Under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, any hotel, guest house, hospital, or college that hosts a foreign national must report their details to the government, in most cases within 24 hours. This law came into force on 1 September 2025 and replaced four older immigration laws. Reporting is done electronically through the FRRO e-portal, and failing to report can attract penalties.
Quick answer: The Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 (Act No. 13 of 2025) took effect on 1 September 2025. It requires accommodation providers, hospitals, and educational institutions to report the arrival and stay of foreigners to the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO). Hotels and colleges usually report within 24 hours through indianfrro.gov.in. Using a forged passport or visa can bring 2 to 7 years in jail and a fine of ₹1 lakh to ₹10 lakh.
If you are short on time: see the Who must report and by when table, then How to file a Form C.
For decades, India managed foreigners through four separate laws. The Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 merges them into one statute. It repealed and replaced:
The core idea is the same as before, but the reporting is now fully digital and the penalties are tougher. The Bureau of Immigration, under the Ministry of Home Affairs, administers the law.
Important: this Act is about foreign nationals. It does not change how Indian citizens apply for or renew their own passports.
| Who reports | What they report | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Hotels, guest houses, hostels, PGs, religious lodgings | Arrival and departure of any foreign guest | Within 24 hours |
| Universities and colleges | Details of every foreign student enrolled | Within 24 hours |
| Hospitals and nursing homes | Arrival and departure of foreign patients, and any birth or death of a foreigner | Records kept, birth or death reported within 7 days |
The accommodation report is commonly called the Form C. It is filed online, so a small hotel or a homestay owner does not need to visit any office.
Colleges use the same portal or the Indian Visa Su-Swagatam app to report foreign students. Keep a copy of every submission in case of an inspection.
The 2025 Act raised the stakes for immigration offences.
Because exact punishment depends on the offence and section, always check the current Act text before relying on a specific figure.
Real example: Imran runs a 12-room homestay in Manali. Before the 2025 Act, he was unsure how to record his foreign backpackers. After the change, he registered once on the FRRO e-portal, and now files a Form C within a day of each check-in. When a district inspection team visited, he showed his online acknowledgements and faced no action. A neighbouring guest house that had not registered was issued a notice.
If you are a foreign national in India, or an Indian hosting one, the practical points are simple.
If you believe an office has wrongly recorded or delayed your registration, you can file an RTI application with the Ministry of Home Affairs or the concerned FRRO to ask for the status and the action taken. Draft it using the AI RTI drafting tool, and read The RTI Playbook for how to escalate.
It came into force on 1 September 2025. It replaced the Passport (Entry into India) Act 1920, the Registration of Foreigners Act 1939, the Foreigners Act 1946, and the Immigration (Carriers Liability) Act 2000.
Yes. Any accommodation provider, including a homestay, hostel, or PG, must report foreign guests, usually within 24 hours, through the FRRO e-portal. The report is often called the Form C.
Register your property on indianfrro.gov.in, then file a Form C with the guest passport, visa, and nationality details within 24 hours of arrival. Update the record with the departure date when they leave.
Yes. Universities and colleges must report the details of every enrolled foreign student, generally within 24 hours, through the FRRO portal or the Indian Visa Su-Swagatam app.
Using, supplying, or making a forged passport, visa, or other travel document can lead to 2 to 7 years imprisonment and a fine of ₹1 lakh to ₹10 lakh under the 2025 Act.
No. The Act governs foreign nationals in India. Indian citizens still apply for and renew passports under the Passports Act, 1967, through Passport Seva.
The Bureau of Immigration, under the Ministry of Home Affairs, administers the Act. Reporting and registration are handled by the Foreigners Regional Registration Offices through indianfrro.gov.in.