Traveling and staying in Odisha has now become even easier for foreign nationals. The previous hassles associated with visa extensions, visa conversions, and the issuance of residential permits have been eliminated. Eligible foreign visitors can now obtain a registration certificate. The administration will also maintain oversight regarding the stay and movement of foreigners within Odisha.
To this end, a new Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) has been opened in Bhubaneswar. The Central Government has also inaugurated FRRO offices in Kohima (Nagaland) and Agartala (Tripura), in addition to the one in Odisha. Previously, matters concerning the activities of foreigners in Kohima and Agartala were managed by the FRRO in Kolkata. Previously, the procedures for foreigners visiting Odisha were managed under the jurisdiction of the FRRO (Foreigners Regional Registration Office) in Hyderabad. Given the rising number of foreigners traveling to India for tourism, medical treatment, and education, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has directed the establishment of an FRRO in the capital city of every state.
The total number of FRROs across the country has now reached 20. Currently, these offices are operational in Ahmedabad, Amaravati, Amritsar, Aizawl, Bengaluru, Chennai, Cochin, Chandigarh, Delhi, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Kozhikode, Lucknow, Mumbai, and Trivandrum. The FRRO network will soon be expanded to Bihar, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, and Meghalaya. Officials from these offices will also assist in determining the operational procedures of the ‘Bureau of Immigration’ under the Immigration and Foreigners Act-2025.
