Overseas Citizenship of India
Overseas Citizenship of India
At the first Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in 2003, the then Prime Minister of India had announced grant of dual citizenship to PIOs. In 2004, by an amendment to the Citizenship Act, the facility of Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) was made available to PIOs in 16 specified countries.
At the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2005 held in Mumbai, the Prime Minister had announced Government’s intention to PIOs of any country (except Pakistan & Bangladesh) that allows dual citizenship. This has since been given legal backing by the Indian Parliament, which approved the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2005 in August 2005. The erstwhile Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) card scheme (started in the year 1999) was also merged with OCI cardholder scheme of 2015.
A foreign national -
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who was a citizen of India at the time of, or at any time after 26th January, 1950; or
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who was eligible to become a citizen of India on 26th January, 1950; or
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who belonged to a territory that became part of India after 15th August, 1947; or
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who is a child or a grandchild or a great grandchild of such a citizen; or
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who is a minor child of such persons mentioned above; or
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who is a minor child and whose both parents are citizens of India or one of the parents is a citizen of India
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is eligible for registration as OCI cardholder.
Besides, 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 is also eligible for registration as OCI cardholder.
However, NO person, who or either of whose parents or grandparents or great grandparents is or had been a citizen of Pakistan, Bangladesh or such other country as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify, shall be eligible for registration as an Overseas Citizen of India Cardholder.
OCI Registration
Application for registration as OCI can be made Online. Before filling the application, Instructions may be perused so that there is no mistake in submission of application. Further, the details regarding Fee and Offices where applications have to be filed may also be perused.
The guidelines on OCI are available on the website of MHA (www.ociservices.gov.in). To apply for OCI Registration, please Click Here
OCI Card Reissue Guidelines
According to the recent relaxation in requirements for OCI Card Reissue:
(i) Mandatory requirement of re-issuance of an OCI card each time a new passport is issued to a foreigner up to 20 years of age and once after completing 50 years of age, is dispensed with;
(ii) OCI cardholder is required to get the OCI card re-issued only once when a new passport is issued after completing 20 years of age. The fees for this is US$ 25 and US$ 3 for Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF).
(iii) OCI cardholder is required to upload ONLINE a copy of the new passport and a recent photo each time a new passport is issued up to 20 years of age and once after completing 50 years of age. The uploading of these documents may be done within three months of receipt of the new passport;
(iv) Foreign spouse of an Indian Citizen or spouse of foreign origin of an OCI cardholder is required to upload a copy of the new passport and a recent photo ONLINE each time a new passport is issued, along with a declaration on subsisting of marriage, copy of the Indian passport of the Indian spouse/passport and OCI card of the OCI cardholder spouse.
(In case of (iii) and (iv), please visit https://ociservices.gov.in/welcome and select the option ‘OCI Miscellaneous Services’ for uploading copy of the passport, recent photograph and other documents. This does not involve any submission of documents to the Embassy and will be Gratis).
2. Further, timeline for re-issuance of OCI card in r/o OCI cardholders who may be required to get their OCI card re-issued, has been extended till December 31, 2021.
3. The requirement of carrying old and new passports, along with the OCI card, has been done away with. Henceforth, an OCI cardholder traveling on the strength of existing OCI card bearing old passport number is not required to carry the old passport. However, carrying the new (current) passport is mandatory.
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