For Foreigners visiting India with visas that exceed the stipulated period of 6 months, registration is essential, except for the categories that have been exempted. The registration must be done within 14 days of the first arrival at the nearest office of the Foreigners Registration Office. While registering following documents are essential:
Original passport on which visa is endorsed
Photocopy of the passport and initial visa
Four recent passport size photographs
Detailed address of residence in India
HIV test report from any of the WHO recognized institutions from (for people of age group 15-60), if the foreigner is visiting India for more than a year
Copy of marriage certificate (for those who wish to stay in India for a longer period on basis of being a spouse of an Indian national)
Bonafide certificate from the university or institution in the case containing a student visa
Accreditation certificate from press Information Bureau in case of a Journalist visa
Approval of the Department of Company Affairs in case of Board level appointments in Public Limited Companies
Copy of the approval from the government of India in case of a joint venture or collaboration
Copy of permission from RBI in case of contract or agreement (in case of employment visa)
Undertaking (as per the format given on the website) from the concerned Indian company (in case of employment or business visas)
The foreigner should register himself in the Registration offices by the procedure given on the website. After all the verification, certificates of registration will be issued by the registration officer to the applicant.
The foreigner must surrender these certificates to the registration officer of the place from where they are scheduled to depart or at the immigration office at the check post of exit from India. Registration must be done only once, while the visa is valid, irrespective of how many times he or she goes and comes into the territory of India.
Categories of foreigners exempted from registration are as follows:
US nationals containing 10-year tourist or business visas (their continuous stay during each visit must not exceed six months )
Foreigners of Indian origin holding 5-year multiple entry X visas with an endorsement that ‘stay should not exceed six months during each visit ‘
Foreigners holding five-year tourist visas, who are actively engaged in tourist or travel trade, wish to visit India frequently over extended periods for promotion of tourism, etc. (their visa must contain an endorsement that ‘continuous stay should not exceed six months)
Foreigners below the age of 16 years.
If foreigners want to visit restricted areas in India, they have to get a valid permit as a visa alone is not sufficient to visit such places. Foreigners visiting from countries that contain yellow fever must come with a valid vaccination certificate. At the time of departure as well as arrival, foreigners should fill up Disembarkation or embarkation forms.
Persons holding multiple entry visas must register themselves with the FRO or FRRO within 14 days of the first arrival if they wish to stay continuously for more than 180 days. Persons of Indian origin holding multiple entry X-visas, visiting India to visit relatives or for any other social purpose must require with the FRO or FRRO within 14 days of the first arrival only if they wish to stay continuously for more than 180 days. The registration must be done during the first visa after the visa is issued. Subsequent travels using the same visa do not require registration.
Also, foreigners leaving India will not be required to submit registration certificates in physical form at the immigration desk from now on, as per the amendments made by Home Ministry in Citizenship Rules, 1992.
The Ministry has simplified the process of registration by launching an e-Foreigners Regional Registration Office (E-FEEO) portal in order to implement faceless, cashless, and paperless services to foreigners. The Citizenship Rules implementing the changes were amended through a notification and are called the Registration of Foreigners (Amendment) Rules, 2021.
The Ministry has released a notification, that says there is no requirement of endorsement on the passport as the records are generated electronically. Under the said rule any application or information under these rules shall be submitted to the registration Officer through the electronic mode. On the receipt of the application or information, as the case may be, the Registration Officer shall verify the genuineness of the application or information, and he may, if necessary, call upon the applicant or the informant for personal appearance of the applicant or informant for the purpose of the said rule.
