Revised guidelines for re-issuance of Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Card

Government of India has revised instructions/guidelines on ‘Re-issuance of OCI cards due to Issuance of new foreign passports to OCI cardholders.’

(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 has been 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 so as to capture his/her facial features. 

(iii)    OCI cardholder is required to upload ONLINE a copy of the new passport and a latest 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.  The service will be provided on Gratis (no cost/free) basis. 

(iv)    Foreign Spouse of an Indian Citizen or spouse of foreign origin of an OCI cardholder are required to upload a copy of thenew passport and also a latest 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 & OCI card of the OCI cardholder spouse. 

(v)     The Government of India has modified the online OCI web portal under “OCI Miscellaneous Service” to facilitate OCI cardholders to update details of new Passport (each time a new passport is issued up to 20 years of age and once after completing 50 years of age) and reissue of OCI card once a new passport is issued after completing 20 years of age. A detailed instruction in order to fill online Application Form and requirement may be accessed at https://ociservices.gov.in/welcome.

(vi)     Likewise, OCI cardholders are required to obtain Special Permission from concerned authorities to undertake certain activities in India.  In order to make it convenient to such OCI cardholders, a separate sub-portal under the name “Apply for Special Permission (only for OCI cardholders)” has been created in the online OCI web portal https://ociservices.gov.in/welcome.  The link has detailed instructions as well as documents required to be submitted, which would facilitate such OCI cardholders to apply for Special Permission.

Procedures of applying for an OCI Card or renewal of OCI card

The guidelines for applying new Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card and re-issue of OCI card are available on the website of Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India at www.ociservices.gov.in. 

The applicants are required to submit the hard copy/printout of the duly filled online application form along with the relevant documents in person to Indian Embassy between 9-12 AM on working days. After scrutinizing the documents by the Embassy, mandatory biometric enrolment of the applicant will be taken, after which the application would be processed.   

The processing time takes approximately five-six weeks for issue of New (Fresh) OCI card/renewal of OCI card/conversion of PIO card to OCI card.  The applicants who are applying for OCI cards on the basis of their spouse (Foreign Spouse Application), the processing time may be much longer than usual.

Application fee for OCI card is mentioned below:

·       First Application – Euro 254
·       Renewal – Euro 26
·       OCI card in lieu of lost/damaged OCI card – Euro 95
·       Conversion of PIO Card to OCI card – Euro 95

The fee must be transferred to the Embassy’s bank account. 

Embassy's bank details:

Recipient: Embassy of India
Account number: FI96 2066 1800 0174 23
BIC: NDEAFIHH
Message: Name of the applicant and the service applied for

Select the suitable link for which the service is required:

FIRST OCI CARD

OCI CARD ON THE BASIS OF INDIAN SPOUSE

RENEWAL OF OCI CARD

CONVERSION OF PIO CARD TO OCI CARD