
An Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card helps Indian-origin foreign nationals stay connected with their country of origin. By holding an OCI card, you can get many benefits, like a lifetime visa-free travel to India, equal rights for the NRIs in the economic, financial, and educational sectors. For Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), the OCI card acts as a bridge between their residence country and ancestral homeland.
The Government of India issues this card and functions like a visa for the people of Indian origin who are living outside India. In this blog, you will learn about the OCI card, its eligibility criteria, the required documents, and the OCI card application process for NRIs, including fees and processing times. So without wasting a single minute, let's start our blog and find out more about the OCI card for NRIs.
An OCI card is a travel document for foreign nationals of Indian origin to study, live, and work in India. With an OCI card, you can stay in Indian for an indefinite period of time without reporting the stay to any local police or authority.
Non-resident Indians(NRIs) and foreign nationals get many OCI card benefits, like visa-free entry in India, to get equal fares as Indian citizens on domestic flights, and to get entry in the national parks or wildlife sanctuaries.
The government of India introduced the OCI card in August 2005 for people who demanded dual citizenship and wanted to live in other countries under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2005, where an applicant needs to fill out an online application form to apply for an OCI card for NRIs and foreign nationals.
So, before filing out an OCI card application, first let's find out about the OCI card eligibility for NRIs.
Here are the following OCI card eligibility criteria to apply for an OCI card for NRIs.
To apply for an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card for Non-resident Indians (NRIs), you need to follow these simple steps:
Here is the checklist of documents required for the online application process for NRIs.
Here are the OCI card fees given below for the OCI card application for NRIs
OCI Application Type | Fees |
---|---|
For the New OCI card | 15,000/- INR |
For Lost and Damaged OCI card | 5170/- INR |
For OCI miscellaneous services | 5500/- INR |
For the conversion of a PIO to an OCI card application | 5697.- INR |
OCI Renewal Application | 5500/- INR |
For any changes in the OCI card | 2190/- INR |
Here is the quick OCI application processing time shown in the table given below for NRIs.
OCI Application Type | Processing time |
---|---|
For the New OCI Card Application |
5-6 Weeks |
For the Lost and Damaged OCI card Application | 6-7 Weeks |
For OCI Miscellaneous Services | 5-6 Weeks |
For the conversion of a PIO to an OCI card | 2-4 Weeks |
For OCI card Renewal application | 5-6 weeks |
For changes in the OCI card application | 4-6 Weeks |
To track your OCI card application process for NRIs, you need to follow the steps given below:
Given below are some of the common mistakes that every applicant makes when applying for the OCI application.
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Chat NowApplying for an OCI card for NRIs is a straightforward process, and with this blog, you have seen the required documents, steps to apply, and fees for the OCI card application. For more information, you can go to the Visament website and ask for help from our skilled experts who have years of experience in the OCI card application documentation. Visament provides you with an error-free application process with no rejections and delays.
One has to fill out the application form correctly without any errors even if they apply for us visa or an OCI card because you are not allowed to make any kind of changes once after submitting the application.
You can upload multiple OCI Application documents by combining them into a single pdf and uploading them under a similar category.
The applicant has to submit two color photographs with a white background. The size of the photograph must be 2*2 inches. The length and width must be the same. The photo must be clear and identical with the full face being visible, in front view, and with eyes open.
The applicant can check the status of their application online on by visiting the VFS global website. You can get an update from the website if your card is ready or not. You can also opt for sms text service by paying an additional fee while applying to get notifications on SMS. The VFS global service has services for Indian passport renewal in USA too.
To apply for an OCI card application for NRI, first, they have to go to the official website of the Ministry of Home Affairs, then they have to fill out the online application forms for the OCI card application for NRIs, and then they need to upload all the supporting documents and pay the fees for the OCI application. After this, they need to book an appointment at the nearest Indian consulate or Indian mission post for the submission of documents, then take a print of the OCI card application along with all the supporting documents to submit at the application centre.
You can renew or replace an OCI card by filing out an online application and attaching the supporting documents, and submitting the OCI application for renewal or replacement with the updated information.
Yes, it is an important part of the OCI card application process to capture the biometrics of the OCI applicant. You need to book an appointment at your nearest Indian consulate or the application centre.
To get an OCI card, the normal processing time for the OCI card for a fresh or new application will be 5-6 weeks. However, the processing timer also depends on the application information and documents attached to it.
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