The Government of India has notified five new Foreigners Regional Registration Offices (FRROs), including one in Kohima, as part of its plan to establish such offices in all State capitals by 2027.

The expansion is being undertaken under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, following directions from Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah to strengthen the institutional framework for managing foreign nationals and improve access to immigration-related services.

According to the government, the growing number of foreigners visiting India for tourism, medical treatment and education has created the need for FRROs in all State capitals to ensure easier access to services, improve regulatory compliance and promote India as an attractive destination.

Since 2025, five new FRROs have been set up in State capitals. Three offices—in Jaipur, Chandigarh and Guwahati—were established in 2025. Earlier, these cities fell under the jurisdiction of the FRROs in Delhi, Amritsar and Kolkata, respectively.

This year, two more offices were established in Aizawl, Mizoram, and Amravati, Andhra Pradesh. Earlier, Aizawl was under the jurisdiction of FRRO Kolkata, while Amravati came under FRRO Hyderabad.

According to a PIB release, the Centre has also notified three additional FRRO offices at Kohima in Nagaland, Agartala in Tripura and Bhubaneswar in Odisha. Earlier, Kohima and Agartala were under FRRO Kolkata, while Bhubaneswar was under FRRO Hyderabad.

With these additions, the total number of FRRO offices in the country has increased to 20. They are located in Ahmedabad, Amravati, Amritsar, Aizawl, Agartala, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Calicut, Chennai, Cochin, Chandigarh, Delhi, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Kohima, Kozhikode, Lucknow, Mumbai and Trivandrum.

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The government is pursuing the establishment of FRROs in the remaining States of Bihar, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Meghalaya.

The expansion is expected to facilitate foreign nationals in accessing services such as visa extension and conversion, immigration compliance and other regulatory clearances. It is also aimed at strengthening local-level institutional capacity, improving coordination with State authorities and ensuring the effective implementation of immigration laws and national security requirements.

The government said the expansion has a dual objective of facilitating the legitimate travel and stay of foreign nationals while ensuring compliance with immigration laws and security requirements.

The Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, which consolidated four earlier laws relating to immigration and foreigners, provides a unified statutory framework for regulating the entry, stay, movement and exit of foreign nationals. Under the Act, the Bureau of Immigration, which primarily performs immigration functions, is assisted by Foreigners Regional Registration Officers authorised by the Central Government.

FRROs regulate, monitor and facilitate the lawful stay of foreign nationals visiting or residing in India. Their responsibilities include post-arrival registration of eligible categories of foreigners and issuance of Registration Certificates or Residential Permits.

They also record changes in a foreign national’s particulars, including residential address, passport details and travel plans within the country, and grant permission to visit protected and restricted areas.

FRROs further issue exit permits to foreigners whose visas have expired, who have overstayed or who require formal clearance before leaving India. They monitor compliance with immigration laws, handle cases of overstay and visa violations, and coordinate legal action or penalties wherever necessary.