Do You Hold an OCI Card?
While your passport is the primary travel document, an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card is more like a lifelong visa. Since the OCI cardholders are not considered Indian citizens, they must have a valid passport during their stay in the country.
What you need to keep in mind
- The government of India has done away with the 'U' visa sticker on the passports of OCI cardholders. Immigration authorities shall not insist on producing foreign passports containing the 'U' visa sticker from OCI cardholders entering or exiting India. They will be given immigration clearance based on their valid foreign passport and OCI Registration Certificate (OCI booklet, also known as OCI card).
- In cases where the applicant appears different than on the OCI card owing to age, cardholders aged 20 years or younger must renew their card each time a new passport is issued and once after completing 50 years of age.
- For an OCI cardholder who is 21 to 49 years of age, re-issuance of OCI card registration is optional each time a new passport is issued. Applicants wishing to use this service can apply online under the OCI miscellaneous services.
- In case of a change in nationality of OCI cardholders, they can enter or exit India on the strength of their OCI card and a valid passport of the new nationality. This rule does not apply to Pakistani and Bangladeshi passports. The OCI cardholder must update the new nationality through miscellaneous services.
Recent updates and news for OCI cardholders
For the most recent updates on OCI terms and conditions, please refer to the following links:
Bureau of Immigration – Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholder
Ministry of Home Affairs – Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholder