The registration every long-stay foreigner must complete, within 14 days of arrival on most employment and dependant visas, plus the e-Arrival Card you file 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.
When in doubt, treat 14 days as your deadline.
The FRRO reviews it and emails your Residential Permit, which you can also download from the portal, typically within about 1 to 3 weeks.
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. The same 14 days apply to any visa valid for more than 180 days. On a visa of 180 days or less, or a multi-entry visa that caps each stay at 180 days, you register only if you will stay past 180 days, and then before day 180; the June 2026 amendment removed the 14 days of grace that used to follow. There's also a step before you fly, the e-Arrival Card, required since October 2025. 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.before day 180
72 h
e-Arrival Card, before landing
14 days
to FRRO, most work visas
1-3 wk
typical processing
₹10k+
overstay penalty (tiered)
Do this before you fly, required since Oct 2025
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.within 72 hours before landing
FRRO at a glance
Who must registerAnyone on a visa valid over 180 days (employment and its dependant visas, student, research), and anyone staying past 180 days on a shorter or capped visa
WhenWithin 14 days of arrival on a long-stay visa; before day 180 on a short or capped visa
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 12 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). Any visa valid for more than 180 days carries the same 14 days. On a short or capped visa, register before day 180 if you will stay longer. When in doubt, treat 14 days as your deadline. Overstaying draws tiered penalties on the e-FRRO portal (₹10,000 for up to 30 days, rising to ₹2 lakh and more past a year), and non-registration or overstay is an offence under section 23 of the Immigration & Foreigners Act 2025, with up to 3 years' imprisonment, a fine up to ₹3,00,000, or both, and it can count against future visas. We track the deadline and prepare your application in advance, so registration happens comfortably within the window.before day 180
01
From you
The documents we'll need
Passport & visaWith your India arrival stamp
Passport photosRecent, white / plain background
Proof of residenceYour lease plus your landlord's Form C, or a hotel stay letter plus its Form C
Employer papersContract + undertaking / bona-fide letter (work visas)
Family members on Employment Dependent visas (once called 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.)24 hours
02
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:
1
Create the e-FRRO accountYouOn indianfrro.gov.in using your passport details, your own email and an Indian mobile number.
2
Complete the Registration applicationIKANWe fill the form and upload your documents (passport, visa, photo, proof of residence, employer letter).
3
Pay the fee onlineYouRegistration is normally free; the portal asks for a fee only if one applies, and you pay it there.
4
Receive your Residential PermitYouThe FRRO reviews it and emails your Residential Permit, which you can also download from the portal, typically within about 1 to 3 weeks. We monitor the status and answer any query for you.
03
After you're registered
Staying compliant
Form C on the moveHotels & landlords report your stay; keep copies
Change of addressTell the FRRO online before you move home, or before 8 weeks or more away
Visa extensionRenew before expiry, also via e-FRRO
Exit permitOnly in some cases, such as an overstay or a child born in India
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.