The Union Home Ministry has made significant changes to the rules under the Immigration and Foreigners Rules, 2025. This changes the timeline for foreign nationals to register if they wish to stay in India for more than 180 days. It also provides exemptions for certain cases involving children born to foreign parents.
MHA releases notification
According to a notification issued by the Home Ministry and published in the official gazette on Monday, foreigners coming to India on a valid visa for 180 days or less will have to keep this in mind. Such individuals must complete their registration process any time before the expiry of the 180-day period if they plan to stay in the country beyond the stipulated period. This amended provision replaces the previous requirement that allowed foreigners to register within 14 days of the expiry of the 180-day period from their arrival in India.
This amendment was made in Immigration and Foreigners Rules 2025
The Union Home Ministry has made a significant amendment to the Immigration and Foreigners Rules, 2025, notified by the Ministry of Home Affairs. According to this, foreigners arriving in India on visas of 180 days or less will be required to register themselves any time before the expiry of the 180-day period if they wish to extend their stay after the expiry of the visa period. The new provision, notified on Monday, replaces the earlier rule that mandated registration within 14 days of the expiry of the 180-day period from the date of arrival in India.
Know what is in the notification
The notification published in the Gazette said that in the Immigration and Foreigners Rules, 2025 (hereinafter referred to as the said rules), in rule 12, in sub-rule (1), in the third proviso, for the words ‘within 14 days of the expiry of 180 days of arrival in India’, the words ‘at any time before the expiry of the said 180 days’ shall be substituted.
Registration is required anytime before the expiry of 180 days
Foreign nationals granted visas for a period exceeding 180 days and whose visas stipulate that each stay shall not exceed 180 days and who wish to stay in India for a period exceeding this period, either at one time or for a full calendar year, will be required to register at any time before the expiry of the 180 days. The new rule now clarifies that such registration will only be granted in emergency situations.
What are big things in new rules?
- The new rules also provide some relief to children whose one or both parents are foreign citizens.
- As per the earlier rules, in such cases, after the birth of the child, the parents were required to inform the registration officer electronically within 30 days on the prescribed online portal or mobile application to avail visa services including fresh visa and permission to leave the country.
- According to the notification, this sub-rule will not apply in cases where one of the parents is an Indian citizen and they wish to retain the Indian citizenship of the child.
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Edited by: Bhoomi Goyal
