Financial penalties for overstays and visa violations increased significantly

IMPACT – HIGH

What is the change? India has dramatically increased penalties for non-registration, violation of visa regulations, and overstays and is also linking penalties to the period of default.

What does the change mean? If a foreign national holds a visa with an endorsement that “registration is required within 14 days of arrival in India” and fails to register within the 14 days, a penalty of US$300 will be levied.

In case of overstays, the penalty is linked to the period of default as tabulated below:

Penalties are lower for individuals belonging to minority communities from neighboring countries (i.e., Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan), as tabulated below:

Analysis & Comments: The new fees and penalties will increase costs for companies that fail to comply with the requirements. Employers and applicants should avoid overstays considering the significant increases in penalties. Similarly, foreign nationals should check if their visa includes a registration requirement and register with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office within the specified window after arriving in India.

Source: Deloitte LLP. Deloitte LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales with registered number OC303675 and its registered office at 1 New Street Square, London EC4A 3HQ, United Kingdom.