Every Country has an Immigration regulation body/authority. In India, it is called FRRO/FRO (Foreigner’s Regional Registration Office). This authority is directly under the supervision of the Commissioner of the Bureau of Immigration (BOI).

FRRO registration process is an online service (also called e-FRRO) which is applicable for foreigners coming to India on long-term visas such as Employment, Business, Conference, Tourist, Film, Journalist, Medical, Research, Student, and Project. There is a total of 25 online E-FRRO services available which a foreigner can apply.

Some regular process includes:

• FRRO Registration
• Change of Address/Change of Passport
• Registration/Visa Extension
• Exit Permit
• New baby Visa
• File Transfer

Important points to remember while applying for FRRO Registration:

• The FRRO/FRO Registration application needs to be applied within 14 days from the date of arrival in India or as per the visa endorsement at the FRRO/FRO office. Late registration of the application comes up with a financial penalty.
• The FRRO Office and Immigration checkpoints at the airports are inter-connected so all departures and arrivals of foreigners are monitored.
• The applicant should be present in India while applying and granting of visa related services
• An Employment visa can be extended up to 10 years in India
• Any change in address/passport/location should be informed to the FRO/FRRO office if a foreigner is on a long term visa and registered with the FRRO Office.

Important FRRO Processes:

1. Registration Certificate/ Resident Permit: This Certificate is issued after the successful completion of the registration process. This is a must-have document while traveling internationally from India and also act as address proof for a foreigner. A foreigner would require this certificate to open a bank account and to apply for his Tax/PAN card in India.

2. C – Form: It is a residence proof document of a foreigner while his stay in India. This is a requirement across India and is applicable to all the foreigners. The organization who accommodate foreigner as a guest eg. Hotels, Residence apartment owners have to apply for C-Form within 24 hours of a foreigner’s arrival at their premises.

3. Change of Address: If a foreigner changes his apartment or move to a different city, then it is important to inform the FRRO office about the same and get it updated on the FRRO document.

4. Change of Passport: If a foreigner’s passport gets expired or the pages of his passports are finished while staying in India, he or she applies for a new passport. Thereafter, Change of passport service is applied as new passport details are required to be shared/updated with the FRRO office.

5. Visa Extension: Generally, Employment and Business are issued for a period of 1-2 years by the Indian Embassy abroad. A foreigner can request for yearly extensions at the FRRO office. So, this avoids the hassle of traveling back to the home country to get a new visa.

I hope the above information is helpful for foreigners and interested parties. We at Lexagent Expat Relocation synchronize and streamline the whole process for a foreigner in a simplest and smoothest manner.