A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

Film Producers and production companies from across the world are welcome to shoot their Feature Films, TV/Web shows and series & Reality TV/Web shows and series in India - a country with locations of untold beauty.

Film Facilitation Office (FFO) set up by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India, acts as a single window clearance and facilitation point for producers and production companies with a view to assist them in getting requisite filming permissions. The FFO also disseminates information on shooting locations and the facilities available with the Indian film Industry for production/post production and works closely with State Governments in assisting them to set up similar facilities. The FFO is managed by of the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), a central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (I&B) and housed in and operated by Invest India, National Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency that helps investors looking for investment opportunities and options in India. Filmmakers desirous of shooting their Feature Films, TV/Web shows and series & Reality TV/Web shows and series in India, may apply online at the FFO website, www.ffo.gov.in.

International Project

STEPS FOR FILLING AN ONLINE APPLICATION

FILMMAKERS SEEKING A NATIONAL PERMIT TO FILM IN INDIA

The Foreign filmmaker must seek permission from Ministry of I and B, to be able to apply for Film Visa. Thereafter, specific location permissions may be applied for at the portal. Below are the steps to apply for permission from Ministry of I&B

1

Register

Register yourself with the FFO website to start your application process

2

Fill application Form

Fill out the application Form for seeking permission for film production in India

Upload Document

Read-more

Pay 
Fees

Read more

3

Location Permits

After receiving permission for shooting in India from the FFO, you can submit application for location permits to the respective jurisdictions through your dashboard.

4

Visa Application

Apply for Film visa through the concerned Indian Mission.

5

Incentive Applications

If eligible, apply for incentives

APPLYING FOR VISA

What in the Indian mission in your country will do for you?

Submit the detailed particulars of all the members of the shooting team, along with the Permission Letter issued by the Ministry of I&B, to the Indian Mission in the country from which they would be departing for India at the time, indicating your intention to shoot in India. Indian Missions/Posts abroad will grant Film Visa ‘(F) Visa’ to such applicants who are coming to shoot Feature Films, TV/Web show and series & Reality TV/Web show and series in India provided that Ministry of I&B has approved the proposal.

Important Points to Remember

1

On submission of all requisite documents, your permission to shoot will normally not take more than three weeks to process. In cases where consultation from Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of External Affairs is required, you would need to allow more time to process your application.Read More...

2

As part of the application processing, your script will be evaluated by an expert from a panel constituted by the Ministry. If considered necessary, a liaison officer may be attached to a film shooting team. Where a liaison officer is so attached to the shooting team, the Government of India will bear his expensesRead More...

3

During the shooting of the film, if it is felt that any material changes or deviation from the approved script is necessary; permission must be taken from the Ministry of I&B through FFO before shooting these scenes.

4

Subsequent to the completion of the shoot in India, the FFO shall seek and collect feedback from the applicants with regards to their experience of filming in India, including a request for information pertaining to shooting related data. The producer/line producer is required to compulsorily submit the feedback form.

5

The FFO shall also seek trailer and Hi-res poster images of the film for display in the FFO Web portal and other marketing collaterals that the FFO may create to promote filming in India, after the release of the said project.

6

The production must agree to have a ‘Filmed in India’ credit and the Film Facilitation Office logo in the final production rolling credits of the project. The official FFO logo can be acquired from the Film Facilitation Office, New Delhi.

Modifications In Application

After submitting the application, specific sections such as Title, Script, synopsis, and the indication of whether the film is based on a deceased personality cannot be modified without approval from the FFO. To request modifications, you can seek approval from the FFO for the relevant section. Once the FFO grants approval, modification can then be made.

NOTE -In case of an international Co-production under the official treaty, if there is a change in the co-production company/organization, you will have to notify FFO and apply afresh. The same will be treated as a completely new application. The previous application will be considered null and void.

International Modification of Application
Ecosystem Of Nodal Officers

Ecosystem Of Nodal Officers

An ecosystem of Nodal Officers has been created across various State Governments and Union Territories and within key stakeholder Central Government Ministries/Departments (viz. Animal Welfare Board of India, Archaeological Survey of India, Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Airports Authority of India, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Ministry of Railways, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs etc.) with a view to enable effective governmental collaborations including faster processing of all shooting permissions and the establishment of a film friendly environment across the country. The portal provides information on the assigned Nodal Officer for respective State/Union Territory along with its filming policies/guidelines, shooting locations and various filmic and non-filmic information of the respective region.

The FFO can be contacted at

  • NFDC - FD Complex,,
    24 Dr. Gopalrao Deshmukh Marg,
    Mumbai - 40001
    Maharashtra, India
  • Timing: Monday - Friday, 9 am - 5:30 pm 
    Saturday & Sunday Closed
  • E-mail : ffo[at]nfdcindia[dot]com