Registering at Foreign Registration Office in Cyberbad

My family and I spent an absurd amount of time and (3 trips) registering at the Foreign Registration Office yesterday in Cyberbad near Gachibowli. This is what we learned:

1. Don't show up before 10:30, that's when the people you need to see are supposed to arrive (yesterday it was more like 10:45)
2. Apply online first, and bring printouts of the application.
3. Coming from the US to India our young children needed their own online applications as well even though the website says that children under 16 don't need to register. Their visas said in super-fine print, that they did need to register
4. My husband has an employment visa and the rest of us have entry visas. All 4 of us needed copies of: the online application, copies of passport and original visa, my husband's offer letter from the company, a statement of undertaking from his company, copies of the lease on our apartment, and ID photos. For some reason, we only needed one photo, but I'd be prepared and bring 6.

I don't know if the other Registration office near Charminar requires an online application or not. Maybe someone else can confirm that or not.

I hope the lessons learned from my experience yesterday can help others avoid the same troubles.

Good to read!
We keep this all in mind when we arrive next month...

The situation in Hyderabad (Purani Haveli, special branch office next to the Civil Court) is identical to your experience. 4 trips were needed, the first one was due to the online registration not returning the printable form which needs to be brought, but more importantly, which has the list of required documents. So I had to go to the police station to get a printout from them. (The procedure promises that you can go back with the reference number and print the form but I did not find where I could retrieve my online registration to print it.)

Second visit was after I finally managed to get a proof of address and I called in advance to check if I still was in time. They said yes but after waiting for 4 hours the officer came back and explained that although it was the first working day after the holidays, so technically I was on time, still the computer refused to accept my application - I had to go, pay a challan of $30 at the SBH on Abids / Chapel road and come back for my registration.
Since I had already taken 2 afternoons off from work, I asked a friend to make a trip to the FRO the next day but that did not fly, you *have* to register in person (it is not clear from the info on the registration form or website).
So we went again at the end of that week, waited for almost 3 hours (I knew it did not help to come early, so I came just before the 4 PM closing time - but be aware of the bad traffic in this part of the city!) and finally received the Residential Permits.

Now I have a question: I know that about half the foreigners (including Americans of Indian origin) simply do not register, because the process is so painful and a big waste of time. The whole *purpose* of the registration is to have a picture of which foreigner lives where and his travels. So, essentially they just want you to submit your home address and keep it updated.
But due to the bureaucracy and hoops, the majority of all moves of foreigners goes unregistered. If instead the Police simply required everyone arriving by plane, ship or car and not Indian Resident to declare their address of stay, like we do when filling the arrival form, and require to update it when moving (preferably online) then the police would be able to concentrate on the few people who do not register (which is likely the ones that are planning mischief) or those with suspicious travels.
But by making everyone's registration nearly impossible, the police is taking away a lot of productivity from foreigners while only deteriorating the chance of getting useful info from the registrations due to the large number of non-registering people.
So, why not make it simple?

The writeup I made after my frustrating visits to the police station:

For residential permit you need a *lot* of paperwork.
Also, if the police website claims that you can request
the permit online and pick it up after 24h, do not be
surprised that only when you arrive with your printed
online application *plus* every one of the supporting
papers, only *then* the processing will start.
Opening hours of the FRO office in Purani Haveli is
2-4 PM on weekdays. (If your registration is due in
less than 24h they suggest you should come as soon as
possible, any time, so I went in the morning and was
sent away to come back after 2 PM...

Residence proof: this is the most difficult to get if
you are not staying in a hotel or guest house and you
also do not (yet) have a flat lease agreement, because
your hotel or guesthouse will register your presence if
you are staying there (you do not need to have a
residential permit) but otherwise you are required to
show either a notarized lease agreement or home ownership
supported by a statement from a governmental utility
company, which means either an electricity or BSNL bill
in your name or in the name as in the lease agreement.

Register within 14 days of arrival.
The police website states (and the inspector agrees)
that if you register on the 14th day that is acceptable.
Further it says that if that day is a holiday, then you
can register as soon as possible the next working day.
So I arrived at the police station on a Monday morning
after finally getting my residence proof (BSNL statement)
All my papers were checked and (after some discussion)
approved, then I was told to come back at 2 PM when
processing of residential permits starts.
At the end of the afternoon I was called and told that
they tried to enter my application into the computer
but it was rejected for being submitted too late.
I had to go pay a Challan of US$30 to get the computer
to accept my application. Of course the SBH is closed
at that time, which means to come back another day.

BTW, my BSNL statement was eventually accepted as
proof of address, but they tried to reject it as they
would like *two* proofs - an electricity bill and a
lease agreement between you and the person of the bill.
Or a BSNL phone bill. Since I just got a new connection
I did not have a phone bill yet, the only thing I could
get within the 2 weeks period was a statement by BSNL
that I got a connection from them, together with my
name and address and the signature and stamp of the
BSNL officer.

You have to register *in person*.
I tried to give my (and my son's) applications to my
wife and asked her to register us three, but that was
not possible, they need to see you.

You have to have your passport with visum with you
even though you have to submit copies of it all. You
need to leave your passport at the police station while
they process your registration. If they reject it and send
you away, make sure to get your passport as I almost left
one of the times without thinking about my passport.

Passport validity will impact the period of the permit,
the rule seems to be that Residential Permit expiry
will be randomly set to 2 months before your passport
expires, (they declare that there is a rule which says
they have to do this) so you are required to renew your
passport at least 2 months earlier than you otherwise
would have liked, after which you can visit the Police
station again to have your Residential Permit extended.
That is one unnecessary visit, as the whole point of
registration is just to know where foreigners are and
the presence in India depends on passport and visa
validity, so why the arbitrary 2 months short changing
for just a residential permit that is there only to
confirm your presence?
The police inspector maintains that they are not
inconveniencing anyone.
Of course a problem denied is a problem that does not exist.

Hope this helps someone to get through the hoops quicker....
Cor.

Whatever happened to their plan for registering online?

FRO Office in Hyderabad

I've had similar experiences at Purani Haveli branch. I go there with the mindset that it will take a few days to complete and I always carry a good book with me.

A few things:

1) Always have to first register online and then print-out. Actually you are not registering online, you are just filling out a form online to print and give to the FRRO by hand.

2) Take multiple copies of everything

3) Children have to be registered, even though the FRRO website states they do not.

4) Show-up early, as sometimes they do not accept applications if the cue is too long, even if you give the application during working hours.

5) Don't be shy to ask questions and pester the FRRO officials/ushers about where you have to go, what you have to do, when they will call your name. etc. Keep asking and asking. Nice guys finish last.

6) As of October 2009 - Foreign National registration form is submitted at 2:30 (be sure to be there by 2:00, so that you are in front of the cue. Sometimes they stop taking application after a few minutes). The moment they start accepting applications, run and hand yours in. Push, shove, do what it takes! After submitting your form they will call you to go over the materials about an hour later. Then if everything is in order (which 99% of the time it will not be and you'll have to come again the next day with some other details) you will get your permit around 6:00 - 6:30. You have to wait at the FRRO office until then.

If you are doing a change of address you have to submit a letter stating that your address has changed and provide them with your lease and electricity bill. Submission is at 10:30 (usually officials arrive at 11:30). You'll get back the certificate around 12:30.

I am residing at Jubille Hills and have an "X" visa. Anyone know which FRRO office i must head to?

Purani Haveli

Just try to extend your visa , that is a whole new experience as well! One thing that I learned, take plenty of photo's with, make 6 copies of EVERYTHING, and take it with, and they take LONG lunches as well. Most important, be friendly all the time

You all forgot one vital detail, most important for the FRO:

1) A little money goes a LONG way!!! Only Rs1000 to save you several trips back and a jump to the front of the queue!!!!!! In an out in one hour!

Might have to resort to that when renewing my visa. Are you serious about the Rs1000? I have no issues paying it - its like getting a good lawyer I guess.

That detail is not important for FRO registering, Anna. Having registered at least five times now, not once has a mention of extra payment for services rendered ever been uttered by myself or officers doing the registering. It has all gone according to plan, sometimes taking a while, but it gets done in the end.

With the current move towards anti-corruption in high places, I have often thought this could backfire on one. Instead of getting the registration done, you could end up being charged with offering a bribe. And your passport stamped not allowed back in India.

Keep in mind India Mike is not a forum that encourages illegal activities in any form. A registration at a FRO can be done with patience and persistence, without any form of extra money being handed over. It costs nothing to register, but you may be asked to provide many photocopies, and you will pay for these.

My 180 expiry date is coming up soon (x visa) and i need to go ahead and register soon. Can someone help me if i have missed out on any other documnetation listed below i need to take to the frro.

1. Original Passport with visa plus 6 copies

2. 6 photographs

3. Address proof

is there anything else i may need?

I agree with Aishah, i have done this many times and money has never been mentioned. As for photocopes they require three/four sets.

In my experience they do this very quickly and issue the RP within 24 hour.

Sash - even if you think you have everything they may come up with something else in their own rules!! Don't worry, just go along with what you have, and they will let you know what else is needed.

In the case of my last one for registering PIO card - they wanted 8 copies of everything. The whole process took 3 hours, during which time I transported one of the CID personnel with me so I could go and get the passport photos done (they do them these days practically in ten minutes) while he went and did the form photocopies and whatever needed doing. I picked him up back at the photocopy place, paid the money (56 rupees if I remember rightly!) then we drove back (me driving my own car) to FRO office and completed all the formalities.

Patience is of the essence but you will get there in the end. The one advantage of registering here, is that there is no one else currently on their register, so I don't have to wait in line!

Thanks Aishah, good advise you got there. I've finished submitting my online form and have taken a printout. Will go up there on tuesday at about 2.30 pm as advised on here.