Licences and rules
Form C is now Form III: foreign guests at a homestay (2026)
Quick answer
Every homestay, hotel or resort in India must report each foreign guest on Form III (it used to be Form C) within 24 hours of arrival and again within 24 hours of departure, on indianfrro.gov.in or the Indian Visa Su-Swagatam app. Since 2025 this includes OCI cardholders. There is no fee.
What changed in 2025
The Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 came into force on 1 September 2025. It replaced the Foreigners Act, 1946 and three older laws. Its rules (G.S.R. 596(E), 1 September 2025) carry the duty in rule 17, and the form is now Form III, marked "earlier Form C". OCI cardholders, who did not need a Form C before, are now included.
Who must file
The keeper of any accommodation. The rules name boarding houses, hostels, paying guest houses, rented accommodation, home stays and tents, furnished or not. There is no minimum number of rooms and no turnover limit: a one-room homestay files like a big hotel.
The law leaves out "residential premises of non-commercial nature", such as relatives staying with a family, unless the authorities order otherwise for an area.
The 24-hour rule
- Arrival: "as soon as may be but not beyond twenty-four hours" after the guest arrives (rule 17(5)).
- Departure: the departure details within 24 hours after the guest leaves (rule 17(6)).
- Records: keep them electronically for at least one year, and show them when the Registration Officer, the District Magistrate or a police officer of Head Constable rank or above asks.
What Form III asks
- Your premises: name, address and phone
- The guest's photograph
- Full name as in the passport, nationality and passport number
- Visa number and type, or the OCI card number
- The guest's phone number in India and email
- Arrived from, date and time of arrival, purpose of the visit, previous place of stay
- At check-out: date and time of departure, and the next destination
The live portal may ask a few more details, such as the date of birth and where the passport was issued. Take a clear photo of the passport and visa pages at check-in, so you have everything at hand.
How to start
- Open indianfrro.gov.in and sign up your premises ("User Registration for Form III").
- The FRRO or FRO approves your user ID. Some states ask hoteliers to bring the printed, signed form to their office: ask your district's Foreigners Registration Office what it needs.
- For each guest, fill Form III within 24 hours of arrival.
- When the guest leaves, add the departure within 24 hours.
The portal makes you change your password every 30 days. Keep the login with someone who is always at the property.
The penalty
The Act punishes a breach of the rules with up to three years in jail, a fine up to ₹3 lakh, or both (section 23(b)). The offence can be settled by paying a fixed sum (compounding, section 25). A Goa government note of December 2025 speaks of ₹50,000 for each case not filed.
Never miss the 24 hours
StayOffice by Homlystay fills in the guest's details from a photo of the passport and runs a 24-hour countdown at arrival and again at departure. You still submit on the portal yourself.
Official sources
- Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 (gazette copy)
- Immigration and Foreigners Rules, 2025 (gazette copy, rule 17 and Form III)
- Amendment to the Immigration and Foreigners Rules, G.S.R. 424(E), 1 June 2026
- Bureau of Immigration: Form C / Form III portal
- Government of Goa press note on online Form III filing (December 2025)
This is a plain guide, not legal or tax advice. Rules change: check with the office named here before you act.