India tightens visa stay rules, revises foreigners registration timeline

The government has revised immigration rules requiring foreigners on short-term visas to register before completing 180 days if extending stay. The new norms replace the earlier post-expiry window and also update reporting requirements for foreign children and medical institutions

New Delhi: The foreigners coming to India on a visa for 180 days or less will now have to register themselves “any time before the expiry of the said period of 180 days” in case they want to stay beyond the visa period, according to changes in the Immigration and Foreigners Rules, 2025 notified by the Union home ministry.

The new provision, notified on Monday, will replace the previous rule that required the registration “within fourteen days after the expiry of one hundred and eighty days of arrival in India.” “… the Immigration and Foreigners Rules, 2025 (hereinafter referred to as the said rules), in rule 12, (a) in sub-rule (1), (i) in the third proviso, for the words “within fourteen days after the expiry of one hundred and eighty days of his arrival in India”, the words “any time before the expiry of the said period of one hundred and eighty days” shall be substituted,” the notification published in the gazette said.

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The foreigners on a visa for more than 180 days with a stipulation that “each stay shall not exceed 180 days” and who wish to stay in India beyond that period on any single occasion or in the aggregate in a calendar year shall have to register “anytime before the expiry of 180 days”. The new rule has now made it clear that such registration will now be granted “only in emergent circumstances”.

The new rules also provide slight relief to children born to parents where either or both parents are foreigners. Previous rules stipulated that upon the birth of the child in such cases, parents had to electronically intimate the registration officer within 30 days for availing visa services, including the grant of new visa and exit permission on the designated online portal or the mobile application.

According to the notification, this sub-rule shall not apply in cases wherein either of the parents is an Indian citizen and such parent wishes to retain the Indian citizenship of the child.

It, however, says that if the child acquires citizenship of a foreign country while in India at a later stage, either of the parents shall intimate the position to the registration officer within thirty days of acquiring the citizenship of the foreign country by the child.

The notification also revises provisions relating to reporting requirements and administrative procedures for every hospital, nursing home or any other medical institution providing medical, lodging or sleeping facility in their premises.