OCI & Overseas Citizenship

OCI Card Application Guide | Steps, Fees & Processing Time

autohr img By Vipul Jain | 23 Sep, 2024
OCI Card Application Filling Guide

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.

What is an OCI Card?

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.

What are the Eligibility Criteria to Apply for an OCI Card?

Eligibility Criteria to Apply for OCI Card

Here are the following OCI card eligibility criteria to apply for an OCI card for NRIs. 

  • You must be an Indian citizen after 26th January 1950. 
  • Your Parents or grandparents were citizens of India. 
  • For the people who belong to a territory that became a part of India after 15 August 1947.
  • To apply for an OCI application, you must be a citizen of any foreign country except India. 
  • You must surrender your Indian citizenship to get a foreign citizenship.
  • Spouse of Indian citizens or old OCI cardholders needs to provide a marriage certificate. You must have been married for more than 2 years. 
  • If you are a citizen of Pakistan or Bangladesh, then you are not eligible to apply for an OCI card.

How to Apply for an OCI Card?

To apply for an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card for Non-resident Indians (NRIs), you need to follow these simple steps:

  • Step 1: Go to the official website of MHA (Ministry of Home Affairs), and choose the option OCI registration. 
  • Step 2: Register yourself and start filing your OCI card application Part A with a recently clicked photo and an accurate signature. 
  • Step 3: Fill out the application form Part B. 
  • Step 4: Upload all the documents for your OCI card application process in a PDF format. 
  • Step 5: Pay the required fees for the OCI card application process for NRIs. 
  • Step 6: Then you need to book an appointment for the submission of your documents at the nearest Indian embassy or consulate. 
  • Step 7: NRIs need to take a printout of the application and submit it to the appointment center along with all the supporting documents. 
  • Step 7: After submitting, you can track your OCI card application process for NRI status.
  • Step 8: Once your application is accepted and processed, NRIs can collect their OCI card from the Indian consulate or embassy, or if you have paid for the courier services, then your OCI card will be delivered to your home address. 

What are the Documents Required for an OCI Application?

Here is the checklist of documents required for the online application process for NRIs. 

  • A self-attested copy of your current passport. 
  • A self-attested copy of the Indian passport of parents or grandparents. 
  • You need to provide a Renunciation of Indian Citizenship for the OCI card (If applicable). 
  • You need to provide a birth certificate for proof of relationship to a former Indian citizen. 
  • Your recently clicked passport-sized photo. 
  • Residency proof in the current country. 

What are the Fees and Processing Time for the OCI Card Application?

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 

How to Track the Status of Your OCI Application?

To track your OCI card application process for NRIs, you need to follow the steps given below: 

  • Step 1: Visit the official website of OCI services online
  • Step 2: Then you need to enter your Application number and Passport number under the Track application status option, and enter the captcha. 
  • Step 3: After entering the Captcha, you need to click on the "Get status" button. 
  • Step 4: Now, you can see the real-time OCI status, with all the real-time updates of your OCI application for NRIs. 

Common Mistakes to Avoid while Applying for the OCI Card Application

Given below are some of the common mistakes that every applicant makes when applying for the OCI application. 

  • Make sure you have uploaded a perfect photo for your OCI card application for NRIs with the given ratio and sizes. 
  • Your signature should be matched with your supporting documents. Any incorrect or mismatched signatures can lead to the rejection of your OCI card application. 
  • Before submitting your OCI card application, you should check it again to see that all the details in the application form are correct. 
  • Fill in all the details in the OCI card application correctly to avoid spelling mistakes. 
  • Always apply for the OCI application as early as possible to avoid late submissions, which can lead to delays in your OCI card application. 
  • Make sure you have attached all the supporting documents for the OCI card application. If you have forgotten to submit the essential documents in the OCI application for NRIs, then your application can be rejected. 
  • Give the correct address for the delivery of your OCI card to avoid any unnecessary delays and inconvenience for the delivery partners. 
  • Always track your OCI card application to get the real-time status to track your OCI card application progress, and look for the updated guidelines by the Indian consulate or Indian Mission. 
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Why Choose Visament for OCI Services?

Applying 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. 

Frequently Asked Questions

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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