changes make travel easier (Sri Lanka's free ETA, Japan's Rs 500 fee, visa-free entry to the Philippines), others tighten it (Thailand's 30-day limit, Iran's suspended waiver, Ecuador's new transit visa). Below is a dated list, each item taken from a government page we read on 10 and 11 November 2026.

Easier

• Sri Lanka: free ETA (from 25 May 2026). Nationals of 40 countries, including India, can get the tourist ETA free of charge for 30 days, with double entry. ETA fees paid before that date are not refunded.
• Japan: eVISA fee cut to Rs 500 (applications from 1 July 2026 to 31 March 2027). The Consulate-General of Japan in Mumbai gives this rate for Indian nationals, with the VFS service fee on top.
• Philippines: visa-free for 14 days (from 8 June 2025). The Philippine e-Visa policy page lets Indian nationals enter for 14 days for tourism or business, or 30 days for tourism with a valid US, Japan, Australia, Canada, Schengen, Singapore or UK visa or residence permit.
• Maldives: faster extensions (from 23 April 2026). Tourist visa extensions are applied for on the IMUGA portal and are expected within 48 hours.
• Bhutan: SDF waiver for border towns (from 2 June 2026 to August 2027). Visits of up to 24 hours to Samtse, Phuentsholing, Gelephu and Samdrupjongkhar towns are free of the Sustainable Development Fee if you stay within the designated zones.
• UAE: visa on arrival (announced February 2025). Indians holding a valid US, EU or UK visa, residence permit or Green Card can get a visa on arrival, and from 13 February 2025 so can holders of residence permits from Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and Singapore.

Tighter

• Thailand: 30-day visa exemption (from 15 September 2026). The Royal Thai Embassy in New Delhi says the 30-day visa exemption for Indian tourists took effect on that date and remains "until further announcement".
• Iran: visa waiver suspended. The Embassy of India in Tehran posted an advisory on the suspension of the visa waiver for Indian nationals on 18 November 2025. Indians now need an Iranian visa.
• Ecuador: transit visa (from 1 September 2025). Indians need a transit visa even to pass through Ecuador, applied for from outside the country at least 20 days before travel.
• Pakistan: SAARC visa exemption suspended (April 2025). Pakistan said it cancelled all visas under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme issued to Indian nationals, except for Sikh religious pilgrims.

Deadlines and process changes

• Malaysia: visa-free until 31 December 2026. The High Commission of Malaysia lists the 30-day exemption as running until that date. We found no extension as of 11 November.
• China: new application process (from 26 October 2026). The Chinese Embassy in India and the Consulate General in Mumbai now accept and process visa applications directly, and Kolkata-district services are temporarily handled by the Embassy.
• Myanmar: visa on arrival expired. India's Ministry of External Affairs listed Myanmar's visa on arrival for tourists as valid only until 29 August 2026.

Also worth knowing: rules beyond visas

• Flight refunds: since 26 March 2026 DGCA rules require refunds on a fixed timetable. See our refund guide.
• Airfares: new rules from 1 January 2027 require airlines to show the full price. See our airfare rules guide.

What we could not confirm

Many countries publish rule changes only in local languages, or not at all. This list covers only the changes we could read on an official page. If a rule on this list is not what you were told at the airline counter, check the government site and tell us.

How we checked this

Each item was read on the government or embassy page listed in the sources. Dates are the ones the pages give. Rules change quickly, so confirm before you book. Details for each country are in our visa guide.