Foreigners Registration Offices to be established in all state capitals by 2027

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs made an important announcement on Monday, 2 November 2026. According to this announcement, the Government of India plans to establish Foreigners Regional Registration Offices (FRRO) in all state capitals of the country by the year 2027. The main objective of this decision is to make immigration and consular services easier and more accessible for foreign nationals visiting India. This step is part of broader efforts to strengthen the institutional framework for the management of foreign nationals.

According to a report by The Hindu, this decision was taken following the directives of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Considering the significant increase in the number of foreigners coming to the country for tourism, medical treatment, and education, the Home Minister had instructed the authorities to expand the FRRO network. This expansion will not only make services accessible but will also strengthen regulatory compliance and boost India's efforts to attract international visitors.

Since 2025, a total of 5 new FRROs have been made operational, of which 2 offices were started this year alone. In 2025, new offices were opened in Jaipur, Chandigarh, and Guwahati. Due to this expansion, areas previously under the Delhi, Amritsar, and Kolkata FRROs have now come under local jurisdiction. This year, new FRROs have become operational in Aizawl, Mizoram and Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh. Aizawl was previously under the Kolkata FRRO, while Amaravati fell under the jurisdiction of Hyderabad. In addition, the government has issued instructions for new FRROs in Kohima, Agartala, and Bhubaneswar as well. Kohima and Agartala were previously under Kolkata, while Bhubaneswar was managed by Hyderabad.

With the addition of these new offices, the total number of FRROs in the country has reached 20. Currently, these offices are operational in Ahmedabad, Amaravati, Amritsar, Aizawl, Agartala, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Calicut, Chennai, Cochin, Chandigarh, Delhi, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Kohima, Kozhikode, Lucknow, Mumbai, and Thiruvananthapuram. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the government is also working to establish FRROs in states like Bihar, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, and Meghalaya, where there is currently no such office.

According to officials, this expanded network will make it easier for foreign nationals to obtain services such as visa extension, visa conversion, immigration compliance, and legal approvals closer to their place of residence. Furthermore, this move will improve coordination between central and state authorities and ensure stricter implementation of immigration laws and national security requirements. Recently, 49 foreign nationals were found overstaying in Hyderabad, out of which 12 were deported, which shows how necessary such controls are.

This expansion has been carried out following the implementation of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025. This law has created a new framework by consolidating the previous 4 separate laws regarding the entry, stay, movement, and exit of foreign nationals. Under this law, the Bureau of Immigration is assisted by FRROs authorized by the central government. The main responsibilities of the FRRO include post-arrival registration of foreign nationals, issuance of registration certificates and residential permits, updating personal and travel details, granting permission for visits to protected areas, and issuing exit permits when necessary.