There are 82 Immigration Check Posts all over India, catering to international traffic. Out of these, 27 ICPs are functioning under the BoI, while the remaining is being managed by the concerned State Governments. At present, there are 13 FRROs in major cities i.e. Delhi, Mumbai Kolkata, Chennai, Amritsar, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Calicut, Cochin, Goa and Trivandrum and Chief Immigration officer in Ahmedabad. At remaining places District Superintendent of Police (SP) functions as FRO to facilitate foreigners.

Foreigner Valid Entry In India

All foreign nationals entering India are required to possess a valid international travel document in the form of a national passport with a valid visa obtained from an Indian Mission or Post abroad. The duly signed physical copy of the application form completed in all respect and submitted successfully, is to be submitted at the concerned Indian Visa Application Center (IVAC) or directly to Indian Mission/Post, on the scheduled date of interview along with the requisite supporting documents.
 

General Instructions for Registration by the Foreigners:

All foreigners (including foreigners of Indian origin) visiting India on long term (more than 180 days) Student Visa, Medical Visa, Research Visa and Employment Visa are required to get themselves registered with the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer (FRRO)/ Foreigners Registration Officer (FRO) concerned having jurisdiction over the place where the foreigner intends to stay, within 14 days of arrival.

However, Pakistan nationals are required to register within 24 hours of their arrival. All Afghan nationals are required to register with the FRRO/FRO concerned within 14 days of arrival except those Afghan nationals who enter India on a visa valid for 30 days or less provided the Afghan national concerned gives his/her local address in India to the Indian Mission/ FRRO/FRO.

Registration is also required in the case of visa less than 180 days and if there is special endorsement for registration required. However foreigners entering on Entry (X) and Business visas valid for more than 180 days are required to register with the FRRO, FRO if they continuously intend to stay for more than 6 months i.e. more than 180 days on each visit.
 

Exemption from police reporting:

The Afghan nationals who are issued visas with ‘ Exemption from police reporting’ are exempt fi'om Police reporting as well as Exit permission provided they leave within the Visa validity period.
 

Exemption from Registration

Foreigners other than those mentioned above will not be required to get themselves registered, even if they have entered India on a long term visa provided their continuous stay in India does not exceed 180 days.

If the intention of the foreigner is to stay in India for more than 180 days, he/she should get himself/ herself registered well before the expiry of 180 days from the date of arrival with the FRRO/FRO concerned. But exempting visa bearing endorsement as Stay not to exceed 180 days hence no registration required. No registration is required in respect of children below the age of 16 years.
 

Diplomats, Officials etc:

Foreign diplomatic and/ or consular officers or officials assigned to India and their spouses and children are exempt from registration on a reciprocal basis. However, this exemption is not available to the members of the staff of the missions of the Arab Republic of Egypt and Syrian Arab Republic.
 

Officials of the UN:

and its Specialized Agencies coming to India on duty, their spouses and dependent relatives, as well as experts under the UN and its Specialized Agencies holding UN Laissez-Passer or any other document indicating their status with the UN, are exempted from registration.

Journalist:
Foreigners entering on Journalist and any other category of visa which is valid for more than 180 days and do not have a special endorsement of Each stay 180 days hence no registration required are required to register with the concerned F.R.R.O.s, F.R.O.s within 180 days of their arrival.
 

Specified Period of Registration:

Ordinarily, the registration process is completed on the same day, but it may vary in those cases where field inquiry/other checks are required to be done by the registration.

Residential Permit:

Residential permit is issued at the time of registration, its validity being the period of stay specified in the visa.
 

Extension of the Residential Permit:

Application should be made at least TWO months before its expiry to the nearest Registration Officer in the prescribed form.
 

Report of absence from address:

If at any time a foreigner who is required to register proposes to be absent from his/ her registered address for a continuous period of eight weeks or more; or is changing the registered address; or is finally departing from India, he shall, before leaving, inform in person, or through an authorized representative, or by registered post to the jurisdictional Registration Officer of his/ her intention to leave, either temporarily or permanently.

In case he/ she is moving to another address in India, the new address should also be intimated to the Registration Officer.

Exemption From Departure Clearance:

It is not necessary for a foreigner (except a citizen of Pakistan or Afghanistan) to seek exit/ departure clearance from the Registration Officer of his/ her place of registration. Those Afghan nationals who enter India on a visa valid for 30 days or less are exempt from the requirement of exit permission provided the Afghan national concerned gives his/her local address in India to the Indian Mission/FRRO/FRO.
 

Responsibility of the Indian host/sponsor:

1. Giving undertaking on behalf of the foreigner
2. To ensure good conduct of the foreigner during his/her stay in India and to inform the FRRO/FRO office in case of termination of Business contract to confirm the foreigner’s departure from the country along with flight details and date of departure.
3. To produce the foreigner in person at FRRO/FRO office within 24 hours in case of withdrawal of undertaking for the good conduct of the Foreigner. The Indian Host/ sponsor shall also inform the flight details and date of departure in the event the foreigner decides to leave the country for good.

Extension of Visas:

Extensions are granted on different categories of visas as per requirements on case-to-case basis. The foreigner seeking extension must ensure that he/she submits application and the required supporting documents for extension well before date of expiry of visa. The conditions and supporting documents /required for extension of visa under each category are as mentioned below:
Supporting documents required with different category of visas:

1. Employment Visa
2. Business Visa
3. Student visa
4. Entry (X)
5. Applicants born in India
6. Research visa
7. Journalist visa
8. Medical visa
9. Return Visa Eligibility:
   The facility is only granted to students for returning to their home countries during vacations three times in a academic year and to those foreigners who are on employment and business visas and their cases have been referred to Ministry of Home affairs New Delhi for further extension and are under consideration. Return visa application should be processed before 3 days prior to date of journey.

Documents required for taking Exit Permit:

1. Surrogacy cases
2. Child born in India - Original Passport & Emergency Traveling Document is required.
3. In case of release from Jail/Acquittal cases.
   
   

Requirements for Extension of Visa for foreign national:

Foreigners must submit application for extension of residential permit / visa at least 60 days before the date of expiry of respective residential permit/visa.

Over stay:

In the event of overstay foreigner is liable for prosecution imprisonment up to 5 years with fine & expulsion from India.

Late Renewal of Residential Permit:

A foreigner who has delayed for renewal of RP, on application, if delay is condoned will be charged a penalty in Indian currency equivalent to US $30/- for late renewal. Report of absence from Registered Address a foreigner proposes to be absent from his / her registered address for a continuous period of eight weeks or more or change his / her registered address then the foreigner is required to inform in person or through an authorized representative or by registered post to his / her Registration Officer.

Surrender of certificates of registration on departure:

Every foreigner who is about to depart finally from India shall surrender his certificate of registration either to the Registration Officer of the place where he is registered or of the place from where he intends to depart or to the Immigration Officer at the Port/Check post of exit at the time of final departure from India. If the certificate is surrendered other than to the Immigration Officer of the port or check post of exit, a receipt indicating such surrender of the document may be obtained and shown to the Immigration Officer at the time of final departure.
 

General Information/Instruction:

Immigration check is conducted for all passengers, Indians or foreigners, both at the time of arrival and departure.
 

Foreigners:

Foreign Nationals coming to India are required to possess a genuine and valid national passport. Nepal and Bhutan nationals if entering India by land or air from the Nepal or Bhutan border respectively do not require a passport for entering into India. However, they are required to possess, authorized identity proof. Further if they are entering India from a place other than their own country then possession of their national passport is a must.

Requirements during arrival of Foreigners in India:

Immigration check is carried out for all passengers at the port of arrival in India Disembarkation Card (Arrival Card) as to his name and nationality.

Pakistan nationals other than those on Diplomatic Visa, Non-Diplomatic Visa, SAARC Visa Exemption Sticker and SAU Visa or those who have been exempted from carrying visa application are required to carry a Visa application form (duplicate copies) which will be issued in addition to regular Visa on their passport by the Indian Mission concerned to report to the FRRO/FRO or concerned Police Station in their places of stay within 24 hours unless and until they are officially Exempted from Police Reporting.

Foreigners holding PIO cards- The foreigners holding PIO cards can gain entry into India if valid PIO card is presented along with the valid new foreign passport issued in lieu of the passport endorsed on the PIO card.

However the foreigners are advised to have necessary endorsement of the new passport from the competent authority on their PIO cards to avoid any inconvenience.

Registration of Afghan National:

All Afghan Nationals arriving in India should get themselves registered (except those granted exemption from Police Reporting) Within 14 days of their arrival by appearing in person, with the following documents (those below the age of 12 years and above the age of 65 years need not come personally to the FRRO/FRO, they may authorize any person with ID to process their arrival registration).

Those holding Indian visas valid for less than 30 days are exempted from registration/exit permission provided they furnish their local address in India to the concerned Indian Mission.

Requirements during Stay in India:

If the visa is valid for more than 180 days and the foreigner intends to stay in India continuously for more than 180 days, then every such foreigner entering India or resident in India shall present in person or along with an authorized representative to the satisfaction of the appropriate Registration Officer at the place of his stay within the specified period mentioned on visa except certain visa categories requiring registration within the specified time.