Nagaland – Nagaland Police have issued fresh instructions to hotels, homestays, hospitals, schools, and other institutions in Dimapur, requiring them to report the arrival and stay of foreign nationals. Officials warned that non-compliance with the new immigration law will attract penalties.
The directive comes after the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 and the Immigration and Foreigners Rules, 2025 took effect on September 1 last year. The legislation consolidates immigration provisions into a single framework, replacing older laws such as the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920, and the Foreigners Act, 1946.
In a notification, the Commissioner of Police-cum-Foreigners Registration Officer (FRO), Dimapur, said institutions are legally bound to furnish details of foreign nationals to the Registration Officer concerned.
Accommodation providers are required under Section 8(1) of the Act to submit prescribed details of foreigners staying on their premises. Section 10 extends this responsibility to hospitals and nursing homes that provide lodging to foreign patients or their attendants.
The rules cover a wide range of facilities, including boarding houses, hostels, clubs, rented premises, religious institutions, charitable trusts, and universities admitting foreign students.
Rule 17 requires institutions to collect personal and travel details from every foreigner—including Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders—at the time of arrival and departure. These records must be stored electronically for at least one year and made available for inspection.
A central requirement is the submission of Form-III, formerly known as Form ‘C’. The form must be filed electronically within 24 hours of a foreigner’s arrival, either through the designated online portal or the “Indian Visa Su-Swagatam” mobile application. Hospitals and medical institutions have similar obligations under Rule 18.
