How to apply
Apply online on the OCI services website of the Ministry of Home Affairs, ociservices.gov.in, then submit the printed application and self-attested supporting documents at the High Commission.
- Application form and procedure PDFOCI
- Documents required / checklist PDFOCI
- Important information PDFOCI
- Miscellaneous OCI services PDFOCI
- Frequently asked questions PDFOCI
All PIO cardholders are advised to apply for OCI on ociservices.gov.in and submit hard copies of the application and self-attested documents at the High Commission. Holders of the old hand-written PIO cards must obtain a machine-readable OCI card in its place: since October 2018 ICAO accepts only machine-readable travel documents.
Re-issue of the OCI card
- The OCI card must be re-issued each time a new passport is issued, up to the age of 20.
- It must be re-issued once after the holder turns 50, whether or not a new passport has been obtained.
- Re-issue is not needed each time a passport is issued between the ages of 21 and 50. Carrying the old passport is not mandatory but is advisable as a precaution.
The Government of India has decided, on the directions of the Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah, to simplify the process for re-issue of OCI cards. The OCI card has proved very popular with foreigners of Indian origin and foreign-origin spouses of Indian citizens or OCI cardholders, as it allows hassle-free entry and unlimited stay in India; about 37.72 lakh OCI cards have been issued so far. Under the law, a foreigner of Indian origin, or the foreign spouse of an Indian citizen or of an OCI cardholder, can be registered as an OCI cardholder. Earlier, the card had to be re-issued with each new passport up to the age of 20 and once after the age of 50, because of changes in facial features. The OCI card is a lifelong visa for entry into and stay in India, with several benefits not available to other foreigners. Under the simplified rules:
- A person registered as an OCI cardholder before turning 20 needs the card re-issued only once, when a new passport is issued after turning 20, so that the adult facial features are captured. A person registered after turning 20 does not need re-issue.
- To keep records up to date, the cardholder uploads a copy of the new passport (photo page) and a recent photo on the OCI portal each time a new passport is issued up to age 20, and once after turning 50, within three months of receiving the new passport.
- A cardholder registered as the foreign-origin spouse of an Indian citizen or OCI cardholder uploads a copy of each new passport, a recent photo and a declaration that the marriage still subsists, within three months of receiving the new passport.
- The details are updated and an automatic acknowledgement is sent by e-mail.
- How to upload a new passport and photo PDFRe-issue
- Guidelines for re-issue of the OCI card PDFRe-issue
Detailed OCI guidelines are on the Ministry of Home Affairs website, ociservices.gov.in.
Eligibility: Citizenship Act, 1955, Section 7A (as amended in 2015)
The Central Government may register as an OCI cardholder:
- any person of full age and capacity who is a citizen of another country and
- was a citizen of India at, or at any time after, the commencement of the Constitution; or
- was eligible to become a citizen of India at the commencement of the Constitution; or
- belonged to a territory that became part of India after 15 August 1947; or
- is a child, grandchild or great-grandchild of such a citizen;
- a minor child of a person mentioned in (a);
- a minor child whose parents are both Indian citizens, or one of whose parents is an Indian citizen;
- a spouse of foreign origin of an Indian citizen or of an OCI cardholder, whose marriage has been registered and has subsisted for at least two continuous years before the application, subject to prior security clearance.
No person who is or has been a citizen of Pakistan, Bangladesh or any other country notified by the Central Government is eligible. An OCI cardholder does not have the rights conferred on citizens of India under the articles listed in the Act.
Renunciation (Section 7C)
An OCI cardholder of full age and capacity may renounce the card by a declaration in the prescribed manner. On registration of the declaration, the person ceases to be an OCI cardholder, and so do the foreign-origin spouse registered under Section 7A(1)(d) and every minor child registered as an OCI cardholder.
Cancellation (Section 7D)
The Central Government may cancel the registration if it is satisfied that:
- it was obtained by fraud, false representation or concealment of a material fact;
- the cardholder has shown disaffection towards the Constitution of India;
- the cardholder has, during a war in which India is engaged, unlawfully traded or communicated with an enemy or been involved in business that assisted an enemy;
- the cardholder has, within five years of registration, been sentenced to imprisonment for at least two years;
- it is necessary in the interests of the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of India, friendly relations with any foreign country, or the general public; or
- for a card obtained as a spouse under Section 7A(1)(d), the marriage has been dissolved, or the cardholder has married another person while the marriage subsists.
Contact
Please send OCI queries to the Attaché (Consular): cons[dot]daressalaam[at]mea[dot]gov[dot]in.
Last updated on: 19 October 2026