Saturday, March 29, 2025
India Allows Hindus and Sikhs from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh to Stay Without Passports – One Key Condition Applies
New Delhi, September 3, 2025 – In a major relief move, the Union Home Ministry has announced that Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh who fled religious persecution and entered India on or before December 31, 2024, will be allowed to stay in the country even without valid passports or travel documents.
This directive has been issued under the newly enforced Immigration and Foreigners (Citizens) Act, 2025, and is expected to benefit a large number of people, especially Pakistani Hindus who had been uncertain about their future after arriving in India post-2014.
The government has also retained the existing passport exemption for citizens of Nepal and Bhutan, meaning they can continue to enter India by road or air without passports or visas. Similarly, members of the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force entering or exiting India on official duty, along with their family members traveling in official vehicles, will not be required to carry passports or visas.
However, the notification clarified that this exemption will not apply to travelers coming from China, Macau, Hong Kong, or Pakistan (except for those covered under the new minority provisions).
The order comes in line with the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), enacted last year, which allows persecuted minorities from the three neighboring countries who entered India on or before December 31, 2014, to be granted Indian citizenship.
The exemption also extends to Tibetans who have already entered India or are seeking entry, provided they have registered with the relevant authorities and obtained a registration certificate.
By easing entry and stay conditions, the government aims to provide long-term relief to minorities facing religious persecution in the region while ensuring regulated movement across borders.
