The FRRO (Foreign Registry Office) is one of those words that makes foreigners in India arm hair stand on end. It is the most dreaded place for everyone, but a place that no one can avoid. A person has to register their residency in India and go there for visa extension. It is so ironic that a person has to fight so hard to stay in such a dreadful place. Depending on what kind of a relationship your country has with India determines how regularly a person has to go. For example, Italy apparently has a poor relationship as those expats must go every 3 months to renew their visas. The U.S. and Germany apparently have good relations as we only have to go once a year. Thankfully for us our September visa extension visit will be our last.
The dreaded week of August 30th-September 3rd involved four visits and multiple photocopies to get our visas extended. Just to give you insight into how nasty this place is here were my directions to Ben when he came to sign the documents (both parties have to be present).
My directions to Ben, "Go through front door and head straight past doorway with stray dog laying in middle of hallway...continue straight until you see a crippled beggar and then take that stairway up three levels. The brown vomit looking substance in the corner of the stairwells is just chewing tobacco...hold your breath as you go up the steps as the stench is strong. When you see a large group of 30 homeless looking woman sitting in the hallway you are on the right floor. Turn left past the welfare office and the FRRO (Foreign Registry Office) is just down on the right. When you get in the room push your way to the corner desk."
I have attached a few pictures of the Delhi FRRO Office for a reference to exactly how unorganized and crazy these offices appear to an outsider. It is comforting to know that they shed our passport paperwork eventually. Oh, "Incredible India!"
