Dimapur: The Dimapur police commissionerate on Monday directed all accommodation providers, including hotels, homestays, hospitals, educational institutions and others, to report the arrival and stay of foreigners within 24 hours.
Dimapur Police Commissioner-cum-Foreigners Registration Officer Aotula T. Imchen, in an official notification, warned that failure to comply with the directive under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, would invite penal action. The notice emphasized that any delay, omission, or inaccurate reporting could also lead to legal consequences.
The notification noted that the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, along with its accompanying rules, came into effect on September 1, 2025, consolidating four previous laws regulating the entry, stay and registration of foreigners in India.
Under the new legislation, it is the duty of all accommodation keepers — including hotels, guest houses, hostels, rented premises, homestays, religious and charitable institutions, hospitals, and even tents and sarais to report the presence of foreigners. Educational institutions admitting foreign students and medical establishments providing lodging or inpatient care to foreigners are also included.
The Act requires every foreigner, including Overseas Citizens of India (OCI), to submit personal details upon arrival and departure. These records must be maintained electronically for at least one year and made available to registration officers, district authorities, or police officials upon request.
Form-III, previously known as Form ‘C’, is a statutory requirement and must be submitted electronically within 24 hours of a foreigner’s arrival via the designated portal indianfrro.gov.in or the mobile application Indian Visa Su-Swagatam.
Hospitals, nursing homes, and other medical institutions have been specifically instructed to ensure compliance for foreign patients and their attendants using lodging or sleeping facilities. Similarly, schools, colleges, and universities must report foreign students residing in hostels in the prescribed format.
The notification stressed that timely reporting of foreign nationals is critical for immigration control and national security.