FRRO registration, inside the 14 days.

Who this is for

What we handle

This page is for foreign nationals arriving on long-term Indian visas and for the Indian families, universities, hospitals and employers hosting them: a foreign spouse on an Entry (X) visa, an international student on a Student visa, a patient and attendant on Medical visas, a researcher, a foreign-born child of an NRI, and holders of certain Business and Employment visas where the visa sticker says “registration required”. Pakistani, Afghan and some other nationals have shorter, stricter windows; Nepali and Bhutanese citizens are exempt; OCI cardholders are exempt however long they stay.

How we help

How registration is done

1. 01

   Confirm whether you must register

   We read the visa sticker or e-Visa grant and your nationality and tell you whether registration is required, by when, and which FRRO or FRO has jurisdiction over your address.

2. 02

   Get Form C filed by your host

   Your landlord, hotel, hostel or family files the accommodation report online. We guide them through it or do it with them — it is the step hosts most often do not know about.

3. 03

   File the e-FRRO registration

   We create your e-FRRO account, complete the registration form and upload passport, visa, photograph, proof of address, purpose documents and Form C. Most registrations are decided online; some FRROs call applicants in once.

4. 04

   Receive the residential permit and keep it current

   We send you the RP the moment it is issued, diary the expiry, and report any change of address or passport so your record stays clean for the extension or exit that comes later.

Documents the FRRO typically asks for

• Passport bio page and the Indian visa, plus the arrival stamp
• Form C acknowledgement from your landlord, hotel or institution
• Proof of residence in India — rent agreement, utility bill or host’s address proof with ID
• Purpose document — bonafide student certificate, hospital admission letter, research approval, employment contract, or spouse’s Indian passport and marriage certificate
• Recent photograph to the portal specification
• For minors: parents’ passports and the child’s birth certificate
• For late registration: a written explanation and proof of the reason

Exact documents depend on your nationality and case — we’ll send a tailored checklist when you get in touch.

FAQs

Who has to register with the FRRO?

Any foreign national holding an Indian visa valid for more than 180 days, and anyone whose visa sticker specifically says registration is required — typically Student, Employment, Research, Medical and Entry (X) visa holders — must register within 14 days of arrival. Tourist visa and e-Visa holders on short visits do not. Nationals of a few countries have shorter windows regardless of visa length, and OCI cardholders are exempt.

What is Form C and why does it matter?

Form C is the accommodation report every host — hotel, landlord, hostel, hospital or private family — must file on the Bureau of Immigration portal within 24 hours of a foreigner checking in. The FRRO uses it to confirm where you live, and a registration application without a matching Form C is routinely queried or rejected. We make sure your host has filed it before we submit anything.

I arrived three weeks ago and did not know. Am I in trouble?

You are late, not lost. Late registration is accepted with a penalty paid at the government rate and an explanation; the amount depends on how late you are. What you should not do is leave it until your visa needs extending or until you are at the airport, where an unregistered foreigner is stopped. Regularise it now and the rest of your stay is straightforward.

Is registration the same as a visa extension?

No. Registration records your presence and address and gives you a residential permit for the period of your visa. An extension lengthens the visa itself and is a separate e-FRRO application with its own rules. You cannot extend without having registered, which is why we treat registration as the foundation.

Which office handles my registration?

The FRRO with jurisdiction over your address — there are FRROs in the major cities and Foreigners Registration Officers (usually the district police) elsewhere, including Patiala. Since e-FRRO the office is chosen automatically from your address and most work is online, but it still matters for any in-person call.

What does Lifeset charge?

We quote in writing after seeing the visa and your situation, and the figure covers our preparation and filing only. Government fees and any late-registration penalty are paid at cost to the Bureau of Immigration. Registration is a legal requirement and the FRRO’s decision; our job is to make sure nothing in the file gives them a reason to query it.