Eligibility quiz
Were you adopted by an Indian citizen?
Benefits
Benefits for youBenefits for you
Live in India for life
You can enter India as often as you like and stay without a time limit.
You do not have to register with the local immigration office for your stay.
Take entrance tests
You can take NEET, JEE (Main and Advanced) and similar entrance tests on the same terms as Indian citizens living abroad.
Admission is limited to seats for Indian citizens living abroad or extra seats, not those reserved solely for Indian citizens.
Work in India
Holders can practise professions as doctors, dentists, nurses, pharmacists, lawyers, architects or chartered accountants on the same terms as Indian citizens living abroad.
They can teach at IITs, NITs, IIMs, IISERs, IISc, Central Universities and new AIIMS under PMSSY.
Most public posts are not open to holders.
Pay Indian citizen rates
You pay the same fares and fees as Indian citizens for flights within India.
The same rates also apply to entry to national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, national monuments, historic sites and museums.
Adopt a child
You can pursue adoption across borders of an Indian child on the same terms as Indian citizens living abroad, following the adoption authority’s process.
Buy and sell property
You can buy and sell property on the same terms as Indian citizens living abroad.
This does not include agricultural land, farmhouses or plantation property.
How to apply
Applying oCI from abroadApplying oCI from abroad
Find your consulate
Find the Indian mission for your country of citizenship. If you live outside that country, use the Indian mission for the country where you usually live.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “Which Indian consulate handles Overseas Citizen of India applications for someone living in your city?”
Gather your documents
Prepare the required documents for the consulate.
See required documentsFill in the application
Open the Overseas Citizen of India Cardholder registration on the OCI portal and fill in the application for yourself or your child. Upload the required self-attested documents, photograph and signature.
Open the applicationPay your fee
Pay the fee using the portal's payment facility or the payment instructions from your consulate.
Find payment instructionsSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I pay the India Overseas Citizen of India Cardholder registration fee?”
Submit your application
Submit the completed application online and keep the application details for checking its progress.
Submit the applicationTake your originals
Take the original supporting documents to your Indian consulate so it can check them against the uploaded copies. You do not need to bring a paper copy of the application.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I submit original documents for India Overseas Citizen of India Cardholder registration at the Indian consulate serving your city?”
Give biometric information
Give the required biometric information before the card is granted. If you are applying for your child, follow the consulate's instructions for your child.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I give biometric information for India Overseas Citizen of India Cardholder registration at the Indian consulate serving your city?”
Wait for the decision
Check the application status online. If the consulate emails you about missing information, send it what it asks for.
Check your statusReceive your card
Follow the consulate's instructions to collect your OCI card or have it sent to you. You can then use it as your Overseas Citizen of India card.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I collect or receive an India Overseas Citizen of India card from the Indian consulate serving your city?”
Documents needed
Family certificates and recordsFamily certificates and records
Adoption documents
Provide the adoption decision or court order showing your relationship to your Indian parent. Adoption alone does not guarantee OCI or an Entry Visa; the office must accept the evidence for the category you apply under.
Birth certificates *
Get your birth certificate showing your parents’ names. If you qualify through an Indian grandparent or great-grandparent, also provide the birth certificates needed to show the family connection.
* Only if you apply for OCI using a parent's Indian citizenship or a family connection to Indian origin.
May need translationMay need apostille/legalisationParents' marriage certificate *
Provide your parents’ marriage certificate, or explain why it is unavailable. If your parents are divorced, add the custody order naming the parent applying for you.
* Only if you apply for OCI as a minor using your Indian parent's citizenship.
May need translationMay need apostille/legalisationParent's citizenship records *
Provide your Indian parent’s passport, domicile certificate, nativity certificate or other proof of Indian citizenship or origin. For OCI, a parent’s OCI or PIO card can also support the application when provided with proof of Indian origin.
* Only if you use your Indian parent's citizenship or Indian origin to support your application.
May need translationConsiderations
Things to think aboutThings to think about
Special permission limits
You need special permission for research, missionary or Tabligh work, mountaineering and journalism.
It is also needed for internships or jobs in foreign diplomatic missions or government organisations in India, and for entering protected, restricted or prohibited areas.
Travel documents and records
You need a valid passport from your other country and must keep your card and passport details current.
Complete the arrival card when travelling to India.
If you normally live in India, email the local immigration office whenever your permanent address or occupation changes.
Status can be lost
Adults can give up the status; their registered minor children lose it too.
India can cancel it for fraud, false statements, hiding facts, disloyalty to its Constitution or illegal wartime dealings with an enemy.
It can also cancel it for a prison sentence of at least two years within five years of registration, or to protect its sovereignty, integrity, security, foreign relations or the public interest.
Discuss
Online communitiesOnline communities
OCI, Indian Passport Renewal, POA, INDIA EVisa, Renunciation help
English Facebook group for people living in India interested in Indian visas
Join on FacebookIndian Visa Application Experience Sharing Group
English Facebook group for people interested in Indian visas
Join on FacebookIndian Visa Helping Community
English Facebook group for people interested in Indian visas
Join on FacebookConsultation
Talk to a professionalTalk to a professional
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