Effective immediately, foreign nationals moving to or residing in Bangalore must submit a copy of the Form C with their in-country immigration applications submitted at the Foreigners' Regional Registration Office (FRRO), pursuant to the residence reporting formalities previously introduced in Gurugram (formerly Gurgaon) and Jamnagar. This will allow the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to maintain updated records of foreign nationals and to curb potential overstays.

As part of this new requirement, hotels and landlords must now report the occupancy of foreign guests and tenants upon arrival. The Bureau of Immigration has launched an online portal for hotels and landlords to register and complete the Form C within 24 hours of a foreign national's arrival.

What This Means for Foreign Nationals

Foreign nationals moving to or residing in Bangalore must adhere to the new documentary requirement for in-country immigration applications such as registration, visa renewal or change of residential address, and should be aware that the MHA is closely monitoring their status while in India.

During the initial implementation phase of this requirement, foreign nationals submitting applications without Form C, as well as foreign nationals with pending applications previously submitted without Form C, will be issued a special endorsement in their Residential Permits directing them to furnish a copy of the Form C within the time indicated by the FRRO. Those who fail to submit the form in this timeframe may face monetary penalties and will not be permitted to travel internationally until the form is submitted.

Fragomen can assist foreign nationals in meeting the new requirements.

We worked closely with Fragomen Immigration Services India (Pvt.) Limited ("Fragomen-India") to prepare this alert. It is provided for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to IndiaQueries_NewPolicy@fragomen.com.

Fragomen in India is Fragomen Immigration Services India (Pvt) Ltd., operating exclusively as an immigration consultancy and not as a law firm in India.

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