Every hotel in India that hosts foreign nationals is legally required to submit a C-Form to the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) within 24 hours of the guest's arrival. This is not optional. Failure to submit can result in penalties for your hotel and complications for your guest.
What is a C-Form?
A C-Form (also called Form C) is a document that Indian hotels must submit to the local police or FRRO whenever a foreign national stays at their property. It captures the guest's: • Full name (as in passport) • Passport number and country of issue • Visa number, type and validity • Date of arrival in India • Date of arrival and departure from your hotel • Purpose of visit
Who Needs to Submit C-Form?
All hotels, guesthouses, lodges, hostels and home-stays in India must submit C-Form for any foreign national guest. This includes: • Tourists on tourist visa • Business travellers on business visa • OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) card holders — OCI holders are exempt from C-Form in most states • NRI guests — Indian citizens abroad on foreign passports Indian citizens do not require C-Form regardless of their residence country.
How to Submit C-Form Digitally
The Indian government provides the FRRO e-portal (indianfrro.gov.in) for digital C-Form submission. Steps: 1. Register your hotel on indianfrro.gov.in 2. Log in and select "C-Form Registration" 3. Enter guest passport details and stay information 4. Submit within 24 hours of arrival 5. Download the acknowledgement receipt and save it for your records StayDesk fills C-Form details automatically from the guest's passport scan or manual entry during check-in.
Penalties for Non-Compliance
Failure to submit C-Form on time is a violation of the Foreigners Act 1946. Penalties include: • Warning and fine for first-time violations • Repeat violations can result in your hotel being blacklisted from hosting foreign guests • In serious cases, hotel owner can face legal action under the Foreigners Act • Your hotel can be reported to the Ministry of Tourism, affecting star rating and certifications
How StayDesk Helps with C-Form
StayDesk automatically identifies foreign national guests at check-in and: • Prompts staff to enter passport details • Pre-fills the C-Form with guest and hotel information • Sends a reminder if C-Form is not submitted within 12 hours • Stores a copy of every C-Form submission in your records • Generates a monthly C-Form compliance report
Priya S.
Head of Product at StayDesk. Former hotel operations manager.