The Foreigners Regional Registration Office Registration (FRRO) is a competent authority that ensures the registration of foreigners with the Indian government. People travel here for a variety of reasons. This authority keeps their track records, verifies their entity, registers their arrival and departure and assesses their motive through different types of visas.
Typically, this authority verifies the request for different visas by foreigners. These all include the following visas:
· Employment Visa · Business Visa · Student Visa · Entry (X) Visa |
· Research Visa · Journalist Visa · Medical Visa · Return Visa |
Why FRRO Registration
This authority keeps an eye on every foreigner who comes here for different purposes. In case of its violation, the foreigner may be penalized with imprisonment and compensation amount. Deporting can also be done in certain cases.
Officially, it maintains their proper record in this manner:
- Jurisdiction or administration over the place
With the registration of all foreigners, including foreigners of Indian origin, who are on long term student, medical, research or employment visa, it controls over the place where they intend to stay. All foreigners are directed to get registered within 14 days of arrival.
- Mandates registering as per nationality
There are some regulations here to govern this registration practice as per different countries. All, except for people from Pakistan, are able to get it done within 14 days of arrival here. Pakistani nationals have to hurry up registering within a day or 24 hours since arrival.
- Verifies Afghans
Although Afghans may also inform about their arrival in 14 days, yet there are few cases that are related to the visa validity for 30 days or less. Such cases are treated exceptionally. They have to share their local address in India with the Indian Mission/ FRRO/ FRO. The visa holding Afghans may have the “exemption from police reporting & exit permission” given that they will leave from here within the visa validity period.
- Monitor aggregate days of business visa holders
The registration of foreigners on the business visa helps this authority to calculate the aggregate days of their stay. If it exceeds 180 days during a calendar year, it takes an action notifying them.
- Visa renewal
However, the foreigners, except for Pakistanis, may not register with FRRO if they have a long term visa and their intention is to return within 180 days from arrival. In case, they want to exceed their stay from 180 days to more, registration is mandatory before its expiry. This authority looks into the renewal visa matters.
Entry (X) and business visa holders who exceed their 180 days of stay to more than 6 months on every visit have to renew registration.
- Foreigners above 16 to physically report
Foreigners, including minors above 16 years of age have to be there for reporting in person. An authorized representative can also represent you before the appropriate Registration Officer for registration. Minors below the age of 16 years may not report.
- Must to register for visa less than 180 days
FRRO/FRO registration is must in the case you have a visa for less than 180 days. This is also mandatory for the cases of special endorsement.
However, business visa holders shall not be registered on their CONTINUOUSLY STAY LESS THAN 180 DAYS IN A CALENDAR YEAR.
- Journalist visa
Foreigners with Journalist visa or any other category that is valid for more than 180 days and has no special endorsement of “each stay 180 days with no registration”, registration is required within 180 days of arrival.
Generally, this process hardly takes a day. But, the rare cases or field inquiry may extend its processing. This authority is governed on the basis of guidelines and norms set under The Passport (Entry in India) Act, 1920, The Foreigners Act, 1946 and The Registration of Foreigners Act, 1939 and The Registration of Foreigners Rules, 1992.
