Chennai Visas & Permits

Applicants need to apply online at the Foreigners’ Registration office website for registration by uploading required documents. The residence permit will be issued once the application is approved from the FRRO Authorised officer and it takes 7-8 working days to receive the Resident permit copy; will provide all necessary official permission documenting the employee's stay in India. This permit has to be handed over at airport immigration during your final departure from India.
As a foreign resident, what is my status in your country?
As a foreign resident, expatriates have the status of an Alien with a permit to temporarily reside in the country.
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What kinds of visas are available? 
Due to the Covid-19, restrictions on travel and entry in India change frequently. Kindly check the latest updates before applying for the visa.
Employment Visa: This visa applies if you are coming to Chennai for employment through your employer in India, wherein the endorsed visa contains the details of the employer’s name, legal entity, location and the duration of visa. Your spouse and minor children can accompany you on this visa.
Business Visa: This visa is issued if you are visiting India to explore the possibilities of setting up a business or to participate in; also, if you are a business executive attending business meetings. The Business visa cannot be extended or converted to any other form of visa.
Tourist Visa: A Tourist Visa is given to those visiting India for tourism or other non-business-related purposes and can be granted to an accompanying partner and children. The maximum period of stay in India is limited to 3 months (90 days) per each visit except for USA, UK, Canada and Japan. For USA, UK, Canada and Japan continuous stay  during each visit shall not exceed 180 days. The Tourist visa cannot be extended or converted to any another visa.
Dependant Visa (Entry Visa): This visa applies to the spouse and other minor children accompanying the employment visa holder. An entry visa holder cannot be employed while in India. If your spouse is interested in working in the country, he/she should apply for an employment visa from the home country or the country of last assignment.
e-Business Visa: This visa is issued online if you are visiting for short term (up to 60days) with double entry facility for attending meetings and participating in trainings. This facility is granted to nationals of Albania, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameron Union Republic, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Island, Chile, China, China- SAR Hong Kong, China- SAR Macau, Colombia, Comoros, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote d'lvoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Laos, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger Republic, Niue Island, Norway, Oman, Palau, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal , Republic of Korea, Republic of Macedonia, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Christopher and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos Island, Tuvalu, UAE, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay, USA, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vatican City-Holy See, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The e-Business visa cannot be extended or converted to any another visa.
 e-Tourist Visa: This visa is granted online to nationals of: Albania, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameron Union Republic, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Island, Chile, China, China- SAR Hong Kong, China- SAR Macau, Colombia, Comoros, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote d'lvoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Laos, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger Republic, Niue Island, Norway, Oman, Palau, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal , Republic of Korea, Republic of Macedonia, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Christopher and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos Island, Tuvalu, UAE, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay, USA, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vatican City-Holy See, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The maximum period of stay in India is limited to 2 months (60 days) with double entry facility. The e-Tourist visa cannot be extended or converted to any another visa.
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Are spouses permitted and/or likely to find work?
Spouses are not permitted to find gainful employment while on a dependent visa. If your spouse is interested in working full-time, they will need to obtain an employment visa of their own, for which they will have to return to their home country.
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What are the main forms of identification and how does a newcomer obtain them?
A foreign national arriving in India with the appropriate visa and intending to stay over 180 days in the country is required to register with the Foreigners Registration Office (commonly referred to as FRO/FRRO). Registration must be completed within 14 days of arrival; a late registration will attract a fine.
Are there any other important permits I must obtain, or places where I must register right away?
Nowadays, Foreigners Registration office has been completely updated to e-FRRO so every applicant has to fill the application online and submit all the relevant documents online and once the application is submitted, the process takes around 7-8 working days, as a result there is no need to report in person  to the  appropriate FRRO office for registration, however the physical presence may be requested on case to case basis. 
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What items should I avoid bringing into the country?
Liquor, drugs, firearms and pornographic material
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Is there anything else I should know about entering and remaining in the country legally?
There is a mandatory ten-year sentence for possession of even small amounts of drugs.
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IMPORTANT NOTE:
Crown Relocations has made every effort to present accurate information. However, regulations, rates and other variables are subject to change and Crown Relocations cannot accept responsibility for the errors that might result.