India tightens foreigner registration rules requiring advance notice before 180-day visa expiry deadline
Foreign nationals arriving in India on visas valid for 180 days or less must now register themselves before the expiry of that period if they wish to extend their stay, under amendments notified by the Union Home Ministry on Monday.
The revised Immigration and Foreigners Rules, 2025 replace the previous requirement to register within 14 days after completing 180 days in India.
Foreigners can now complete registration anytime before the 180-day limit expires, offering greater flexibility in planning extended stays.
The changes also apply to those holding visas exceeding 180 days, where conditions stipulate that each individual stay cannot exceed 180 days.
Such travellers must register before the 180-day mark if seeking to extend their visit on a single occasion or cumulatively during a calendar year.
However, the ministry clarified that permission for extended stays will now be granted only in emergent circumstances.
Additional amendments provide relief for children born to foreign parents in India. The updated rules exempt the registration requirement in cases where either parent is an Indian citizen wishing to retain the child’s Indian citizenship.
Previously, parents had to electronically notify registration officers within 30 days of birth to access visa services, including exit permissions.
The notification also revises reporting obligations for hospitals, nursing homes and medical institutions providing accommodation facilities on their premises.
The amendments came into force immediately upon notification and form part of the government’s broader effort to modernise India’s immigration framework whilst strengthening regulatory oversight of foreign nationals residing in the country.
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