Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Cardholder


 
(a) The following categories of persons (except Pakistan and Bangladesh)  are eligible to apply under OCI scheme:
  1. Who is a citizen of another country, but was a citizen of India at the time of, or at any time after, the commencement of the constitution; or
  2. Who is a citizen of another country, but was eligible to become a citizen of India at the time of the commencement of the constitution; or
  3. Who is a citizen of another country, but belonged to a territory that became part of India after the 15th day of August, 1947; or
  4.  Who is a child or a grand-child or a great grandchild of such a citizen; or
(b) A person, who is minor child of a person mentioned in clause (a); or(c) A person, who is a minor child, and whose both parents are citizens of India or one of the parents is a citizen of India; or(d) Spouse of foreign origin of a citizen of India or spouse of foreign origin of an Overseas Citizen of india Cardholder registered under section 7A, Citizenship Act 1955 and whose marriage has been registered and subsisted for a continuous period of not less than two years immediately preceding the presentation of the application under this section:              Provided that no person, who is or had been a citizen of Pakistan, Bangladesh or such other country as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify, shall be eligible for the registration as Overseas Citizen of India Cardholder. NOTE :-
 
  1. Government of India has decided to dispense with the "U" Visa sticker on the foreign passport of OCI card holders with immediate effect. Accordingly, Immigration authorities shall not insist on production of foreign passport containing the "U" Visa sticker in the case of OCI card holders while they enter/exit India. OCI card holders shall now be given Immigration clearance on the strength of their valid forign passport and OCI Registration Certificate (OCI booklet, popularly known as OCI card).
  2. If the OCI card holder acquires nationality of a different country after obtaining the OCI card, except that of Pakistan and Bangladesh, he/she shall also be allowed to enter/exit India on the strength of his/her new passport of the recently acquired nationality and OCI Registration Certificate (OCI card).
  3. Entry on the Diplomatic/Official passport shall not be granted on the basis of OCI/PIO cards as OCI/PIO cards are not issued to the foreign diplomats and their family members. However, if he/she holds valid ordinary passport with valid OCI/PIO cards, entry can be allowed. 
Gazette Notification of the Citizenship (Amendment) Ordinance, 2015: http://mha1.nic.in/pdfs/GazetteofIndia_0901.pdf. (1.17 MB) pdf