Foreign Film Crews Pay INR Equivalent of 5, Non-Refundable, for India Shooting Permission

Film and television productions that shoot in India apply for permission through India Cine Hub, a government platform for filming in the country. It is run through the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) in Mumbai. The permission letter is issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), and the platform takes applications for feature films, TV and web shows and series, and reality TV and web shows and series.

The same route covers domestic productions, international productions and co-productions. For foreign crews, the process also reaches film visas issued by Indian missions abroad. The steps, documents, fees and timelines are set out below.

Which Productions Apply Through the Platform

India Cine Hub invites producers and production companies to shoot feature films, TV and web shows and series, and reality TV and web shows and series in India. Documentaries, audio-visual (AV) commercials and music videos are not accepted.

Applications are taken for domestic projects, international projects and co-productions. Live event permissions are also offered as a separate service.

The platform also holds directories of locations, filmic and non-filmic resources, co-producers and production companies. Location directories are organised by category and by state, and the platform also lists filming hubs. The platform also features locations including adventure spots, beaches, coasts and creeks, caves, and cities and towns.

Fee, Timelines and the Script Panel

Each application carries a non-refundable processing fee of INR equivalent to USD 225, which will not be returned under any circumstance. The platform says a permission normally takes no more than three weeks to process once all documents are submitted. Cases that need consultation with the Ministry of Home Affairs or the Ministry of External Affairs take longer.

The script is evaluated by an expert from a panel constituted by the ministry. A liaison officer may be attached to the shooting team if considered necessary, and the Government of India bears that officer's expenses.

Material changes or deviations from the approved script need prior permission from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, sought through India Cine Hub, before the affected scenes are shot.

In exceptional cases, the completed film may have to be shown to a government representative in India or at an Indian mission abroad before worldwide release. The purpose is to confirm that it was shot in accordance with the evaluated script and has nothing objectionable from the point of view of presenting a correct and balanced perspective.

Documents a Foreign Production Must Submit

The application needs a detailed script and synopsis. For reality shows, a detailed concept is submitted in place of a script. Crew passport details must be listed in tabular format, with copies of each passport attached.

Applicants must also name the shooting locations in India and the shooting period, and list the equipment to be temporarily imported.

If a living person is portrayed as a character, the platform suggests sharing the script with that person or their legal heirs before applying and obtaining a no-objection letter. The platform says the letter will expedite clearance and guard against the possibility of defamation or libel suits.

Where the shoot is an official treaty co-production, the co-production agreement must be submitted. The agreement is expected to cover each party's role, financial commitments, responsibilities and liabilities.

From Registration to Location Permits and Visas

The sequence starts with registration on the platform. The applicant then fills in the application form, uploads the required documents and pays the fee.

Once India Cine Hub grants shooting permission, location permits are applied for through the applicant's dashboard. Location permits come after the central shooting permission, and some local authorities may need to be approached directly. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting permission letter helps with those approvals.

For a foreign team, the film visa is applied for at the Indian mission in the country the team departs from. The team's details and the ministry's permission letter are submitted to that mission. The mission issues the film visa (F) once the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting approves the proposal.

The platform describes an ecosystem of nodal officers across states, union territories and key central ministries and departments, set up to enable faster processing of shooting permissions. The portal lists each region's nodal officer and filming policies.

The India Cine Hub office is at NFDC FD Complex, 24 Dr. Gopal Rao Deshmukh Marg, Mumbai 400026, and is open Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 5:30 pm.

Material changes or deviations from the approved script need prior permission from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

Changes, Credits and Obligations After Approval

After the application is submitted, specific sections such as the title, script, synopsis and whether the film is based on a deceased personality cannot be modified without approval from India Cine Hub. Material changes or deviations from the approved script fall under the permission requirement described above.

For official co-productions, changing the co-production partner requires notifying India Cine Hub and reapplying. The new application is treated as entirely new, and the previous one becomes void.

After shooting, producers or line producers must submit the feedback form, and the platform asks for shooting-related data. After release, the platform requests a trailer and high-resolution posters for promotion.

Productions are also required to carry a Filmed in India credit and the India Cine Hub logo in the end credits. The logo is obtained from the platform.

Special Permissions, Directories and State Incentives

The platform lists a group of special-category permissions. These cover aerial filming, filming at monuments, filming with railways, filming in forests and filming with animals. Film visas are listed in the same group, and for foreign teams they are applied for at an Indian mission.

The platform has a separate section on incentives by states and union territories. Its list shows state policy documents for places including Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat and Haryana.

The platform's Made in India showcase lists international films, domestic films, co-produced films and projects that availed incentives. The home page cites Life of Pi, Tenet and Everest among films shot in India.