Hyderabad now requiring landlord registration form

IMPACT – MEDIUM

What is the change? Hyderabad is now requiring that foreigners submit a form from their landlord or hotel where they are staying when they register with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office, extend their current visa or apply for exit permits.

What does the change mean? India has been introducing the requirement to various jurisdictions for more than a year and will continue to extend it to all jurisdictions in the coming months.

• Implementation time frame: Ongoing.
• Visas/permits affected: Foreign registration.
• Who is affected: Foreigners registering with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in Hyderabad and other cities where the requirement is already in place. At this time, the practice is not mandatory in Delhi, Bangalore or Mumbai.
• Impact on processing times: The online form must be filled out by the landlord within 24 hours of the foreign tenant/guest’s arrival. The foreign national must register with the FRRO within 14 days of arrival.

Background: This requirement is not new. It began in Chennai in 2013, as BAL reported at that time, and has been extended to other cities in phases.

The rule requires that foreign nationals obtain the form from the landlord or property owner where they are staying, including apartments, hotels, guest houses and private residences. The form used to be manually submitted but is now online for landlords to fill out, expediting the process.

BAL Analysis: The landlord requirement is a way for authorities to better track foreigners and prevent them from overstaying their visas.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group and our network provider located in India. For additional information, please contact your BAL attorney.

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