No. If the applicant, or his/her parents or grand-parents have ever been a citizen of Pakistan or Bangladesh, he/she will not be eligible for an OCI card.
Applicants residing abroad can file applications to the Embassy/Consulate having jurisdiction over the country of which applicant is a citizen; or If he/she is not living in the country of his/her citizenship, to the Embassy/Consulate having jurisdiction over the country of which the applicant is ordinarily resident irrespective of the fact that the same Embassy/Consulate issued the original OCI documents or not. It normally takes about 6-7 weeks for issue of an OCI Card.
Please apply through the following link http://www.passport.gov.in/oci/welcome directly and then submit a hard copy of the application with the prescribed documents in the Embassy. It should be noted that this service will be considered as Fresh Application for OCI Card and the corresponding fees (QR: 365) will be charged w.e.f. 01/01/2018.
Yes, a Renunciation Certificate (renouncing your Indian nationality and surrendering your Indian passport) is compulsory before applying for an OCI card. It takes 3-4 working days for a Renunciation Certificate to be issued, subject to documents being in order.
The Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, Vide circular No. 26011/06/2015-OCI dated 29th January, 2015 has directed all immigration authorities in India not to insist on production of the foreign passport containing the 'U' Visa Sticker in case of OCI Cardholders while they enter/exit India and immigration clearance will be granted based on production of just the OCI card, accompanied by a valid passport (which may not have the U visa sticker).
No, foreign military personnel either in service or retired are not entitled for grant of OCI. No person who has earlier served in a foreign military organization is eligible for an OCI card.
An OCI card holder gets the following benefits:
The OCI Card holder is not entitled:
You will be allowed entry into India if you have a valid OCI Card and a valid foreign passport, with a minimum remaining validity of six months. You do not need to carry the old passport on which your "U” (OCI) Visa was stamped, if that happens to be different from your current passport.
A family consisting of spouses and up to two minor children can apply in the same form i.e. Form XIX, which can be filed online or downloaded from our website http://mha.nic.in/ForeigDiv/ForeigHome.html
Yes. Part A of the application form should be filed online. Part B should be downloaded and printed on computer or by hand in Block letters. Printed Part A and Part B of the application form has to be submitted to the Embassy along with all requisite documents.
Any documentary evidence like a school certificate, Agricultural land ownership certificate, birth certificate etc. by which eligibility may be reasonably ascertained.
If the registration as an OCI Cardholder was obtained by means of fraud, false representation or the concealment of any material fact, the registration as OCI Cardholder shall be cancelled under section 7D of the Citizenship Act, 1955. The person will also be blacklisted thereby banning his/her future entry into India.
In case of applications submitted to the Embassy/Consulate – US $ 275 or equivalent in local currency for each applicant.
If registration is refused, an amount of US $ 250 or equivalent in local currency shall be refunded. US $ 25 is the processing fees, which is non-refundable.
After grant of registration, a registration certificate in the form of a booklet will be issued. This will serve as a life-long multiple entry visa to visit India. For collection of the OCI Cardholder registration booklet, the applicant is required to be present at the Embassy in person or he/she can send a duly authorized person, along with his/her passport and the original documents for which self-attested copies were attached at the time of submitting application, for verification purposes. No passport and OCI Cardholder registration booklet will be received/sent by Post or e-mail.
Yes. For this purpose, an application has to be made to the Embassy with evidence for loss of certificate of registration. In the case of mutilated/damaged certificate of registration, an application has to be made enclosing the same. The applications in both the cases are to be submitted to the Embassy along with payment of a fee of US $ 100 or equivalent in local currency.
No. He/she will be required to obtain Protected Area Permit/ Restricted Area Permit for such visits.
Yes, for the period the OCI Cardholder is living in India.
No.
Yes. As per section 5(1)(g) of the Citizenship Act,1955, a person registered as an OCI cardholder for 5 years and who is ordinarily resident in India for twelve months before making an application for registration is eligible for grant of Indian citizenship, and can apply for naturalization under this category.
No. Indian Passport is given only to an Indian citizen.
Yes. He/she has to make a declaration renouncing the Card registering him/her as an OCI Cardholder to the Embassy/Consulate from where the registration as OCI Cardholder was granted. After receipt of the declaration, the Embassy shall issue an acknowledgement in the prescribed form. Upon such registration of the declaration, the person shall cease to be an OCI Cardholder. Where a person ceases to be an OCI Cardholder, the spouse of foreign origin of that person who has obtained OCI Card under clause (d) of sub-section (1) of section 7A and every minor child of that person registered as an OCI Cardholder shall thereupon cease to be an OCI Cardholder.
Yes, after getting prior approval/special permission from the Embassy.
Yes, subject to eligibility conditions being satisfied otherwise.
NO.