Extend or convert your Indian visa before it runs out.

Who this is for

What we handle on the e-FRRO portal

This page is for anyone already in India whose visa is ending or no longer fits their situation: the foreign spouse of an Indian citizen on an Entry (X) visa, a student whose course has been extended, a patient whose treatment needs more time, a business visitor whose project ran over, an NRI’s foreign-born child, or anyone who has overstayed and needs the exit permit that lets them leave without a ban. If you hold an OCI card none of this applies — the card is itself a lifelong visa.

How we help

How an extension or exit permit is handled

1. 01

   Check what is actually possible

   We read your visa sticker or e-Visa grant, your nationality and your purpose, and tell you whether extension or conversion is permitted at all, for how long, and what the Bureau will want to see. If it is not possible from inside India we say so before you spend anything.

2. 02

   Build the e-FRRO file

   We create or update your e-FRRO account, complete the application, and assemble the proof — sponsor or spouse documents, Form C from your accommodation, residence proof, financials, course or treatment letters, and the covering explanation.

3. 03

   Submit, pay and attend if called

   Government fees and any overstay penalty are paid at cost on the portal. Most cases are decided online; where the FRRO asks for an in-person visit we prepare you for it and tell you what to carry.

4. 04

   Follow up until the stamp

   We track the application, respond to queries the FRRO raises, and send you the extension, conversion or exit permit the moment it is granted. The decision is always the Bureau of Immigration’s.

Documents the FRRO typically asks for

• Passport with the current Indian visa, and the arrival stamp
• Form C (accommodation registration) or hotel / landlord proof of stay
• Proof of purpose — marriage certificate and spouse’s Indian passport, bonafide student letter, hospital treatment letter, or sponsor letter
• Residence proof in India — rent agreement, utility bill or sponsor’s address proof
• Financial proof — bank statement or sponsor undertaking
• Recent photograph to the portal specification
• For overstays: a written explanation and proof of the reason, plus the confirmed onward ticket
• For lost passports: police report and the emergency certificate from your mission

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

FAQs

Can a tourist visa or e-Visa be extended in India?

As a rule, no. Tourist visas and e-Visas are non-extendable and non-convertible, and the Bureau of Immigration grants exceptions only on grave humanitarian grounds such as serious illness, with documentary proof. If your purpose has changed — for example you have married an Indian citizen — the usual route is to leave and apply for the correct visa at an Indian mission. We tell you which it is before you file anything.

How early should I apply for an extension?

Apply well before the visa expires — at least two to four weeks, and up to sixty days ahead for long-term visas — so a query from the FRRO does not push you into overstay. An application lodged before expiry generally lets you remain lawfully while it is decided; one lodged after expiry is an overstay case.

I have overstayed. What happens now?

You cannot simply go to the airport. Overstaying is an offence under the Foreigners Act, 1946, and immigration will stop a departure without an exit permit. The route is an exit-permit application on e-FRRO with an explanation, the penalty paid at the government rate, and in longer or repeated cases a decision on whether a future-entry restriction applies. The sooner it is regularised the simpler it is, and we prepare the explanation so the matter closes cleanly.

My spouse is Indian. Which visa should I be on, and can it be extended?

The foreign spouse of an Indian citizen normally holds an Entry (X) visa, which can be extended through the FRRO year on year with proof that the marriage subsists and the Indian spouse’s identity and address. After a qualifying period the spouse may also apply for an OCI card, which replaces annual extensions with a lifelong status — we handle that application too.

Do I need to visit the FRRO office in person?

Usually not. Since 2018 most extension, conversion and exit-permit applications are filed and decided on the e-FRRO portal, with documents uploaded and fees paid online. The FRRO can still call you for an interview or to verify originals, especially in overstay or conversion cases, and we prepare you for that visit when it happens.

What does Lifeset charge for this?

Every case is different — a straightforward spouse extension and a five-year overstay are not the same work — so we quote after reading your passport and visa, in writing, before you pay. Government fees and penalties are paid at cost to the Bureau of Immigration and never marked up. The decision itself is always the government’s; nobody can promise an extension.