India’s Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued a fresh Gazette notification amending the Immigration and Foreigners Order, 2025 to update the roster of “protected areas” in six Rajasthan districts that share a sensitive land frontier with Pakistan—Jaisalmer, Bikaner, Sriganganagar, Barmer, Phalodi and Jalore. Effective 19 June 2026, any foreign national—including Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card-holders—who wishes to travel, work, volunteer or stay overnight in the newly listed tehsils must obtain a Protected Area Permit (PAP) in addition to an Indian visa. The city limits of major population centres (for example Jaisalmer town, Bikaner city and Barmer) and popular desert-tourism corridors such as Sam sand-dunes have been explicitly exempted, but the surrounding rural belt now falls under stricter surveillance. Background: India designates specific zones along international borders and in certain tribal regions as “Protected” or “Restricted” to safeguard strategic installations and indigenous communities. Foreigners cannot enter these zones without advance security clearance. The last comprehensive update for Rajasthan came in 2018; since then, border infrastructure has expanded and tourist foot-fall into the Thar desert has surged, prompting security agencies to revisit the map. Business and mobility implications: 1. Inbound tour operators running desert safaris, film shoots or adventure rallies must re-check itineraries to ensure that night halts and camps do not stray into newly-notified villages. 2. Corporate travellers inspecting mining, renewable-energy or defence projects in the border belt will need to budget 6-8 weeks for PAP processing through the MHA’s online portal or via an Indian mission abroad. 3. Indian sponsors (for example, project sites or NGOs) must file an undertaking guaranteeing the visitor’s movements and accommodation. 4. Companies employing foreign experts for on-site commissioning work should explore shifting staff accommodation to exempt city areas to avoid permit delays.
For travellers and organisations now grappling with this extra layer of bureaucracy, VisaHQ can help simplify the process. Through its India-focused portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/), the firm provides end-to-end assistance for both standard Indian visas and the newly mandatory Protected Area Permits, offering customised checklists, digital filing tools and real-time status alerts that can save valuable time and reduce administrative burdens.
Analysts note that the order also, for the first time, defines the term “OCI card-holder” within the protected-area framework—closing a grey zone that previously led to inconsistent enforcement. While OCI holders enjoy visa-free entry to India, they must now seek PAPs just like other foreign nationals when travelling in the specified Rajasthan districts. The policy recalibration underscores New Delhi’s dual objective: encouraging tourism-led growth in Rajasthan while ring-fencing border security amid heightened regional tensions. Organisations with cross-border supply chains or desert-infrastructure projects should immediately audit upcoming travel plans and refresh employee briefings to remain compliant.
For travellers and organisations now grappling with this extra layer of bureaucracy, VisaHQ can help simplify the process. Through its India-focused portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/), the firm provides end-to-end assistance for both standard Indian visas and the newly mandatory Protected Area Permits, offering customised checklists, digital filing tools and real-time status alerts that can save valuable time and reduce administrative burdens.
Analysts note that the order also, for the first time, defines the term “OCI card-holder” within the protected-area framework—closing a grey zone that previously led to inconsistent enforcement. While OCI holders enjoy visa-free entry to India, they must now seek PAPs just like other foreign nationals when travelling in the specified Rajasthan districts. The policy recalibration underscores New Delhi’s dual objective: encouraging tourism-led growth in Rajasthan while ring-fencing border security amid heightened regional tensions. Organisations with cross-border supply chains or desert-infrastructure projects should immediately audit upcoming travel plans and refresh employee briefings to remain compliant.
