BCI Introduces Fresh Guidelines for Foreign Nationals Seeking Legal Practice in India
The Bar Council of India has recently issued an official notification dated November 04, 2025, regarding the Bar Council of India Rules on Enrolment and Practice of Foreign Nationals, 2025.
According to the notification, the Bar Council of India has framed some rules for nationals of countries other than India who want to seek permission to practise law in India, no matter whether by virtue of holding a law degree from universities of India or from any foreign University. These rules will be called the Bar Council of India Rules on Enrolment and Practice of Foreign Nationals, 2025, and will come into force on a date that will be decided by the Bar Council of India.
A foreign national university will only be permitted to enrol under these rules if duly qualified citizens of India are permitted to practise law in that foreign national’s university on substantially equivalent and reciprocal terms.
The list of reciprocal jurisdictions, after consultation with and on the advice of the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India, will be determined and published by the Bar Council of India.
The Bar Council of India will take a decision on this context based on consultation and advice, and the decision will be final, and no enrolled nations should disobey it.
A foreign country to be registered under these rules shall not be entitled to the following conditions:
- The foreign country should not be a member of any State Bar Council or the Bar Council of India.
- The foreign country should not be a member of the general body of any Bar Association or cast a vote in any Bar Association election.
- The foreign country should not possess any office-bearer position in any Bar Association or Bar Council or contend for it.
- The foreign country should not represent any Bar Association, Bar Council, or other collective body of advocates in any capacity whatsoever.
- A separate and distinct enrolment number will be issued to every foreign national registered under these rules by the State Bar Council. This number will be completely different from that allotted to regular advocates enrolled in India.
Refer to the official notification for complete information.