Form C (Now Form-III) for Hotels and Homestays: 2026 Guide
Every property that hosts a foreign guest in India must report the stay online within 24 hours. Here is what changed when Form C became Form-III in September 2025, who has to file, and how to do it step by step.
Form-III (previously Form C) is the online report every accommodation provider in India must submit when a foreign national stays with them. It has to be filed within 24 hours of the guest’s arrival, and departure must be reported within 24 hours of check-out. Since 1 September 2025 the duty comes from the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, and the form is filed on the Bureau of Immigration’s portal, indianfrro.gov.in.
What changed in 2025
The Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 and the Immigration and Foreigners Rules, 2025 came into force on 1 September 2025. They replaced the Foreigners Act 1946, the Registration of Foreigners Act 1939 and related laws. Under the new framework:
- Section 8 places the reporting duty on every keeper of accommodation.
- Rule 17 sets out the procedure, and the familiar Form C is now called Form-III.
- OCI cardholders are now explicitly covered, so do not skip them.
- Records must be kept electronically for at least one year and produced on demand to the Registration Officer, the District Magistrate or a police officer of Head Constable rank or above.
Who has to file Form-III?
The duty applies to anyone who provides accommodation to a foreign national, whether or not they call themselves a hotel:
- Hotels, resorts, guest houses and hostels
- Homestays, villas, holiday homes and rented flats, including Airbnb listings
- Dharamshalas, sarais and religious or charitable institutions with lodging
- Private homes hosting foreigners (the portal has a “Personal Home” sign-up option; confirm non-paying family visits with your local FRRO)
Deadlines at a glance
| Event | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Foreign guest arrives | Submit Form-III within 24 hours |
| Foreign guest departs | Report departure within 24 hours |
| Records | Keep electronically for at least 1 year |
How to file Form-III online, step by step
- Register your property once on indianfrro.gov.in (Form C module, user sign-up) or in the Indian Visa Su-Swagatam app.
- Choose your category: hotel, guest house or homestay, or personal home.
- Enter owner and property details and upload the documents requested.
- Wait for verification by your local FRRO or FRO, after which your login is activated.
- For each guest, choose “New C-Form” and enter passport, visa, arrival and expected departure details, the purpose of visit and the guest’s photo.
- Submit, then download or print the PDF for your records.
- Report the departure within 24 hours of check-out.
What you need from the guest
- Passport: number, place and date of issue, expiry
- Visa or OCI details: type, number, validity
- Arrival date in India and at your property, and where they came from
- Next destination and expected departure date
- A recent photograph
Collecting these before arrival, for example through a pre-check-in link, makes the 24-hour deadline easy to meet even on a busy night.
Penalties for not reporting
Section 23 of the Act covers contraventions without a specific punishment and allows imprisonment of up to 3 years, a fine of up to ₹3 lakh, or both, and these offences can be compounded. State notices have quoted lower per-case amounts, so check your state’s current notice. In practice, a missed report is easy to avoid with a simple daily check of who is in-house.
How GXP Next helps
GXP Next adds every foreign guest to a Form-III queue with a pre-filled PDF and reminders, so your team can see at a glance which reports are pending and submit them on the official portal in minutes.
FAQs
Is Form C still valid?
The name changed. Since 1 September 2025 the report is Form-III under the Immigration and Foreigners Rules, 2025, but it is still filed on indianfrro.gov.in and many screens still say “C-Form”.
Do Airbnb and homestay hosts need to file?
Yes. Any keeper of accommodation hosting a foreign national for a stay must report it within 24 hours, including homestays, villas and rented flats.
Do I need to file for OCI cardholders?
Yes. The 2025 rules explicitly cover OCI cardholders.
Can I file from my phone?
Yes. Use the Indian Visa Su-Swagatam app or the indianfrro.gov.in website in a mobile browser.
Sources: Bureau of Immigration, indianfrro.gov.in; Airbnb help: reporting foreign guests; Nagaland IPR notice on the 2025 Act.
Last checked: 9 October 2026. Rules change; confirm anything that affects your filings with your CA, lawyer or the issuing authority. This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice.
Run it from one screen
GXP Next is a cloud property management system built in India. It brings bookings, OTA sync, GST invoices, guest ID capture, a Form-III queue, UPI and WhatsApp into one app that runs in your browser. It is free forever for properties with up to 3 rooms. Book a free demo.
