OCI CARD

OCI CARD
Instructions for OCI card

OCI ONLINE FORM REGISTRATION LINK: http://www.passport.gov.in/oci 

Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) who have migrated from India and acquired citizenship of a foreign country, other than Pakistan and Bangladesh are eligible for grant of Overseas Citizenship of India.
OCI status confers the following benefits:-

• Multiple-entry, multi-purpose life-long visa to visit India,

• Exemption from reporting to Police authorities for any length of stay in India,

 

• Parity with NRIs in financial, economic and educational fields except in the acquisition of agricultural or plantation properties and

• A person registered as OCI is eligible to apply for grant of Indian citizenship under section 5(1) (g) of the Citizenship Act, 1955 if he/she is registered as OCI for five years and has been residing in India for one year out of the five years before making the application.

 

• Registered OCI shall be treated at par with Non-Resident-Indian in the matter of inter-country adoption of Indian children.

• Registered OCI shall be treated at par with resident Indian nationals in the matter of tariffs in air fares in domestic sectors in India.

 

• Registered OCI shall be charged the same entry fee as domestic Indian visitors to visit national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in India.

• Parity with Non-Resident Indian in respect of entry fees to be charged for visiting the national monuments, historical sites and museums in India.

 

• 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.
• Parity with Non-Resident Indian to 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.

However, the OCI Card holder is not entitled to:- to vote; be a member of Legislative Assembly or Legislative Council or Parliament; cannot hold constitutional posts such as President, Vice President, Judge of Supreme Court or High Court etc. and he/she cannot normally hold employment in the Government.

Procedure: Application for registration as OCI is to be made online through the website of the Ministry of Home Affairs at https://passport.gov.in/oci. Instructions therein may be perused carefully particularly with respect to supporting documents required so that there is no mistake in submission of application. Once application form has been filled online, copy of the printout of the same is required to be submitted at EOI, Khartoum during working hours.

Documents required: The required documents listed below are indicative in nature and an attempt has been made to cover majority of the cases. However, the Consular Officer may ask for additional documents after examining the application. After making an online application, please report to the Embassy with a hard copy of the application along with the following documents:

• One Photograph (51mmx51mm) or (50mm x 50mm) with light colored background (square shape with 80% coverage by face). Photographs that do not conform to these standards will be rejected and may cause a delay in processing the application.

 

• Evidence of self, parents, grandparents or great-grandparents previous Indian Passport, Birth Certificate, valid foreign passport held and local residential proof.

• If the applicant ever held an Indian Passport, then proof of renunciation of citizenship/surrender of passport should also be submitted.

 

• Evidence of relationship as parent/grandparent/great-grandparents, if their Indian origin is claimed as basis for grant of OCI.

• In case the applicant does not have an old Indian Passport, he/she may provide copy of other documents issued from India such as birth certificates, nativity certificates etc. These will be sent to India for verification before acceptance of the application form.

 

• All the above documents are to be produced in original for verification and photocopies of the same are to be attached with the application.

• After grant of registration, a registration certificate in the form of a booklet will be issued. Carrying OCI card is must while travelling to India. 

 

Processing time and Fees:- Application submitted online and completed in all respect  would take 7 working days for processing by the Embassy. OCI Card would reach Embassy normally within 3 weeks after granting of OCI. But the same is subject to clearance from Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), New Delhi. Fees for the OCI is 13,200/- (SDP) and an additional 145/- (SDP) towards ICWF. This may vary from time to time.

Please note that:-

• A person who has not attained the age of 18 years is considered as minor. In case of minor who cannot sign, his/her left thumb impression may be placed in the signature box. Parents should not sign on behalf of minors.

 

• If there are any objections while processing the application, the same will be displayed on the online status enquiry. Please follow the instructions and send requisite documents to the Mission quoting the File (or acknowledgement) number.

• Granting OCI card to spouse of foreign origin of a citizen of India or spouse of foreign origin of an Overseas Citizen of India cardholder may take some time pending clearances. The marriage should have been registered and subsisted for a continuous period of not less than two years immediately preceding the presentation of the application. A sponsor letter by the Spouse of Indian Origin is must and to be furnished along with the OCI application.

 

• Entries made in the foreign passports or foreign origin documents are not accepted as proof of Indian origin.

OCI services are not available to:-

• Step-children and adopted children,
• Asylees,
• Applicants with a single parent whose birth certificate mention about only one parent,
• Minors who are born out of live- in relationship,
• Foreign national whose Indian spouse is deceased.

 

OCI Miscellaneous Services have been made available on the Ministry's website http://passport.gov.in/oci  and can be availed for re-issuance/issuance of duplicate OCI Registration Certificate and Visa in the following category of cases:-

• In case of issuance of new passport -
  

• The existing requirement to re-issue an OCI Card each time a new passport is issued to a foreigner up to 20 years of age and once after completing 5o years is dispensed with. An OCI Card holder shall have to get the OCI card re-issued once when a new passport is issued after completing 20 years of age so as to capture his/her facial features on attaining adulthood. For this purpose, the OCI cardholder shall submit an online application under OCI Miscellaneous Services with a fee of USD 25 or an amount equivalent in local currency. After submission of the application, uploading of requisite documents and payment of fee, the applicant will have to visit the Indian Mission/Post/FRRO concerned along with original documents for verification of documents. The application will be processed at the Indian Mission/Post/FRRO thereafter.


• An OCI cardholder may upload a copy of new passport containing the photo of passport holder and also a latest photo on the online system under OCI Miscellaneous Services each time a new passport is issued up to 20 years of age and once after completing 50 years of age. These documents may be uploaded within three months of receipt of the new passport. This service will be provided on gratis basis.


• In the case of those who have been registered as OCI cardholder as spouse of foreign origin of a citizen of India or spouse of foreign origin of an OCI cardholder under section 7A(1)(d) of The Citizenship Act  1955, the OCI cardholder shall upload a copy of the new passport containing the photo of the passport holder and also a latest photo on the online system under OCI Miscellaneous Services each time a new passport is issued. In such cases, the OCI cardholder and his/her spouse of OCI cardholder spouse shall also be uploaded in such cases. These documents may be uploaded by the OCI cardholder foreigner spouse within three months of receipt of his/her new passport. This service will be provided on gratis basis.


• Immediately on uploading of the documents mentioned above, an email will be auto sent by the system to the OCI card holder confirming that the documents have been successfully uploaded.

• In case of change of personal particulars viz. name, father's name, date of birth, nationality etc.,
• In case of loss/damage of OCI registration certificate/visa,
• In case of change of address/occupation (Not Mandatory).

 

Procedure: These services can be availed by applying online and submitting hard copy of the application along with the requisite fee and enclosures as mentioned in the application to the Embassy. Documents to be enclosed along with the application:-

(a) Original OCI registration certificate and visa and a copy of the same.

(b) In case of issuance of a new passport, copy of U-visa pasted on the old passport along with copy of registration certificate has to be enclosed. If the old passport is not returned by the concerned authorities while issuing new passport and copy of the U-visa had not been taken prior to the surrender of old passport, they may not be enclosed. Please also enclose copy of the new passport.

(c) In case of loss of OCI Registration Certificate and/or Visa, copy of the complaint lodged with Police authorities and copy of visa and registration certificate to be enclosed.

(d) In case of change of personal particulars e.g. wrong filling of particulars by the applicant, copy of the document (s) relevant for affecting the requisite changes viz. Nationality Certificate in case of change of nationality etc. to be enclosed.

• OCI Registration Certificate shall be issued in respect of any/ all service(s). The status of the application can be verified from the Online Status Enquiry.

• One Photograph (51mmx51mm) or (50mm x 50mm) with light colored background (square shape with 80% coverage by face). Photographs that do not conform to these standards will be rejected and may cause a delay in processing the application.

• All the above documents are to be produced in original for verification and photocopies of the same are to be attached with the application.

• The grant or otherwise of the service(s) sought shall be ordinarily decided in one month from the receipt of hard copy of the application.

Collection of OCI documents: On preparation of OCI document, applicant is required to be present in person or he/she can send a duly authorized person, along with his/her foreign passport & PIO card (if any) for collection of the OCI documents. No passport or OCI document will be sent by Dak/Post or Mail. 

Note:-OCI card does NOT entitle the cardholder to undertake any Missionary, Tabligh, Mountaineering and Research work in India, without the prior permission of the Government of India. Prior permission of the competent authority is also required for visiting restricted/protected area. For details, the following link may be visited:-

http://www.mea.gov.in/Images/pdf/ForeigD-FAQs-onPAPandRAP.pdf 

OCI/PIO Card holders intending to visit India for commissioning surrogacy would not require a separate Medical Visa. However, on arrival in India and before commissioning surrogacy, they will have to obtain a special permission from FRRO/FRO concerned.

Kindly note that the Embassy will accept an application for grant of OCI status only after satisfying itself on the adequacy and authenticity of supporting documentation provided. In certain cases this is likely to take time as the documents may require verification from the issuing authorities in India. In these cases the Embassy cannot prescribe the timeframe within which the OCI card will be issued. In these cases, at the stage of initial application, an acknowledgement will be provided. For further information, please visit www.passport.gov.in/oci .

 

SCHEDULE OF OCI FEE W.E.F. 22 NOVEMBER, 2020

SlNo.	Service	Fee (US $)	ICWF in US $	TOTAL (US $)
1.	Fresh OCI Card	275	03	278
2.	PIO Card holder applying for OCI Card (Major)	25	03	28
3.	PIO Card holder applying for OCI Card (Minor)	145	03	148
4.	Re-issue of OCI Card in case of issuance of new passport, change of personal particulars, wrong filing of particulars	25	03	28
5.	Duplicate OCI Card in case of loss and damage	100	03	103
6.	Amount to be refunded if the applicant is not found eligible for OCI Card on scrutiny	250	03	253