Minor OCI Application: Benefits, Documents, and How to Apply

If you obtain an OCI card for minors, then it can open a lot of opportunities for them, but you need to do careful planning and meet all the requirements. The OCI card provides the holder with multiple entries in India and the privilege of a life-long visa. You can do unlimited travel to India and stay within the country as long as you want without informing any authorities, like FRRO.

In this article, we have mentioned all the information about the Minor OCI card application. We have also mentioned the list of all the required documents that you need to submit.

Minor OCI Card Rules and Benefits

To obtain an OCI card for a minor, at least one of the parents should be an Indian citizen, OCI cardholder, or Person of Indian Origin. The child of the OCI cardholder can also obtain their own OCI card. It applies to all foreign passport holders, except Bangladeshi and Pakistani citizens.

Here are the benefits of an OCI card for Minors:

• Minors are allowed to visit India multiple times with an OCI card for any purpose. It is also known as a lifelong visa.
• They are not required to register with the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer (FRRO) or Foreigners Registration Officer (FRO) for any length of their stay in India.
• They are treated similarly to Non-Resident Indians in the case of intercountry adoption of Indian children.
• They also pay the same entry fees as resident Indian visitors to national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.
• OCI minors are provided the same financial, economic, and educational opportunities as Non-Resident Indians (NRIs). The only exception is for acquiring plantation or agricultural properties.
• Minors can also pursue different professions in India, such as dentists, doctors, advocates, nurses, pharmacists, architects, and chartered accountants. It is subject to professional licensing and regulatory approvals.

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How to Apply for an OCI Application for a Child?

Here is the straightforward process to apply for an OCI card for a minor:

1. Visit the official website for OCI services.
2. Fill in the application form correctly and submit all the required documents. For a minor child, you need to submit a different application signed by the parents or legal guardian of the child.
3. Follow the instructions mentioned on the portal to upload the scanned copies of the essential documents.
4. Pay the required application fee.

Parents should keep in mind that if there are any changes in their child's passport, then they need to update the details, with every new passport issued, at the Official OCI Services website to keep their OCI card valid.

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Documents Required for Minor OCI Card

You need to keep these essential documents ready while applying for an OCI card for a child:

• A completed OCI Application form.
• Proof of Address: It includes a utility bill, an income tax return, a state-issued ID, or a valid lease agreement. Make sure that the document has the current address as per the application.
• OCI child fingerprint or signature and 2 photos: You need to submit 2 recent photographs of the minor child along with their signature. The sign should be the same as the application form.
• A notarised parental authorisation form: It allows the application.
• Naturalisation/ Registration Certificate (if it is available).
• Parents' current passports
• Birth Certificate
• Photocopy of Passport: Provide the page of the passport that contains the passport number, personal details, and photo, along with the endorsement/amendment pages. The validity of the passport should be at least for the next 6 months. 
• Marriage Certificate of Parents: If they are married, then submit a registered marriage certificate. If they are divorced, provide the required documents. For live-in relationships, surrogacy, or adoption, provide the relevant documents.
• Receipt of fee payment: The fees for OCI minor depends on their location, country, and service provider.

The submitted documents should be in PDF format, and the size should not be larger than 1000 KB each. 

Requirements for OCI Photo and Signature

You must follow all these guidelines to make sure that your photo gets accepted for the OCI card: 

• The minimum size of the photo should be 51x51mm or 200x200 pixels, and it should be square. The maximum size of the photo can be 1500x1500 pixels.
• The background should be light-coloured and plain.
• The 80% of the photo should be covered with your face.
• The photo should be in JPG or JPEG format.
• The size of the file should not be more than 500 KB.

You need to follow the rules below for the digital OCI card child signature: 

• If the age of the child is 5 years or more, then they need to sign in the designated box.
• If the age of the child is less than 5 years, then you need to provide the thumb impression of the OCI child. The parents are not allowed to sign on behalf of their children.
• At the bottom of the minor's OCI application, both parents need to sign. If there is only one parent available to sign, then they need to provide a certificate explaining the given situation.
• The format of the signature image should be in JPEG or JPG, and the size should not be larger than 1 MB.

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When To Renew a Minor OCI Card?

There is no need for the OCI card renewal for children with every passport change until they turn 20 years of age. After that, the rules for renewal will be the same for them as for adults. 

Keep in mind that you need to update the passport details of your child every time they get a new passport, as it makes sure that the OCI card remains valid.

Conclusion

Getting an OCI card for your minor child is very important as it provides a lot of benefits to its holders. As you must have already known, what an OCI card can help you with. You do not need to re-issue your OCI card until the age of 20 years. You just have to update the details online each time minors issue a new passport. You need to visit the official website for the OCI card application for a child by filling out the form and uploading all the required documents. You should meet all the requirements for an accurate digital photo and signature to avoid delays and rejections.