The registration every long-stay foreigner must complete, within 14 days of arrival on most employment and dependant visas, plus the new 2026 e-Arrival Card before you fly. Here's what it is, what we need from you, and the permit you receive. We file it for you.
If your visa carries a registration endorsement (employment, dependant, student, medical, research and missionary visas usually do), India asks you to register with the FRRO within 14 days of arrival. Other long-stay visa holders (visas over 180 days) must register before completing 180 days in India; the old blanket 14-day rule was replaced by the June 2026 amendment. And from 2026 there's a new pre-flight step too, the e-Arrival Card. It sounds daunting; it isn't, because your IKAN immigration team prepares and files everything through the government portal. Your job is to hand us the right documents. Here's the whole arc, and the Residential Permit you receive at the end.
72 h
e-Arrival Card, before landing
14 days
to FRRO, most work visas
1-3 wk
typical processing
₹10k+
late-filing penalty (tiered)
Do this before you fly, new for 2026
The e-Arrival Card is now mandatory for every foreign passport (including OCI). Submit it free, online, within 72 hours before landing at indianvisaonline.gov.in or the Su-Swagatam app (~5 minutes). Save the QR offline, you show it at immigration. It's separate from FRRO registration, which happens after you arrive.
FRRO at a glance
Who must registerAnyone on a visa over 180 days, employment, business, student, project, X
WhenWithin 14 days of arrival on endorsed visas; before 180 days of stay otherwise
WhereOnline via the e-FRRO portal, faceless, cashless, paperless
What you getA Residential Permit (RP), your proof of legal residence
OCI cardholders and children under 16 are exempt from FRRO registration; Pakistani nationals must register within 24 hours.
Your visa sticker states your exact deadline. If it carries a registration endorsement (employment, dependant, student, medical, research and missionary visas usually do), the 14-day clock starts the day you land (from your entry-stamp date). Other long-stay visa holders must register before completing 180 days in India; the old blanket 14-day rule was replaced by the June 2026 amendment. When in doubt, treat 14 days as your deadline. Late registration draws tiered fines (from about ₹10,000, rising steeply for longer delays), and non-registration or overstay is a criminal offence under the Immigration & Foreigners Act 2025 that can escalate to up to 3 years' imprisonment and/or a fine up to ₹3,00,000, plus blacklisting. We track the deadline and prepare your application in advance, so registration happens comfortably within the window.
From you
The documents we'll need
Passport & visaWith your India arrival stamp
Passport photosRecent, white / plain background
Proof of residenceRegistered lease, or a Form C from your hotel/host
Employer papersContract + undertaking / bona-fide letter (work visas)
Dependents on X visas register too, we prepare the whole family's applications together.
About Form C, your host files it, not you. Whoever houses you, a hotel or your landlord, must report your stay on a Form C to the Bureau of Immigration within 24 hours of check-in (Section 8, Immigration & Foreigners Act 2025), and again when you leave. Most private landlords have never heard of it, so remind yours and ask for a copy. It's a duty on the host, separate from your own registration. (Full detail: the Renting Your Home guide.)
The step-by-step
How e-FRRO works
It's handled entirely online at the government's e-FRRO portal, there's normally no office visit. We do each step with you:
Complete the Registration applicationWe fill the form and upload your documents (passport, visa, photo, proof of residence, employer letter).
3
Pay the fee onlineRegistration is often nil-fee; any charge is paid on the portal.
4
Receive your Residential PermitThe Bureau of Immigration reviews and dispatches your Residential Permit by post, typically within ~1 to 3 weeks. We monitor the status and answer any query for you.
After you're registered
Staying compliant
Form C on the moveHotels & landlords report your stay; keep copies
Change of addressTell FRRO online if you move home
Visa extensionRenew before expiry, also via e-FRRO
Exit permitMay be needed when your assignment ends
Where expertise meets empathy, supporting your move to India, every step of the way. Reflects 2026 e-Arrival Card, FRRO and e-FRRO practice; rules and timelines change, your consultant will confirm current specifics for your visa and city.
