The Bureau of Immigration, India on February 12, 2018 announced the launch of ‘e-Services’ for all foreign nationals residing within the jurisdictions of Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Chennai FRROs. As on April 26, 2018 the e-FRRO Services have now been extended to include Kolkata, Amritsar, Lucknow, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Cochin, Thiruvanthapuram, Kozhikode and Puducherry.
e-FRRO visa services such as registration and visa extension among others must now be completed via an online procedure, eliminating the need for foreign nationals to visit the FRRO in person. Even visa fees and late registration dues will be payable online.
The foreign national may be required to appear for an interview at the discretion of the officer. The foreign national will receive intimation about the scheduled time and date for the interview via email/SMS alerts, if required. All forms of communication from the FRRO office will either be through the applicant’s online profile, through email or SMS. The foreign national would be liable for prosecution and/or fines as per the Indian laws on account of any delays in the payment of fees, document uploads or interview.
It is pertinent to note that the services and/or approvals rendered through e-FRRO may be cancelled at any time by the Civil Authority upon inquiries and verification. The foreign national will be informed of the cancellation and applicable action under Indian Laws would be initiated.
Ashwina Pinto, Associate
Keywords: E-FRRO, Ministry of External Affairs, Bureau of Immigration
