Police notify strict 24-hour reporting rule across Dimapur, Chümoukedima and Niuland; penalties warned for non-compliance
The Office of the Commissioner of Police, Dimapur, has issued a notification mandating strict compliance with the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 and the Immigration and Foreigners Rules, 2025, requiring accommodation providers, educational institutions, and medical facilities to report the arrival, stay, and departure of foreign nationals across Dimapur, Chümoukedima and Niuland districts.
The notification follows the enforcement of the Government of India’s new consolidated immigration legislation, which came into force on September 1, 2025, replacing earlier laws including the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920, the Registration of Foreigners Act, 1939, the Foreigners Act, 1946, and the Immigration (Carriers’ Liability) Act, 2000.
Under Section 8(1) of the Act and Rule 17 of the Rules, the keeper of any accommodation is legally required to furnish details of foreigners staying on their premises to the concerned Registration Officer. The notification clarified that accommodation includes boarding houses, clubs, rest houses, hostels, paying guest facilities, rented houses, homestays, tents, hospitals, religious institutions, charitable trusts, and similar establishments.
All foreign nationals, including Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders, must provide necessary particulars upon arrival. Details of departure, including onward destination, must also be recorded. These records are to be maintained electronically for at least one year and made available for inspection by authorised officials.
Accommodation providers are required to submit a duly filled Form-III (formerly Form ‘C’) electronically within 24 hours of a foreigner’s arrival through the designated portal or mobile application.
The notification further stated that universities, colleges, and schools admitting foreign nationals must electronically furnish information regarding foreign students, especially those provided hostel accommodation.
Similarly, hospitals, nursing homes, and other medical institutions offering indoor treatment along with lodging or sleeping facilities must submit details of foreign patients and their attendants where accommodation is provided.
Authorities described Form-III reporting as a key mechanism for ensuring adherence to immigration regulations and safeguarding national security. All concerned stakeholders have been urged to ensure accurate and timely reporting.
The police cautioned that failure to comply with provisions of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 and its Rules will attract penal action as prescribed under law.
