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Corporate Office
Airports Authority of India
Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan,
Safdarjung Airport,
New Delhi - 110 003
Ph : 91-11-24632950
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| FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS |
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Source: Bureau of Immigration, Government of India.
Contact No: 011-26711384
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| QUERIES ON REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS |
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Question 1: Whether every foreigner
is required to be registered?
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Answer: No. Foreigners visiting India on any short-term visa i.e.
valid upto 180 days or less are not required to register. Children below 16
years of age visiting India on any type of visa of any duration are also not
required to register.
The following two categories of foreigners are required to register: -
(i) Foreigners entering India on a Student, Employment, Research or
Missionary visa, which is valid for more than 180 days, are required to
register with the FRRO/FRO/CHIO within 14 days of their arrival in India.
(ii) Foreigners visiting India on any other category of long-term visa which
is valid for more than 180 days, are required to register only if they intend
to stay in India for more than 180 days continuously during a particular visit.
This registration can be done anytime within 180 days of arrival in India.
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Question 2: Where can a foreigner register
himself?
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Answer: A foreigner is required to get himself registered with the
FRRO/CHIO (in case of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Amritsar and Chennai) or the FRO
(i.e. SP District) depending on the place where the foreigner intends to
stay.
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Question 3: Is a foreigner required to register
himself/herself on each visit?
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Answer: No, a foreigner is not required to register himself on each
visit as long as he is visiting on the same visa on which he was first
registered. The registree will be required to report to FRRO/FRO/CHIO if he
re-enters India on a fresh visa. If the registree obtains a new passport during
the validity of his registration and visa, he should get the visa transferred
on to his new passport from FRRO/FRO/CHIO for which a service charge of
Rs.235/- is levied.
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| VISA EXTENSIONS |
| Question 4: Who can
grant extension of Employment Visa or Business Visa? |
| Answer: At
the time of first extension of employment or business visa, FRRO/FRO/CHIO can
grant extension for three months and simultaneously send the case for
consideration to MHA for a total extension of one year. Once the MHA approval
is received, subsequent extensions on yearly basis for 4 more years can be
granted by FRRO/FRO/CHIO. |
| Question 5: Can a
foreigner registered on Employment Visa change his original
Company/employer? |
| Answer: No. Change of original company by
a foreigner who has come to India on employment visa is not allowed in the same
visa. The foreigner is generally required to go back to his own country and
come to India again on a fresh visa. |
| Question 6: What type of
visa is granted to the family members of foreigners holding 'E' type
(Employment) Visa? |
| Answer: They are granted 'X'
(entry) type of visa with a validity co-terminus with the validity of the visas
of their spouses or for such shorter period as required or considered necessary
by the Visa issuing authority.
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| Question 7: Can
FRRO/FRO/SSP change the category of visa? |
| Answer: FRRO/FRO/CHIO can change the
category of visa from long-term Tourist visa to X-Visa (Entry) for five years
in respect of foreigners of Indian origin/foreigners married to Indian
nationals/foreigners staying in India for more than 20 years. Category of
foreign children of Indian origin can also be changed from any other visa
(except Transit Visa) to Student visa (upto 12th Class) by FRROs etc. |
| Question 8: Can exit
permission be given to a foreigner who is registered with FRRO/FRO/SSP &
his/her extension is under consideration with the govt.? |
| Answer: If the foreigner wants exit
permission within three months period of visa extension done by FRRO/FRO/CHIO,
while his case for extension upto one year is pending consideration with the
govt., the exit permission can be granted by the FRRO/FRO/CHIO. However, if the
exit permission is asked after the lapse of three months period while the
approval of MHA is still awaited, the same can be granted only by the approval
of MHA. |
| Question 9: Whether
Transit Visa can be extended/converted into another VISA? |
| Answer: No. Transit VISA cannot be extended or
converted into another VISA. Only MHA can do it in exceptional cases.
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| Question 10: Whether
overstay on Transit Visa can be condoned by FRRO/FRO/SSP? |
| Answer: No, only MHA can condone the
same. |
| Question 11: What length
of overstay can be condoned by FRRO/FRO/CHIO? |
| Answer: FRRO/FRO/CHIO can regularise
overstay upto three months beyond the validity of original visa (excluding
tourist visa) in case of reasonable grounds of delay. However, an overstayal
fee of US$ 30 (equivalent amount Rs. 1395/-) is charged. Apart from this, visa
extension fee of US$ 40 (equivalent amount Rs. 1860/-) is also charged). |
| Question 12: What is the
penalty fee for overstayal? |
| Answer: An amount in Indian Rupees
equivalent to US $30 plus regular fees for extension. |
| Question 13: Can
diplomat, official and UN-visas (UN diplomatic/official) be extended by
FRROs/FROs/CHIO? |
| Answer: No, only MEA can extend these
visas. |
| Question 14: Can a 5
years extension be given to a registree? |
Answer: Yes. It is done for following
categories of foreigners: -
I. Foreigners of Indian origin, their spouses & children.
II. Foreigners living in India on valid visa for last 20 years.
III. Experts & technicians coming to India in pursuance of bilateral
agreements, their spouses and children.
IV. Children below 16 years of age.
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| Question 15: When
extension of a foreigner is under consideration with MHA, he/she is given three
months extension, if he travels abroad and comes after expiry of three months
extension, will he be given entry? |
| Answer: In such case a foreigner should
obtain a fresh short-term visa from Indian Mission abroad to enter into India
and then he/she should take his/her regular extension as per orders of MHA. If
the foreigner does not obtain fresh visa and comes to India after expiry of his
regular extension, then he/she would be treated as entering India without
visa. |
| Question 16: When a
foreign student travels abroad on a return visa & he/she re-enters India
after expiry of 90 days from the date of departure from India, will he be given
entry? |
| Answer: In such case a foreigner should
obtain a fresh short-term visa from Indian Mission abroad to enter into India
and then he/she should take his/her regular extension as per orders of MHA. If
the foreigner does not obtain fresh visa and comes to India after expiry of his
regular extension, then he/she would be treated as entering India without
visa. |
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| STUDENTS |
| Question 17: Whether
visa fee can be charged from foreign students every year? |
| Answer: Visa fee is charged once at the
time of issuance of Student visa for the duration of the course or for 5 years
whichever is less. If the visa is issued for a period less than the duration of
the course the visa would be extended by the concerned authorities without
charging fees |
| Question 18: If a
foreign student who has come on student visa joins a new course will fresh visa
fee be charged from him? |
| Answer: Yes.
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| Question 19: Whether
foreign students can study in M. Phil on student visa instead of Research
Visa? |
| Answer:
Yes. |
| Question 20: Can a
student registree who has completed his graduation get extension for Post
Graduate courses by FRRO/FRO/CHIO? |
| Answer: Yes. A student registree, having
completed his/her graduation, applying for extension for post graduate courses
can be granted extension by FRRO/FRO/CHIO. However, those requiring extension
for research/Ph.D can be given extension only by MHA. |
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| LOST PASSPORT |
| Question 21: What are
the formalities for getting 'exit permission' in 'lost passport
cases'? |
Answer: The formalities for getting exit
in case of lost passport cases are as follows: -
I. Police report for lost passport.
II. Letter from concerned Embassy with details of lost passport and visa
details. III. Arrival confirmation. IV. New Travel document.
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| Question 22: Why a
foreigner requires arrival confirmation in case of lost passport to get further
stay or exit permission? |
| Answer: To verify the legality of his
entry into India and also to know duration of his stay/overstay in India. |
| Question 23: Is exit
permit required in the case of a foreigner who is traveling on Laissez Passer
issued by the mission of his country in India in lieu of the passport which was
lost by the foreigner in India? |
| Answer: Yes.
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| CHILDREN |
| Question 24: Can a
foreigner whose passport carries the names of his/her children, get exit
clearance without the children? |
| ANSWER : His departure will not be
permitted without children. For that, the foreigner should obtain separate
individual passports for the children from the concerned Embassy/Consulate and
an endorsement for deletion of children's particulars from the original
passport. |
| Question 25: What should
a foreigner do who wants departure clearance along with a child born in India
after the foreigner arrived in India and holds a separate passport for the
child? |
| ANSWER : The foreigner should first
approach the concerned FRO/FRRO/CHIO to regularize the stay of the child in
India (from the date of issue of the passport till the departure) and for
payment of visa fee and exit endorsement. Without this, the child will not be
given departure at the Airport. |
| Question 26: If a child
is born to a foreign registree in India, can the newly born child be given stay
visa? |
| Answer : Yes,
co-terminus to his/her parents. |
| Question 27: A child
born to Indian parents abroad obtains a passport from the concerned foreign
mission in India. How will his/her visa be regularized? |
| Answer : In such cases arrival of the
child shall first be ascertained as to whether he/she entered India on Indian
passport of his/her mother/father. If it is ascertained that the child entered
on Indian passport and obtained new foreign passport in India then visa fee
shall be charged from the date of issue of foreign passport and further
extension shall be given. |
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| PIO CARD |
| Question 28: Who can get
PIO Card? |
Answer:
I. All persons of Indian origin up to fourth generation of an
Indian citizen can obtain PIO card.
II. Spouses of Indian citizens & their children can also obtain PIO
cards.
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| Question 29: What are
the requirements to obtain the PIO card? |
Answer:
- Proof of being Indian origin/marriage to Indian.
- Proof of original residence in India.
- His/her foreign passport's photocopies.
- Four Passport size photographs.
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| RESTRICTED/PROTECTED AREAS |
| Question 30: Which areas
are known as R/P areas? |
Answer: These areas are as follows: -
- Whole of Union Territory of Andaman & Nicobar Islands
- Whole of State of Manipur
- Whole of State of Mizoram
- Whole of State of Arunachal Pradesh
- Whole of State of Nagaland
- Parts of State of U.P.
- Parts of State of J&K
- Parts of State of Rajasthan
- Parts of State of Himachal Pradesh
- Parts of State of Sikkim
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| Question 31: Who can
issue permit for R/P areas? |
| Answer: Power to issue permit to
foreigners for visiting R/P areas vests with the MHA. However, FRRO/FRO/CHIO
have been delegated these powers in respect of some specified areas. |
| Question 32: Whether
individual foreigner can be issued R/P area permits? |
| Answer: No, generally a group of
foreigners i.e. 4 or more only can avail this facility but MHA can issue to
individuals too. FRRO/FRO/CHIO can issue these permits (for certain areas) only
for groups of 4 or more foreigners. |
| Question 33: What is the
fee for R/P area permits? |
| Answer: No fee is charged for this
permission now. Earlier it used to be 30 US$ equivalent. |
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| MISCELLANEOUS |
| Question 34: Will foreigner be allowed to
enter India only with a V.A.F. stamp affixed on the
passport? |
| Answer: NO. V.A.F. (Visa Applied For)
stamp is not a visa. The foreigner will be refused entry and sent back to the
original place of embarkation. |
| Question 35: Can a citizen of Nepal or
Bhutan enter India without a passport from any country other than Nepal or
Bhutan? |
| Answer: Entry in India will be refused as
Nepalese and Bhutanese require a passport to come to India if coming from
countries other than Nepal and Bhutan respectively. Nepalese and Bhutanese are
exempted from the requirement of passport if coming into India from Nepal or
Bhutan respectively only
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| Question 36: What
is NORI? To whom is it issued? |
| Answer: The expanded form of NORI is
"No Objection to Return to India". It is not a type of visa. NORI is an
endorsement made on the Certificate of Identity issued to a stateless person to
facilitate his return to India. |
| Stateless persons residing in India, foreigners
whose country is not represented in India or whose national status is in doubt
are granted Certificate of Identity to facilitate their travel to places out of
India. However, if they intend to return to India on the strength of the
Certificate of Identity issued to them, they may get the NORI endorsed on their
Certificate of Identity to ensure their return.NORI does not, by itself,
empower the holder of Certificate of Identity to enter India, as it is not a
visa. It is, however, a means to obtain visa without prior reference to MEA/MHA
and the State Govt. concerned. |
| Question 37: Can spouses
of foreigner registrees get extension co-terminus to the foreigner
registree? |
| Answer :Spouse of a foreigner registree
can be given extension by FRRO/FRO/CHIO co-terminus to the foreigner registree
if the spouse is in India on X-Visa. However, if the spouse has entered India
on tourist visa, he has to get it converted into X-Visa from MHA in order to
get extension. |
| Question 38: Which are
the "Visa fee free regime" countries for India i.e. for whose nationals
no fee is charged for granting Indian visa? |
| Answer: Nationals of the following
countries are not charged any Visa fee for grant of Indian Visa. They, however,
are required to obtain Indian Visa for entry into the country: - Afghanistan,
Argentina, Bangladesh, Jamaica, Maldives, Mongolia, Mauritius, Poland, Slovak
Republic, South Africa and Uruguay.
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| Question 39: Whether
overstay of the citizens of visa fee free regime countries can also be condoned
without charging penalty? |
| Answer:No. The penalty of US$ 30 shall be
charged from nationals of these countries for condoning their overstay. However
visa fees shall not be charged from them. |
| Question 40: Whether the
foreign national domestic helps with foreign diplomats in India can be given
visa extension co-terminus with their employers? |
| Answer : Yes, after recommendation from
MEA and approval from MHA. |
| You can pose questions about Immigration and
Registration of foreigners through e-mail at our address frrodelhi@hotmail.com.
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