What is a C-Form? Complete guide for Indian hotels and Airbnb hosts (2026)
If you host foreign guests in India — at a hotel, Airbnb, homestay, hostel, or guesthouse — you are legally required to file a C-Form every time a foreign national checks in and checks out. Missing it is not a grey area. It is a criminal offence under Indian law.
This guide explains what a C-Form is, who must file it, what it contains, and how the rules changed in 2025.
What is a C-Form?
A C-Form (officially called Form III under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025) is a mandatory report that every accommodation provider in India must submit to the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) whenever a foreign national stays at their property.
It is not a form the guest fills. The host — the hotel, Airbnb owner, homestay operator — is legally responsible for filing it.
The form records who the guest is, where they're from, what visa they hold, and how long they're staying. This data goes to the Bureau of Immigration, which operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
What changed in 2025?
The Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 came into effect on 1 September 2025. It replaced the Foreigners Act, 1946 and the Registration of Foreigners Rules, 1992.
Key change for hosts: departure C-Form filing is now explicitly mandatory. Previously, arrival was the main focus. The 2025 rules created an end-to-end tracking system — both arrival and departure must be reported.
Who must file a C-Form?
Anyone providing accommodation to a foreign national for monetary consideration in India. This includes:
- Hotels and resorts
- Airbnb hosts
- Homestays and B&Bs
- Hostels
- Guesthouses and lodging houses
- Dharamshalas
- Serviced apartments
- Individual landlords renting to foreign nationals
The obligation applies regardless of how long the guest stays — even a few hours counts. It applies across all of India.
What information goes into a C-Form?
The form collects:
- Guest's full name (as per passport)
- Date of birth and nationality
- Passport number, date of issue, place of issue, expiry
- Visa type, number, date of issue, place of issue
- Permanent address in home country
- Address in India (the hotel/property address)
- Date of arrival and expected departure
- Purpose of visit
- Next destination after checkout
- A photograph (extracted from passport)
When must it be filed?
Arrival: within 24 hours of the foreign guest checking in.
Departure: when the guest checks out. The 2025 rules require departure reporting as part of the end-to-end tracking system.
Pakistani nationals: the C-Form must be filed immediately at check-in and the local FRRO office must be notified by phone or email at the same time.
How do you file it?
Through the FRRO portal at indianfrro.gov.in/frro/FormC.
Before you can file, you need to complete a one-time registration with FRRO as an accommodation provider. This involves submitting your property details and supporting documents.
Once registered, each C-Form is filed online. The form has around 30 fields. For each foreign guest, every field must be filled accurately — name, passport details, visa details, dates, purpose of visit, and more.
Most hotel staff fill this manually for every guest. It takes 10–20 minutes per guest when done carefully.
Is there a faster way?
guestdesk automates the entire process.
You send a link to your guest. They scan their passport on their phone. The details auto-fill. Your Chrome extension files it directly to the FRRO portal in under a minute — arrival and departure.
First 5 guests free. No credit card required.
Try guestdesk free →Frequently asked questions
Q: Does every foreign guest need a C-Form, even for one night?
A: Yes. The law has no minimum stay threshold.
Q: What about OCI card holders?
A: Following the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, OCI card holders are now also required to be reported via Form C.
Q: Do I need to file for foreign guests who are Indian citizens?
A: No. Indian citizens, including NRIs, are not covered by the C-Form requirement. It applies to foreign nationals only.
Q: What if the FRRO portal is down?
A: Lack of internet connectivity is not an accepted excuse for non-filing. Contact your local FRRO office by phone or email and document the attempt.
Q: Do I need to give the guest a copy of the C-Form?
A: No. The C-Form is a filing made by the hotel to the FRRO — the guest is not legally entitled to a copy. You can provide a stay confirmation letter if the guest needs proof for other purposes.