Foreigners are required to provide the purpose for which a long-term visa was initially applied and also abide by the conditions endorsed on the visa. At the time of registering, foreigners must give accurate information for the satisfaction of the registration officer and shall sign the registration report in the presence of the concerned officer. The foreigner is issued a registration certificate after registration. They may go through the instructions given on registration certificates for guidance on stay and future reporting.
The visa usually indicates a stay period of 180 days. If this is not the case the visa will clearly indicate that registration is required within 14 days. Registration is also required for the visa when the holder wants to apply for a period of more than 180 days. The major Indian cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Amritsar, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad have foreign regional offices. Foreign registration in areas not covered by an FRRO can be completed at the district superintendents of Police, which operates as the Foreign Registration Office (FRO).
Documents required for registration:
Four passport size photographs
Passport with a valid visa
Three photocopies of the photo page and the valid visa of passport
Details and three copies of proof of residence
Registration fee of Rs. 100
Employment, business and student visas require extra documentation
Documents required for employment visa:
Three copies of the registration form
Three copies of contract from employer including all details
Three copies of stamped and signed undertaking letter from the company on its letterhead
If living in India for more than a year, a copy of form 16 of Income Tax papers
Three copies of PAN card
Documents required for business visa:
Three copies of stamped and signed undertaking letter from one of the directors of the company on company letterhead
Papers proving the authenticity of the business
Permission from the RBI
Approvals from the Government of India
Three copies of PAN Card
Documents required for a student visa:
Original and authentic certificate from an educational institute
Consent letter from parents
Registration must be completed on the same day unless the registration officer needs to make further inquiries. After registration, the registration certificate is issued and that is valid for the period permitted on the visa. A resident permit is also issued. Holders of registration certificates must inform the foreign registration office if:
There is the intention to be absent from the registered address for eight weeks or more
The registered address changes
The holder departs from India
Upon final departure from India, the certificate issued must be returned to the Registration Office where registered or at the place of departure or to the immigration officer at the port of exit from India. Extension on a visa is reviewed on an individual basis. Applications must be submitted in advance from the date of expiry of the current visa and documents required for it.
Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) do not need a visa to enter India as they are citizens of India (hold Indian passports), but the Individuals who change their citizenship and give up Indian citizenship by living in a foreign country can obtain OCI card (overseas citizen of India) that will enable a lifelong visa-free entry in India. No visa is required for a PIO cardholder to visit India. A PIO cardholder will be exempted from the requirement of registration if his stay of one time visit in India does not exceed 180 days. The Government of India announced that PIO card holders staying in India on a long-term basis will no longer have to report to the local police station.
The issuance of an online diplomatic visa in India was introduced in February 2015. Every foreign citizen holding a diplomatic or official passport can apply for a diplomatic visa in India.
Documents required for a diplomatic visa:
The passport should have a validity of at least 6 months from the application date and with two blank pages for official stamp purposes.
Two recently taken photos on a white or light background, each of the size 3.5 × 3.5 cm
A copy of the first and last page of the passport that contains information of the applicant’s name, address, date of birth, expiry date, nationality, etc
A copy of the printed copy of the visa application
An invitation letter from India
Proof of the applicant’s residential address
While submitting the visa application, an applicant has to upload the documents that are indicated for a service type
An applicant has to submit his Diplomatic or Official passport at the MEA (Ministry of External Affairs) and CPV (Consular, Passport and Visa division) division, only after receiving an information receipt from the CPV division. This will be notified to the applicant via an e-mail or SMS.
Project visa, “X” Entry visa, research visa, transit visa, conference visa and medical visa are a few types of visas that are issued by India (not long-term visas). India also offers tourist visas on arrival. The Tourist Visa-On-Arrival (TVOA) is available for foreign nationals arriving from Finland, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Singapore, Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines, Laos, Indonesia or Myanmar at international airports of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Hyderabad and Bengaluru.
Also, there are so many countries that allow Indians to travel into their territory offering visas based on arrival. Indonesia, Nepal, Bhutan, Malaysia, Iran, Kenya Laos are a few of the examples of the countries that allow a visa on arrival for Indians.
