Alerts
The Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) scheme is operational from December 2, 2005.
A) Who is eligible to apply for Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Card?
(i) Who was a citizen of India on or at any time after January 26, 1950; or
(ii) Who was eligible to become citizen of India on January 26, 1950; or
(iii) Who belonged to a territory that became part of India after August 15, 1947; and
(iv) Who is a child or a grand-child or a great grandchild of such a citizen mentioned above; and
(v) A person who is a minor child and whose both parents are citizens of India or one of the parents is a citizen of India; and
(vi) Spouse of foreign origin of a citizen of India or spouse of foreign origin of an Overseas Citizen of India cardholder and whose marriage has been registered and subsisted for a continuous period of not less than two years immediately preceding the presentation of the application. However it is to be noted that such spouse shall be subjected to prior security clearance from a competent authority in India.
B) Who is not eligible?
Any foreign national who has earlier been a citizen of Pakistan or Bangladesh.
(C) Cancellation of OCI Registration - Registration as OCI may be cancelled if it is satisfied that : -
(i) The registration as an Overseas Citizen of India cardholder was obtained by means of fraud, false representation or concealment of any material fact; or
(ii) The Overseas Citizen of India cardholder has shown disaffection towards the Constitution of India; or
(iii) The Overseas Citizen of India cardholder has, during any war in which India may be engaged, unlawfully traded or communicated with an enemy or been engaged in, or associated with, any business, or commercial activity that was to his knowledge carried on in such manner as to assist an enemy in that war; or
(iv) The Overseas Citizen of India cardholder has, within five years after registration been sentenced to imprisonment for a term of not less than two years; or
(v) It is necessary to do so in the interests of the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of India, friendly relations of India with any foreign country, or in the interests of the general public; or
(vi) The marriage of an Overseas Citizen of India cardholder has been dissolved by a competent court of law or otherwise OR has not been dissolved but, during the subsistence of such marriage, he has solemnized marriage with any other person.
D) Privileges - Persons registered as OCI enjoy:
(i) A multiple entry, multi-purpose life-long visa for visiting India.
(ii) Exemption from registration with local police authority for any length of stay in India.
(iii) Parity with Non-resident Indians (NRIs) in respect of economic, financial and educational fields, except in relation to acquisition of agricultural or plantation properties.
(iv) Any other benefits to OCIs will be notified by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) under Section 7B(1) of the Citizenship Act, 1955.
Persons registered as overseas citizen of India under Section 7A of the Citizenship Act, 1955, shall be entitled to:
(a) Parity with non-resident Indian in respect of:
1. Entry fees to be charged for visiting the national monuments, historical sites and museums in India;
2. Pursuing the following professions in India, in pursuance of the provisions contained in the relevant Acts, namely: Doctors, dentists, nurses and pharmacists; Advocates; Architects; and Chartered Accountants.
(b) Appear for the All India Pre-Medical Test or such other tests to make them eligible for admission in pursuance of the provisions contained in the relevant Acts.
E) Restrictions - Persons registered as OCI:
(i) Do not enjoy equality of opportunity in matters of public employment;
(ii) Do not enjoy any voting rights;
(iii) Cannot contest selections to Lok Sabha/Rajya Sabha/Legislative Assembly/Council;
(iv) Cannot hold Constitutional posts such as that of President, Vice President, Judge of Supreme Court/High Court and cannot be appointed to public services and posts in connection with affairs of the Union or of any State etc.
F) Renunciation of Overseas Citizen of India Card –
(i) A person shall cease to be an Overseas Citizen of India cardholder by making a declaration renouncing the Overseas Citizen of India card and same will be registered by Central Government.
(ii) The spouse of foreign origin and every minor child of that person, as above, holding the Overseas Citizen of India Card shall thereupon cease to be an Overseas Citizen of India cardholder.
G) Guidance for completing online application:
a) You must register and complete the form (Part-A) ONLINE at the website https://ociservices.gov.in/welcome
(b) When you have completed filling in Part A, click save. A Print Window would appear. Click “OK” to print out the application form consisting of Part-A and Part-B will be printed. For each family application, Part-B is common to all applicants of the family up to a maximum of four. Separate applications are required for any other additional members.
(c) You must then complete Part-B, preferably TYPED. It may also be handwritten but in CAPITAL LETTERS with Blue or Black Ink.
(d) The completed application form (Part-A & Part- B) along with the following documents must be submitted in TWO SETS for each applicant to the Embassy. Each photocopy should be self-attested by the applicant. For minors the parent must self-attest the photocopies. When signing on the photocopies of the documents, please mention as "Self Attested" and sign with name & date.
(1) Photographs
You must paste Two PHOTOGRAPHS of 2 inches x 2 inches [51 mm x 51 mm] IN COLOR FOR EACH APPLICANT on the space provided in PART A. DO NOT STAPLE the photographs. Attach third photograph in an envelope with name written on the back of photograph. [Photograph should be sufficiently bright color with frontal view of full face against a light background with both ears and shoulders clearly visible]
*As your photograph is scanned and printed on the OCI card and lifelong visa, it should be of a high quality for reproduction and conform to International Civil Aviation Organization specifications (pdf file)
(2) Photocopy of the photo page of the foreign passport, all observation pages of the foreign passport.
(3) Photocopy of the first page, photo page, last page and other pages having any observations of valid/cancelled Indian passport of self/parents/grand parents OR copy of Surrender Certificate of Indian passport of self/parents or grandparents.
NOTE: OCI APPLICANTS ARE REQUESTED TO SURRENDER THEIR INDIAN PASSPORTS AND SUBMIT COPY OF SURRENDER CERTIFICATE ALONGWITH THEIR OCI APPLICATIONS. In case applicant ever held Indian passport and is not able to surrender it for any reason (loss/misplacement/submission to some Office), a duly notarised affidavit should be provided to that effect along with the application for OCI. This would not, however, constitute a document supporting the claim of Indian origin status; independent documents indicated herein are required for this. Photocopy of one or more of the following documents:
a) Indian Educational certificate issued by educational boards/universities.
b) Indian Property documents attested by a revenue officer not below the rank of Tahsildar.
c) Indian Photo Voter I D
d) Indian Ration card with photo
e) Indian driving license with photo
f) Any Indian photo ID issued by Central /State Government
g) Indian Birth certificate issued by Government agencies. For any other foreign-born applicant birth certificate must be in full version and it has to be translated in Hindi/English by Reputed and Registered translation authority.
h) Indian Pan Card
(4) Photocopy of the birth certificate for foreign-born children as a proof of relationship with the child.
(5) PIO card in Original and self- attested copy of PIO card, if applicable.
(6) Photocopy of Chinese residence visa.
(7) Naturalisation/Registration Certificate
(8) Documentary evidence of relationship as parents/grand parents, if Indian origin is claimed on that basis.
(9) Marriage certificate where required
(10) Change of name/appearance affidavit if required.
If the supporting documents are not satisfactory applicant will be asked to provide more documentary evidence. Important:
A copy of authorised English translation of the certificate, if it is not in English/Hindi should accompany such documents.
All documents should be submitted in two individual sets for all the applicants. Each set should comprise of Part A, Part B and supporting documents.
Signature: The signature of the applicant should be WITHIN AND IN THE CENTER of the Signature box of Part A of the OCI Application form. Place thumb impression in signature box in BLUE INK ONLY (right thumb for female and left thumb for male), if the applicant (including minor children) can? sign. Please make sure the thumb impression is not faint. Parents should not sign for children in the signature box. Save a copy of the OCI Applications for your records.
H) Submission
Applicants are required to bring only the originals of the supporting documents uploaded along with the application to the Consulate General of India, Guangzhou for prior verification and are now not required to submit hard copies/printouts of the application or the photocopies of the uploaded documents.
For security reasons, OCI applications are accepted only from the applicants concerned and not through third party. Either of the parents can submit the OCI application on behalf of the minor children. Appearance of minor children is not mandatory.
Time of submission: Between 0930 and 1200 hours on any working day (Monday to Friday)
Change of Name: IF YOUR NAME IN YOUR US PASSPORT IS DIFFERENT FROM THE ONE IN THE INDIAN PASSPORT:
(a) In case of name change due to marriage please submit self-attested copy of the marriage certificate and first 2 pages of spouse’s passport,
(b) Otherwise YOU ARE REQUIRED TO ADVERTISE CHANGE OF NAME IN A NEWSPAPER IN YOUR LOCALITY AND IN INDIA.
(c) In both (a) and (b) cases, please COMPLETE AND NOTARIZE THE CHANGE OF NAME (pdf file) AFFIDAVIT.
I) Fee
Fees should be paid only in cash.
| S.No. | Document Type | RMB |
| 1. | Adult and minor [ For those NOT holding PIO Cards ] | 2293 |
| 2. | Person holding PIO Cards [Adult] | 225 |
| 3. | Person holding PIO Cards [Minors] | 1218 |
| 4. | Miscellaneous services like : Change of details in the card, correction for wrong filing of particulars and transferring visa to the new passport | 225 |
| 5. | Lost/damaged OCI documents/visa stickers | 845 |
| 6. | Refund if not found eligible after deducting the administrative costs [administrative costs: equivalent of USD 25] in case of PIO card holders, no refund is applicable. | 2068 |
J) Applying in India or elsewhere
If the applicant is in India, he/she can apply at the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer (FRRO) at Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata or Amritsar or Chief Immigration Officer (CHIO) Chennai or to the Under Secretary, Citizenship Section, Foreigners Division, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), NDCC-II Building, JAI SINGH Road, OFF Parliament Street, Near Jantar Mantar, NEW DELHI - 110001 If the applicant is abroad, he/she should submit the application to the Indian Mission/Post of the country of applicant? citizenship, or; where he/she is not in the country of citizenship, to the Indian mission/post of the country in which he/she is ordinarily resident.
K) Instructions regarding online status checking and collection of OCI cards
1. OCI Cards
OCI cards and lifelong visa stickers are printed in Delhi. Please check the status at https://ociservices.gov.in/statusEnqury Cooperation of applicants is requested to refrain from making interim status enquiries and calls as the whole process of grant of OCI card takes approx. 30 days. Enquiries and status calls will be attended to only after 30 days of acceptance of the application.
2. Incomplete applications
If any application/information is incomplete, your application will be sent back or you will be contacted by email provided on the application.
3. Delivery
We are required to affix the U-visa on your foreign passport and also hand over the OCI card to you (and your family, if applicable). In order to complete the work, you are requested to submit your and your family member’s foreign passport and PIO card/s, if any at the Consulate, when you see the status as "DOCUMENTS PRINTED AND RECEIVED IN GUANGZHOU".
L) OCI Miscellaneous Services
(i) OCI Miscellaneous Services are available in the event of:
Issuance of new passport;
Change of personal particulars viz. nationality
Loss/damage of OCI registration certificate/visa.
Erroneously entering wrong personal particulars while submitting online applications.
Change of address and occupation.
(ii) Process
Registered OCI shall make the application online selecting the requisite service(s).
Hard copy of application along with copy of old lifelong visa, old and new foreign passport and new enclosures to be submitted to the concerned Indian Mission/Post/Office.
Application can be submitted in Indian Mission/Post/Office in whose jurisdiction the applicant is ordinarily residing irrespective of the fact whether the same Mission/Post/Office has issued the original OCI documents or not.
OCI Miscellaneous Form:
OCI Miscellaneous form is available on the following link-
https://ociservices.gov.in/capchaActionMisc
(iii) Enclosures
Requisite Fee in cash
(iv) Fee
Should be paid in cash
| S.No. | Document Type | RMB |
| 1. | Change of details in the card, correction for wrong filing of particulars and transferring visa to the new passport | 225 |
| 2. | Lost/damaged OCI documents/visa stickers | 845 |
IMPORTANT NOTE:
THERE IS NO EMERGENCY SERVICE FOR OCI. Online Status Enquiry: You can check the status of OCI application online at https://ociservices.gov.in/statusEnqury. When the status of an OCI document in the online status enquiry is GRANTED and NOT PRINTED EVEN AFTER A WEEK, please note that the photograph uploaded could not be printed in Delhi. To rectify this, please take a copy of the status report and paste a FRESH PHOTOGRAPH (2 inch x 2 inch [51 mm x 51 mm] with 80% coverage of face) on the left hand below the status report copy & sign (thumb impression in case of infants) on the right hand side opposite to the photo and submit it at the Consulate. This will be scanned and uploaded again. This process is likely to take a further period of up to two weeks and the progress can be watched through status enquiry.
Collection: On expiry of 30 days after submission of application, the applicant can check the status of his OCI card on the website at the following link: https://ociservices.gov.in/statusEnqury
If the status mentions - "ready for collection", then the applicant can visit the Consulate for collection of the OCI Card (between 1600-1700 hours any day Monday-Friday).
Indian Passport: If your Indian passport is already cancelled, you need to submit only self-attested copy of the relevant pages. Otherwise, send original Indian Passport with the OCI application. If holding PIO card, it should also be enclosed in original with OCI application.
Travel to India: While travelling to India, it is important for OCI holders to carry both (a) the passport bearing ‘LIFE LONG’ visa sticker and (b) the OCI booklet. In case this passport has expired, there is no need to transfer ‘LIFE LONG’ visa to their new passports, but can carry the new passport along with items (a) & (b). Applicants are welcome to apply for transfer, but it will take the same time as in the case of fresh applications.
Access problem to Online registration: Applicants facing problems relating to access to online registration for fresh application or transfer through miscellaneous registration are requested to read ALL instructions contained in Ministry of Home Affairs Website: http://mha.nic.in/.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) Scheme: http://mha.nic.in/
FAQs on Consular Services/OCI Card
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Guidelines for applying OCI card in lieu of PIO card |
| 1. Erstwhile PIO Cardholders are hereby informed that 30th June, 2017 is the last date for submission of the application for registration as OCI cardholder. |
| 2. OCI card is a smart card which will facilitate quicker immigration clearance at the ICPs and also for obtaining various Consular services from the Indian Missions. For those residing in India, it will facilitate in availing various services in India. |
