IndiaRepatriation / permanent residence

Overseas Citizen of India card

OCI is a status for foreign nationals of Indian origin, and also for spouses of Indian citizens and of already registered OCI holders. It confers a lifelong right of multiple entry into and residence in India without a visa and puts the holder almost on a par with resident compatriots in economic, financial and educational matters, but it is not Indian citizenship.

Visa term

Lifelong multiple-entry visa; the card is for life

Threshold

No specific income requirements; state fees for OCI registration

Processing time

Usually 8-12 weeks

Work

Parity with NRIs, work without a visa except in prohibited sectors

Source: mea.gov.in — Ministry of External Affairs of India, Overseas Citizenship of India scheme

Who can obtain it

Through your own Indian origin

You were yourself a citizen of India on 26 January 1950 — the day the Constitution came into force — or at any time after that date
You were eligible to become a citizen of India on 26 January 1950: you, one of your parents or one of your grandparents was born in the territory of India as defined by the Government of India Act 1935
You come from a territory that became part of India after 15 August 1947 — Goa, Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Puducherry or Sikkim
You are a child, grandchild or great-grandchild of a person meeting one of the above conditions
You are a minor child of such a person, or a child at least one of whose parents is a citizen of India

Through marriage and through former PIO status

You are the spouse of a citizen of India or of an already registered OCI holder, the marriage is registered and has subsisted continuously for at least two years at the time of application
You held a valid PIO (Person of Indian Origin) card as at 9 January 2015 — in that case the transfer to OCI is provided for on concessional terms
You are a citizen of a Commonwealth country and separately meet one of the origin or marriage conditions above

What it costs

OCI registration when applying to an Indian embassy or consulate outside the country, per applicant	275 USD
Reissue of the OCI document on a new passport, change of personal details or correction of an error in the application form	+25 USD
Issue of a duplicate OCI where the card is lost or damaged	+100 USD

Documents to gather

The application is filed only through the online system of India's Bureau of Immigration; a printed copy of the form is not required. Once the scans have been uploaded, the original documents must be presented once at the embassy, the consulate or, if the applicant is already in India, at an FRRO office — for verification.

Valid passport with at least six months' validity at the time of application
Proof of the Indian origin of the applicant, a parent, a grandparent or a great-grandparent: a copy of an Indian passport, a domicile certificate, a nativity certificate from the competent authority, or the OCI or PIO card of a parent or spouse together with the documents on which it was issued
Birth certificate proving the relationship with the ancestor who was an Indian citizen; if issued abroad, an apostille or attestation by an Indian mission is required
For applications through marriage — a registered marriage certificate and proof of the spouse's citizenship or OCI status
For an application for a minor child — the birth certificate and proof of the parents' status; if the parents are divorced, a court order on custody
Photograph of the prescribed format: square, at least 51 by 51 mm, light non-uniform background, no staple and no signature on the print itself
A visa of any type (other than missionary and mountaineering) or a residence permit in India valid for three months or more — only if the form is filed while the applicant is already in India

How the process runs

Registration is carried out only through the online system of India's Bureau of Immigration; the oath before a consular officer that was previously required has been abolished.

1
Application form and uploading of documents
The applicant registers on the portal, completes the form and attaches scans of the documents, a photograph and a signature; for children unable to sign — a left thumb impression.
2
Payment of the fee
When applying abroad the fee is paid to the Indian mission; when applying inside India a separate rate in rupees applies, payable to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
3
Verification of the originals
The originals of the documents submitted must be presented at the embassy, the consulate or an FRRO office for comparison with the uploaded copies; a paper copy of the form itself is not handed in.
4
Security clearance
up to 20 days
The competent agencies check the applicant's details and upload their findings into the mission's electronic system.
5
Decision on registration
usually 30 days, up to 120 days where additional checks are required
If there are no objections, the mission registers the applicant as an OCI holder within one month of the application being acknowledged. If the checks raise questions, the final decision is taken by India's Ministry of Home Affairs over a longer period. For spouses' applications, registration in any event takes place only after separate clearance by the relevant division of the ministry.
6
Collecting the OCI booklet
The Indian mission issues the registration booklet, which serves as a lifelong multiple-entry visa for India. It must be collected in person or through an authorised representative — provided that at the time of issue the applicant is physically present in the country where the registration was processed.

Who you can bring with you

The status does not pass automatically to the whole family: each member who meets the conditions files their own application.

Spouse of a citizen of India or of an OCI holder

A registered marriage subsisting continuously for at least two years at the time of application is required; registration takes place only after separate clearance by the relevant division of India's Ministry of Home Affairs

The applicant's minor children

They are registered together with the parent or separately, where at least one parent is a citizen of India or an OCI holder; if the parents are divorced, a court order on custody of the child is required

Grandchildren and great-grandchildren

They may obtain OCI through the chain of descent from an ancestor who was an Indian citizen, even if the applicant's parent never applied for that status

Trips, renewal and the grace period

No minimum residence

The OCI registration itself has no expiry — it is for life. But the document must be reissued with each new passport up to the age of 20, and once more after the holder turns 50, because of changes in appearance. Between the ages of 21 and 50 reissue on a new passport is not compulsory, although it is available at the applicant's request.

How it differs from the routes next to it

The comparison is built from the official terms of the routes themselves — the source links sit on their own pages.

	Overseas Citizen of India card	India work visa	Visa for relatives in India
Visa term	Lifelong multiple-entry visa; the card is for life	Usually up to 1 year or the term of the contract; extension up to 5 years in total	The term matches the main person's visa
Grounds	Indian origin	Employment / business	Family members of Indian citizens
Money	No specific income requirements; state fees for OCI registration	Salary above INR 16.25 lakh a year (for persons of Indian origin — from 3.6 lakh); fee	No fixed income; proof of funds / sponsorship
Work	Parity with NRIs, work without a visa except in prohibited sectors	Only for the sponsoring employer	No right to work by default; a separate Employment visa is required
Residence	No minimum residence	FRRO registration for stays over 180 days	FRRO registration for stays over 180 days

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to permanent residence

In practice a lifelong right of residence (not permanent residence in constitutional terms)

Route to citizenship

OCI is not citizenship; for citizenship you renounce the foreign one

Frequently asked questions about Overseas Citizen of India card

Does OCI mean dual citizenship?

No. India's Ministry of External Affairs states expressly that the OCI scheme cannot be equated with dual citizenship: the applicant keeps their existing citizenship and is not issued an Indian passport.

May an OCI holder vote or hold elected office in India?

No. OCI confers no right to vote, no right to be a member of a legislative assembly, a state legislative council or parliament, does not allow the holder to occupy constitutional posts such as President, Vice-President or judge of the Supreme Court or a High Court, and confers no right to acquire agricultural or plantation property in India.

How long does OCI registration take?

Where there are no objections — usually about a month from the application being acknowledged in the system. If the security service has questions about the applicant, the final decision may take up to 120 days; for spouses' applications a separate clearance procedure with the Ministry of Home Affairs applies.

What happens if registration is refused?

Part of the fee is returned to the applicant — USD 250 or the equivalent in local currency, while USD 25 is retained as a non-refundable processing fee. When applying inside India the non-refundable processing fee is INR 1,400.

Does an OCI holder need to register with the local immigration authority for a long stay in India?

No. OCI exempts the holder from registration with the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer (FRRO) or the Foreigners Registration Officer (FRO) for a stay of any length in the country — unlike ordinary long-term visas.

Can an OCI holder eventually obtain full Indian citizenship?

Yes. Under section 5(1)(g) of the Citizenship Act 1955 an OCI holder may apply for Indian citizenship five years after registration, provided that immediately before the application they have lived in India for at least twelve months continuously; in certain cases the central government may reduce that period by up to thirty days.

Can OCI status be cancelled?

Yes. If it emerges that the registration was obtained by fraud, false representation or concealment of material facts, or if the holder has shown disaffection towards the Constitution of India, the registration is cancelled under section 7D of the Citizenship Act 1955 and the person is blacklisted and barred from entering the country.

Other ways to move to India

Every route in one list — migration programmes: India.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 18 August 2026.