FOREIGNER means a person who is not a citizen of India.
An Itinerant Foreigner is one whose stay in India at any particular time does not exceed 180 days. If his stay exceeds 180 days, he becomes a Resident Foreigner. All resident foreigners are required to undergo registration formalities, if they intend to stay for more than 180 days whereas the Itinerant Foreigner need not comply with this procedure.
The regulations of entry, stay, movements, departure, extension of visa etc., of a foreigner in India are governed by the following acts & rules
| SL NO | Acts & Rules | Description |
| 1 | The Passport (Entry in India) Act, 1920 | It prescribes specific authorization of foreigner nationals on their valid travel documents/ passports for allowing entry into the country. Under this Act and the Rules made there under, the foreignerscoming to India are required to get visa from Indian Missions/ Posts |
| 2 | The Foreigners Act, 1946 | It regulates the entry of foreigners into India, their presence therein and their departure therefrom. |
| 3 | The Registration of Foreigners Act, 1939 and the Registration of Foreigners Rules, 1992 | It mandates that certain categories of foreigners whose intended stay in India is more than the specified period, or as provided in their visa authorization, are required to get themselves register4ed with the Registration Officer. |
Foreigners who enter India should have a valid Passport and Indian Visa.
The passport is an authorisation by the country to which the foreigner belongs.
Visa is an authorisation by the country which the foreigner wants to visit.
| TYPES OF VISA | ||
| 1 | Business Visa | B |
| 2 | Conference Visa | C |
| 3 | Diplomats | D |
| 4 | Employment Visa | E |
| 5 | Entry Visa | X |
| 6 | Journalist Visa | J |
| 7 | Medical Visa | M |
| 8 | Missionary Visa | M |
| 9 | Other Officials | O |
| 10 | Student Visa | S |
| 11 | Tourist Visa | T |
| 12 | Transit Visa | TR |
| 13 | UN Diplomats / Officials | UD |
| 14 | Medical Attendent | MX |
| 15 | Project Visa | P |
| 16 | Research Visa | R |
| Any other types of visas as specified by Govt of India | ||
