A new law regulating matters related to foreigners and immigration, with strict provisions against forged passports and visas, came into effect in India on Monday ( 1st of September ).
The Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 was passed by the Indian Parliament during the Budget session, and received presidential assent from Droupadi Murmu on 4th of April , 2025.
According to a notification issued by Nitesh Kumar Vyas, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Act officially came into force on 1st of September 2025.
Under the new law, anyone found using a forged passport or visa to enter, stay in, or exit from India faces a prison term of up to seven years and a fine of up to one million Indian rupees. The Act also makes it mandatory for hotels, universities, educational institutions, hospitals, and nursing homes to report information on foreigners to help track overstays.
Additionally, all international airlines and shipping companies are required to submit passenger and crew manifests, along with advance information, to immigration authorities upon arrival at Indian ports.
The law specifies that anyone knowingly using or supplying forged travel documents will face a minimum of two years in prison (which may extend to seven years) and a fine between one lakh and ten lakh rupees. Foreigners entering India without valid documents may also face imprisonment of up to five years, a fine of up to five lakh rupees, or both.
The Act empowers the central government to regulate premises frequented by foreigners, including ordering closures, imposing conditions on use, or restricting entry for certain groups of foreigners.
This comprehensive legislation consolidates and replaces four earlier laws: the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920, the Registration of Foreigners Act, 1939, the Foreigners Act, 1946, and the Immigration (Carriers’ Liability) Act, 2000.
