The Superintendant of police Pathanamthitta is the Foreigners' Registration Officer.

Telephone Number of FRO : +91-468-2222636

RULES AND REGULATIONS APPLICABLE TO FOREIGNERS WHO WISH TO STAY IN INDIA AS A TOURIST

Tourist means a foreigner having no residence or occupation in India and whose stay in India does not ordinarily exceeds 6 months (180 days). He is visiting India only for recreation and sight seeing.

Every tourist who enters India must hold a tourist visa issued by the Indian missions abroad. The Indian missions abroad will issue visas for the tourist for 3 months, 6 months, 1 year and 5 years. But 5 years tourist visa will be issued only to the citizens of the country in which the Indian mission is located.
 

The validity of the tourist visa comes into effect from the date of issue. But the validity of the three months tourist visa will come into effect from the date of first entry.
 

Every foreigner who arrives in India on the strength of a tourist visa having duration of more than 180 days (6 months) should register his/her visa with the nearest foreigners' registration officer concerned within 15 days of arrival to India. In Kerala Superintendents of Police or Commissioners of Police are acting as the Foreigners' Registration Officer (in some other states District Collector is acting as the Foreigners Registration Officer) after necessary verification the Foreigners Registration Officer will issue the registration certificate and residential permit to the foreigner. Commissioner of Police, Pathanamthitta is the Foreigners Registration Officer of Pathanamthitta.
 

Tourist visas are non-extendable. Therefore the tourist (foreigner) should leave India on or before the expiry of the validity of the visa. But the tourist visas having duration of 3 months are eligible for an extension of an additional 3 months by Foreigners' Registration Officer, subject to the payment of the required fee. However in emergent situations the State Government can grant an extension of 15 days.
 

The foreigners, who come to India on the strength of a tourist visa are not eligible to convert the tourist visa into any other types of visa, and are not eligible to engage any other activities other than tourism.
 

The foreign tourists who have been over staying in India are liable to be prosecuted.
 

If the registration documents issued by the Foreigners' Registration Officer to the foreigner are valid, he/she can leave India simply on production of the confirmed ticket to the port authorities concerned (after surrendering the registration document to the port).
 

Several foreigners are coming to India with tourist visa’s will usually seek admission for studying yoga and meditation. But as per the prevailing norms they should hold proper student visa for studying yoga meditation etc. And their venue of study should clearly recorded on the side of the visa stamp. (The institution should be an authorised one). More over change of institution is also not permitted.
 

If the passport of the foreigner is irrecoverably lost he should report the same to the nearest police station, and obtain a copy of the First Information Report (FIR) in the case of theft or a certificate if it is lost otherwise. The foreigners should obtain new passport/emergency certificate from their missions in India. Before leaving India the foreigner should seek an exit permit from the Chief Immigration Officer, Madras or from the Foreigners' Regional Registration Officers of Mumbai, Calcutta or New Delhi and produce the same at the port of embarkation.
 

At the time of lodging an application for registration of visa the foreigner should furnish his address in India and which is known as his registered address. Whenever the foreigner shifts his residence he should intimate the same to Foreigners' Registration Officer. And also intimate the same to the Foreigners' Registration Officer of his new residence. Based on the enquiry report his registration documents will be forwarded to the new Foreigners' Registration Officer.
 

If a foreign tourist is occupying houses on rental basis the house owner is obliged to report the details to the police authorities concerned within 24 hours of occupation. The foreigner should ensure that house owner has intimated the same to police authorities.

All foreigners who are visiting Pathanamthitta are requested to abide by the above rules and regulations positively and violations of above conditions and overstay will be treated as an offence and will be punished as per the relevant rules prevailing in India.