FAQ

http://documents.doptcirculars.nic.in/holidaylist2019mfCo.pdf

GST is a Goods and Services Tax. Film Production Companies are not GST exempt and currently, it stands at 18% for filmed entertainment business. GST is not considered eligible expenditure for tax relief.

Information on weather in India can be found at the website of Indian Meteorological Department, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India - https://mausam.imd.gov.in/

If you are not an Indian citizen or permanent resident, all staff in the Indian entertainment industry will need a temporary visa to stay. To do so, you should consult your local production services company and ask them to assist you with all shooting issues, including immigration.

 

Clarity in the issuance of ‘F’ / ‘J’ Visa:

As per Ministry of Home Affairs (Foreigners Division), regarding Liberalization, Simplification and Rationalization of Visa regime in India dated 29th December 2016, foreign nationals coming to India to shoot/film a feature Film / commercial TV serials / TV series / reality TV show / web series may be given ‘F’ visa, provided the Ministry of I&B has approved the project / proposal.

Foreign nationals coming to India to shoot/film ad films / AV commercials / documentary films may be given ‘J’ visa, provided the Ministry of External Affairs has approved the project/proposal.

Please note that ‘F’ Visa / ‘J’ Visa therefore, is granted/issued subsequent to the approval of the project by the Ministry of I&B and Ministry of External Affairs respectively. In other words the permission for shooting/filming in India should be obtained first and the appropriate visa should be accorded subsequently.

Clarity in issuing Visas to foreign technicians/ crew coming to India to work in Ad film / AV commercial / Music Video/ Feature Films etc.

In the case where an Indian Company/Agency is inviting an international cast, crew / technician to either work or be professionally associated with an Ad film / AV commercial / Music Videos / feature Film etc. then in such a case he / she may be given the appropriate visa as per the Visa categories specified by the Ministry of Home Affairs in the section titled Rationalization of Visa

More information can be found on the website of Ministry of External Affairs
https://www.mea.gov.in/

No, you do not need insurance while applying for permission.

International productions usually obtain specialised insurance to cover their specific production from their own country. In India, Line Producers / Production Service provider may do a Comprehensive General Liability (CGL) for the entire production and Group Personnel Accident (GPA) and Workman compensation for the Indian cast and crew.

Dispute Resolution and Grievance Policy 

We value your trust & understand that there may be situations where you need to address concerns or grievances. This Customer Grievance Policy outlines our commitment to addressing and resolving grievances in a transparent and efficient manner. 

The purpose of this policy is to: 

• Define the process for customers to raise grievances. 
• Ensure timely and fair resolution of grievances. 

Customers can submit grievances through the following channels: 

• Email: Send an email to ich@nfdcindia.com
• Phone: Contact our support team at +91 22 35248444
• Online Portal: Utilize our dedicated online portal for grievance submission. (If applicable) 

When submitting a grievance, please provide the following information: 

• Details of the application number and project name for which the payment was made / initiated. 
• A clear description of the grievance, including relevant transaction details like Application ID / Reference Number. 
• Any supporting documents or evidence including images of the product etc.  
• We will never ask you for your credit card details, OTP, Password etc. Please don’t share it with anyone even if claiming to be our representative. 

Upon receiving a grievance, we will follow these steps: 

• Acknowledgment: We will promptly acknowledge receipt of your grievance within 3 to 4 working days   
• Investigation: Our dedicated grievance resolution team will thoroughly investigate the matter, including reviewing transaction records, communication history, and any supporting documents. 
• Resolution: We will work diligently to resolve the grievance as quickly as possible and keep you informed.  
• Communication: We will keep you informed throughout the resolution process, providing updates and the expected timeframe for resolution. 
• Closure: Once the grievance is resolved, we will notify you of the outcome and actions taken. 

Escalation: If you are not satisfied with the resolution provided, you have the option to escalate the grievance to a higher authority within our organisation as per details below:  

Name of grievance officer: Shruti Rajkumar

Email ID of grievance officer : shruti@nfdcindia.com

While escalating the matter to the Grievance Officer, you are requested to share complete details of grievance raised with the Support / Help-Desk team and resolution provided.  

Feedback : We value your feedback on our grievance resolution process. Your input is essential in helping us improve our services and prevent similar grievances in the future. You can share your feed-back with us at ich@nfdcindia.com. 

Every State/Union Territory has a Nodal officer, who is responsible for assistance with permissions and any other filming needs. For specific location permission within a State, you may click on the State Permission form on your dashboard. The application will reach the State Nodal officer who will process the same and the post issuance, will upload the permission on The India Cine Hub (ICH) portal. Location payments, if any, are to be made to the State directly and the Nodal officer will get in touch with you for the same. The India Cine Hub (ICH) will assist you in reaching out to the Nodal officer of the State for any specific query etc.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting does not issue blanket film permits. Permits are date and location-based, which means that you must tell us exactly when and where you would like to film. We cannot submit permit requests without this information.

No. The India Cine Hub (ICH) only accepts applications for Feature films/ Reality TV show and / or Commercial TV serials on behalf of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. Foreign Audio Visual Agencies intending to shoot Documentary films / AV commercials / Music videos in India require the permission from Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). For further information, you may refer to the link below:
https://www.mea.gov.in/

Yes. Filming activity anywhere in the country will require a permit, regardless of size or type of production.

Your permission to shoot will normally not take more than three weeks to process for non-restricted areas. You are advised to apply 30 days in advance.

You may apply for permissions , where in you will receive the permit online as well as from the The India Cine Hub (ICH) office. The India Cine Hub (ICH) office details are given here.

An application fee of US $ 225 (equivalent Indian Rupees) is required to be paid online while applying for the National permission from Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. Location specific permission fee, if any, have to be made to the respective State authority directly. The State Nodal officer will assist you with the same.

There are certain Restricted/protected areas, where permission for foreign film shooting takes longer / or may not be given. The details of Protected/Restricted Areas and requirements for obtaining Protected Area Permit (PAP)/Restricted Area Permit (RAP) for visiting is given on the website of Ministry of Home Affairs at the link below:
https://www.mha.gov.in/en
https://mha.gov.in/PDF_Other/AnnexVII_01022018.pdf

The procedure for applying for permission for filming in Protected/Restricted areas is the same as for other locations. Kindly refer to the Step-by-Step Guide for applying for permission here. However, it takes longer for grant of permission in these areas and therefore, foreign producers are advised to apply as early as possible. Kindly note that in case you are seeking permission for other non-Protected/Restricted areas in the same application, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting will grant you the permission for other areas in the stipulated time period.

While applying for permission for filming, you are requested to furnish details of the equipment that you would like to carry in the format provided along with an Undertaking/Bond mentioning that the equipment would be re-exported. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting will accordingly issue a Customs Exemption Letter on the provision of the Equipment List and the Undertaking/ Bond. Please note that the The India Cine Hub (ICH) would require a minimum of 7 working days for processing and issuance of the Customs Exemption Letter.
You are required to show this letter to the officials of the Customs Department upon arrival in the country. For the official Notification that covers temporary import of equipment, kindly refer to the page of Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs here .

Yes, you can, if the operating frequency of your wireless devices comes under the permitted operational frequency range allowed in India. You will be required to share the list of equipment with The India Cine Hub (ICH), just like for other equipment. Unless the specific wireless equipment is essential to the success of your production, our recommendation would be that you hire what is required in India. However, it would be advised that you cross check with your Line Producer / Production service provider in India regarding the availability of specific equipment. For such equipment from India, the Line Producer / Production service provider is required to take the license from Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

Kindly visit the website of Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)
 https://www.dgca.gov.in/digigov-portal/

Kindly refer to the page of Animal Welfare Board of India.

The India Cine Hub (ICH) web portal has integrated with the ASI portal that allows you to fill up the ASI application through the ICH dashboard. Please click on the ASI permission on the dashboard to access the same.

The India Cine Hub (ICH) has an online searchable Locations Database as well as a list of who have executed 2 or more international productions in India since 2016, which you can browse and if you need further information or assistance, please

The India Cine Hub (ICH) has compiled information of Producers who have done Co-Productions in the recent past, which you can browse and if you need further information or assistance, please