Registration is required for
All foreigners including foreigners of Indian origin visiting India on long term (more than 180 days) Student visa(S) (including those coming for study of Yoga, Vedic Culture, Indian system of dance and Music), Research Visa(R), Employment Visa(E), Medical(M), Medical Attendant(MX) and Missionary Visa (M) will be required to get themselves registered with concerned Registration Officer within 14 days of his/her first arrival, irrespective of the duration of their stay.
Foreigners visiting India are required to register within 14 days in case of stipulation/ observation/ Special endorsement made by Indian mission/ Embassy on the Indian Visa.
Foreigners visiting India on other categories of long term visa including business/Entry(X) visa would not require registration with the concerned FRROs/FROs if , repeat if duration of his/her stay does not exceed 180 days on a single visit. In case a foreigner intends to stay for more than 180 days on a single visit he should get himself registered well before the expiry of 180 days.
Pakistan Nationals are required to register within 24 hours and Afghanistan Nationals are required to register within 7 days of their arrival in India.
Registration facilities are not provided at the airport and are carried out in the office of FRROs or District Superintendents of Police (FROs).
Children below 16 years of age do not require Registration, on any type of VISA.
Such Foreign nationals , who are already holding long term Tourist Visas for 10/5 years with stay stipulation of 180 days/90 days and with multiple entry facility, there should be gap of at least 2 months between two visits to the country on Tourist Visa. In case requirement to visit the country within two months, permission should be sought from the Head of Mission concerned indicating the specific reasons for another visit within a short period. In all such cases registration would be required within 14 days of arrival.
This includes foreigners holding Tourist Visa who after initial entry into India had gone out of the country largely on account of neighbourhood tourism related travel and are re-entering India within two months before their final exit from India. However, Immigration authorities in all Immigration Check Posts may allow such foreign nationals on Tourist Visa to make two or three entries into the country (need based) subject to production of an itinerary and supporting documentation (Ticket bookings).
Penalty for late Registration
Though no fee is required to be paid for registration, yet a penalty in Indian currency equivalent to US$ 30/-(Rs.1395/-) in case of late registration is charged.
Requirements at the time of Registration
Every foreigner at the time of Registration, shall furnish, such information in registration report, as may be in his possession for the purpose of satisfying the Registration Officer and shall, on being required, shall sign the registration report in the presence of the said officer and shall thereupon be entitled to receive from the said officer a certificate of registration in Part III of Form A:
A foreigner is also required to submit: -
4 recent passport size photographs;
Photocopy of photo page and valid Indian Visa page of the passport;
Proof of residential address in India;
Documents of identification and;
In case of Student Visa, bonafide certificate from School/College;
In case of Employment Visa, request letter, undertaking, contract agreement from employer.
In case of Business Visa, business related papers on the authenticity of the business, copy of permission from Reserve Bank of India and approval of Government of India in case of joint venture/collaboration;
In case of Journalist Visa, accreditation certificate from Press Information Bureau and approval of Ministry of External Affairs.
In case of Research Visa, bonafide certificate & letter from the nodal agency/Ministry sponsoring the Research.
Liability of production of Registration Certificate
Every registered foreigner shall, within twenty-four hours, which can be extended if sufficient cause is shown, on demand by any Registration Officer, any magistrate or any police officer not below the rank of a head constable, produce his certificate of registration for inspection by such registration officer, magistrate or police officer:
If the Registration Officer, magistrate or police officer, not being below the rank of an Inspector is of the opinion that the passport or other documents of identification produced by the foreigner do not furnish adequate proof of identity and if the registration certificate does not bear the photograph or finger impressions/signatures, he may be asked to produce, four copies of passport size photograph, four complete sets of his finger impressions/signatures, one of which shall be made on the Registration Certificate. The finger impression/signatures shall be made in the presence of the Registration Officer and each set attested by him.
Report of absence from Registered Address
If at any time a foreigner proposes to be absent from one's registered address for a continuous period of eight weeks or more or one is changing his registered address then the foreigner is required to inform in person or through an authorized representative or by registered post to his Registration Officer of his intention to leave either temporarily or permanently the jurisdiction of the Registration Officer. In case of return, the foreigner should inform the Registration Officer of the date of return and in the case the foreigner is moving away, the change of address. Any changes made subsequently should also be intimated to the Registration Officer.
Every foreigner, who stays for a period of more than eight weeks at any place in any district other than the district in which registered address is situated, shall inform the Registration Officer of that district of his presence. This can be made in writing and the requirements deemed to have been fulfilled if, prior to arrival the foreigner furnishes to the Registration Officer of the said district intimating the dates of his proposed arrival and departure from the district.
Change in Registered address
A foreigner shall be deemed to have changed his registered address, if he changes his residence from one place to another place in India and if having no residence, he leaves his registered address knowing that he is not likely to return within six months of leaving it.
Reports of other changes except address
Every foreigner is required to furnish to the Registration Officer of the district in which his registered address is situated, particulars of any circumstances affecting in any manner the accuracy of the particulars recorded in his certificate of registration within fourteen days after the circumstance has occurred, and generally shall provide to the Registration Officer all information as may be necessary for maintaining the accuracy of the certificate.
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.
Duplicate certificate of registration
If any certificate of registration, issued under these rules is lost or destroyed, the foreigner to whom it was issued, shall make or send to the Registration Officer of the district of his registered address a report of circumstances in which it was so lost or destroyed together with an application in writing for the issue of a duplicate copy of the certificate of registration.
Production of proof of Identity
Every foreigner shall within twenty-four hours of demand being made of him by any Registration Officer, magistrate or police officer, not below the rank of a head constable ,which can be extended in case of sufficient cause shown by the foreigner, shall produce, at such place as may be specified , his passport or such other proof of his identity.
Every foreigner entering India shall, on demand by the Registration Officer, deliver his passport or other proof of identity to that officer and shall thereafter attend at such time and place as the Registration Officer may direct for the purpose of receiving back his passport and shall be entitled to receive a receipt for it from the Registration Officer.
Report to be made to and by hotel keepers.
Every keeper of a hotel shall require every visitor to the hotel to furnish the particulars necessary for recording, and sign, on his arrival at the hotel, his name and nationality in a register maintained for the purpose in Hotel Register and, if any such visitor is a foreigner shall further require him;
(a) on his arrival at such a hotel to furnish the other particulars specified in Items 4 to 10 of the said register; and
(b) At the time of his departure from such a hotel to furnish the particulars necessary for recording in the said register, the date and time of his departure and the address to which he is proceeding.
The prescribed Hotel Register shall at all time be made available for inspection, on the demand of the Registration Officer, any magistrate or any police officer not below the rank of head constable.
Every particular, other than the signature of the keeper of a hotel or a visitor, which is required to be recorded in the said register, shall be recorded by the keeper of the hotel in the English language or otherwise, in an Indian language.
It shall be duty of the keeper of the hotel, if so requested to explain to the visitor the requirements of doing the same.
The keeper of the hotel shall, as soon as it may be but not more than twenty four hours, after the arrival of any foreigner, transmit a copy of duty completed Form C to the Registration Officer (Copies of Form C can be obtained, from any Registration Officer on application).
(a)“hotel” includes any boarding-house, club, dak-banglow, rest house, paying guest house, sarai or other premises of like nature;
(b) “Keeper of a hotel” means the person having the management of a hotel and includes any person authorized by the keeper, and competent to perform the duties of the keeper of the hotel.
(c)“sign” includes, in respect of a visitor who is unable to write, the making of a thumb impression or other mark by means of which he is accustomed to attest a document; and
(d) “Visitor” means a person for whom accommodation is provided at a hotel.
Obligation of masters of vessels, etc.
The master or the person having management of any vessel arriving at or leaving any place in India shall—
(a) require any person who intends to disembark from or embark on any such vessel for the purpose of entering or leaving India, to furnish in writing a true statement of the particulars set out in Form ‘D’ (Disembarkation/Embarkation Card), as the case may be;
(b) cause Form ‘D’(Disembarkation/Embarkation Card) to be delivered to the Registration Officer at the place of arrival or departure;
(c) Take steps to ensure that no foreigner disembarks or embarks until authorized to do so by the Registration Officer.
(d) If so requested by the Registration Officer, a foreigner who is about to depart from India shall surrender his certificate of registration and deliver such certificate to Registration Officer;
(e) If so required by the Registration Officer, furnish on arrival at the said place a true statement in writing showing the name and nationality of every seaman employed on such vessel, and at the time of departing from such place take such steps as the Registration Officer may specify to ascertain whether or not any such seaman as aforesaid who is a foreigner is about to depart on board such vessel; and
(f) Generally render to the Registration Officer such assistance as he may reasonably require for carrying out the purpose of the Act and these rules.
The master or the person having the management of any vessel arriving at, or leaving any place in India by Sea shall also furnish, before any passenger disembarks or embarks, to the Registration Officer of any such place, a passenger manifest in prescribed format.
Every particular, other than the signature of a foreign passenger, which is required to be recorded in Form D, as the case may be, shall be recorded;
(a) if the passenger is able to write in English language, by the passenger , in the English language;
(b) if the passenger is unable to write in English language, by the passenger, in an Indian language; or
(c) if the passenger is unable to write in English language or in an Indian language, by the master of the vessel or by any person having the management of such vessel or by any seaman authorized in this behalf by such master or person, in the English language or in an Indian language.
If a foreign passenger does not understand the English language or Indian language it shall be the duty of the master of the vessel, if so requested, to explain to the foreign passenger the requirements.
Passenger Manifest shall be completed in the English language or in an Indian language.
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