The situation
In a reversal of previous guidance issued by the Indian government in May, the government is again requiring foreign nationals to obtain an Aadhaar Card if they have resided In India for 182 days or more in the preceding year from the date of submission of the Aadhaar Card application.  Authorities exempted foreign nationals, among others, from obtaining this card as of July 2017. As part of the revised policy, the authorities also extended the deadline to obtain the card from December 31, 2017 to March 31, 2018.

• Additional steps. After they obtain the card, foreign nationals must also link the card to their Indian bank accounts, mobile phone numbers, and Permanent Account Numbers (PAN) by submitting a copy of the card to the respective service provider.  The deadline to complete these steps is also March 31, 2018.
• Background. The Aadhaar Card is an identification document issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India. Many transactions in India, such as obtaining a mobile phone number and opening bank accounts, require the number indicated on the Aadhaar Card.
• Assistance with card issuance. Foreign nationals should contact their tax consultant for assistance with obtaining the Aadhaar Card as Fragomen does not assist with this service.

Looking ahead
The Indian government has stated that a hearing on this issue is expected to be conducted in January 2018. Fragomen will report on updates.

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

This alert is 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.

© 2017 Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP, Fragomen Global LLP and affiliates. All Rights Reserved.