The Government of India has introduced several changes to Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) services, including new application rules and digital entry requirements, effective April 1.
Under the revised norms, the Person of Indian Origin (PIO) card is no longer accepted as a valid travel document for entry into India. OCI cardholders must now complete a digital e-Arrival Card before boarding flights, as the physical disembarkation form has been discontinued.
The government has also upgraded the OCI services portal to make applications simpler and improve user experience.
In a key clarification, the Bureau of Immigration said eligible foreign nationals applying for an OCI card from within India no longer need to complete a six-month stay. From April 8, applicants can apply soon after arrival, as long as they have a valid visa and required documents. This clears earlier confusion around the term “ordinary residence.”
The OCI application fee remains unchanged at $275 or its equivalent in local currency, along with applicable service charges in countries like the UAE, Singapore and Canada.
The updated guidelines also introduce stricter documentation rules. Children applying for OCI cards must now submit apostilled birth certificates. Foreign spouses of Indian citizens or OCI cardholders are required to provide updated passport details and a declaration confirming their marriage is still valid.
In some cases, children may be exempt from visiting processing centres such as VFS Global, depending on parental consent.