OCI Card for Minors in the UK

An OCI card in the UK can help a minor open the door to a world filled with opportunities. However, it needs careful planning and fulfillment. An OCI card will grant the minor multiple entries, a life-long visa, and unlimited travel and stay in India. This guide will teach us everything related to OCI cards for minors in the UK.

What Are the Eligibility Criteria For OCI Card For A Minor?

To Apply for an OCI for a minor, one must fulfill some eligibility criteria for a minor in the UK. A minor who is a child of any of the following can apply for an OCI card:

• A foreign national who was eligible to become a citizen of India on 26.01.1950.
• Who was a citizen of India on or at any time after 26.01.1950
• A person who belonged to a territory that became a part of India after 15.08.1947.
• An Individual who is a child/grandchild/great-grandchild of such a citizen.
• Minor child whose parents are both or both citizens of India.

Rules and Benefits That You Need To Know

Some rules must be followed when applying for an OCI card and after getting the OCI status. Also, an OCI card comes with many benefits that a person can avail of. Let's learn a little more about the OCI card rules and benefits for minors in the UK:

Rules To Follow When Applying For An OCI For A Minor:

• To apply for an OCI card for a minor, one or both parents have to be citizens of India.
• An OCI cardholder's child is also eligible to apply for their own OCI card.
• Citizens of Pakistan and Bangladesh are not allowed to apply for an OCI card for them or minors.
• An OCI card has lifelong validity but OCI renewal in the UK is requisite. A person should apply for renewal when the minor turns 20 and after the age of 50. It is to keep the personal information on the OCI updated.
• An adopted child can also get an OCI if the child has ever held an Indian passport. Also, if they can provide a surrender certificate for it.
• If the minor is 5 years or older than that then they should sign in the designated box. The signature must be submitted in JPEG or JPG format and mustn't be larger than 1 MB.
• If the child is under the age of 5 then provide a thumb impression of the child. Parents aren't allowed to put their signature on behalf of their child.

Benefits That A Minor Can Avail Of After Getting An OCI Card:

• OCI minors can pursue various professions in India such as doctor, dentist, nurse, CA, etc.
• Minors who have an OCI card can visit India multiple times for any purpose with a lifetime visa.
• When it comes to the intercountry adoption of Indian children, they are treated exactly like Indian citizens.
• They have to pay the same entry fees as domestic Indian visitors to national parks. Also, when visiting wildlife sanctuaries.
• No need to register themselves with the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer (FFRO) or Foreigners Registration Officer (FRO) for any duration of stay in India.
• Minor OCI cardholders can enjoy the same benefits as a Non-Resident Indian (NRI). Like benefits in the field of economic, financial, and educational opportunities. However, buying agricultural or plantation properties is an exception.

Required Documents For Application For Minor Child In The UK?

Document	Physical	Scanned	Notes
Minor's Photograph	Original	Yes	2 original photographs with 2in*2in size scan with minimum 300 dpi.
Minor's Photograph, Selected Photograph	Copy	Yes	Take copies of the details and endorsement pages (even if no endorsement). Either of the parents should attest and scan the attested copies.
Minor's Thumb Impression	-	Yes	Scan at a minimum of 300 dpi.
Minor's Birth Certificate	Original	Yes	Must be apostilled
The marriage certificate of the parent's	Copy	Yes	Both parents must self-attest the physical copy.
Legal presence documents of the parent's	Copy	Yes	The parents must self-attest the copies of their documents: visa, I-94, EADs if available, I-797/I-140s if available, and any other documents according to your case. Scan all the attested copies into a single file.
Parent's passport, selected pages	Copy	Yes	Take copies of the first 3 and last 2 pages and self attest these copies and scan them into one single file.
Utility bill in parent's name	Copy	Yes	Self-attest the bill and make a scanned copy
Notarized Parental Authorization Form	Original	Yes	Get it from the VFS website
Government Application form	Original	-	This will be generated after you apply on the GOI OCI portal.
Consent Letter	Original	-	Parents have to write and sign a consent letter confirming that the Indian Consulate/Embassy is authorized to make changes and correct the mistakes made in the OCI Government Form.

Make sure that each scanned document is less than 1 MB in size. Every document must be in PDF format and not larger than 1000 KB each.

The Apostilled Birth Certificate

An Apostilled is a certificate that validates the sign of a public official on a document for use in another country. An Apostilled Birth Certificate certifies:

• Originality of the signature of the public official who signed the document.
• The capacity in which the public official acted
• whenever appropriate, the identity of the seal or stamp which the document has. For example, a notary public seal.

The Apostilled Birth Certificate does not authenticate the contents of the documents.

How To Apply For An OCI Card For Minors In The UK?

You can apply for an OCI card from anywhere as the whole process can be done with the online OCI service platform. It is a simple process and can be completed by following the below-mentioned steps.

Step 1: Apply on the GOI OCI portal

You can apply on the GOI OCI portal which is the OCI services website. Once you complete submitting the form, you will receive a File Reference Number. You have to make a note of this FRN as you will need it later.

Step 2: Upload Photo and Thumb Impression

After you receive the FRN proceed further with the steps. Upload your child's photograph and thumb impression. Click on 'I have uploaded successfully' and on the next page select 'Proceed to Part B'.

Step 3: Submit the required documents

The next step is to upload the scanned copies of these documents:

• Address proof (Utility bill in the name of parents)
• Relationship Certificate (Birth certificate of the minor)
• Current passport (Selected pages of the minor's passport)
• Parental Authorization (Notarized parental authorization form)
• Proof of Indian origin (Selected pages of the parent's passport)
• Parent's legal status (Legal presence documents of the parents)

Step 4: Printout the application form and sign the declaration

• Once you finish uploading the documents, click on 'Final Submit' to apply. After that take a printout of the completed application form.
• On the declaration page of your application, fill in your child's name in the field for 'Name of the applicant'.
• Fill in the place and date in both the 'Declaration' and the 'Application For Minor Child' section.
• Also, put the thumb impression of your child in the field 'Signature of the Applicant'. in both sections.
• At last, in the 'Application For Minor Child' section, either of the parents should put their sign. It must be next to the thumb impression and mark '(Father/Mother)' next to the signature. This page needs to be notarized.

Step 5: Apply on the VFS portal

Apply on the VFS portal online, handle the requisite fee, and get the application reference number. Take a printout of the following:

• Include the details of all the fees you have paid online on the application confirmation letter. Like, round trip courier, consular fee, ICWF fee, VFS service fee, convenience fee (if any), and an OCI checklist.
• On the checklist, fill out the fields at the top of each page. Also, check the box for every type of document you are going to send.
• In the 'checklist section, take the minor's thumb impression on the signature of the applicant field. Both parents have to sign and identify themselves as father and mother.
• Take a printout of the two courier labels. One to the Indian consular application center and another from there.
• Make an application packet by using the following OCI minor documents:

(Check the column 'physical' in the table above to ensure whether you have to send an original or a copy. Also, the 'notes ' column in the table shows if the copy has to be self-attested or not.)

1. Consent letter
2. Utility bill in parent's name
3. Birth certificate of the minor child
4. Marriage certificate of the parent's
5. Parent's legal presence documents
6. Notarized parental authorization form
7. Selected pages of the minor's passport
8. Selected pages of the parent's passport
9. Signed, dated, and notarized government application form
10. A return courier label from ICAC to you to receive your OCI back.
11. VFS application confirmation letter that has the completed OCI checklist.
12. Two recent photographs (Write VFS ARN and GOI FRN with a pencil behind the photograph. Mention which reference number is which.

• Mention 'NEW OCI-MINOR-BY BIRTH' on the packet.
• Take the above packet with you to any local courier office. Also, take the prepaid courier label for sending your documents to the Indian consular application center. Submit your packet to the courier service for delivery.
• Now, wait patiently to get your child's OCI. If there is any issue, the VFS will contact you within 20 days. After VFS completes processing the application, the GOI will take 30-90 days to issue your OCI. You may get your child's passport back within 10 days of VFS processing your minor’s application. If that doesn't happen, you must contact them.

You May Also Like to Read: Lost or Damaged OCI Card Replacement Services in the UK 

When Do I Have To Renew My Child's OCI Card?

Minor children do not have to renew their OCI until they reach the age of 20. After that, the renewal process will be the same as the adults.

Do not forget that an OCI card child's new passport update is important. Whenever your minor's passport details change make sure that the OCI card stays valid.

Things To Be Noted

• An individual who is registered as OCI doesn't have any voting rights, election to Lok Sabha/Rajya Sabha/Legislative Assembly/Council. Also, they cannot hold any constitutional post such as President, Vice President, or Judge of the Supreme Court/High Court.
• The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOA) will notify about any further benefit of an OCI. Under the section 7B (1) of the Citizenship Act, 1955.
• If it is found that the OCI status was obtained using fraud, false information, or by hiding any fact. Also, if the OCI cardholder violates any rules of the constitution of India or comes under any of the provisions of section 7D of the Citizenship Act. Then their registration will not only get canceled but the cardholder will also be backlisted for visiting India.
• You have to prove that you are not a citizen of Pakistan or Bangladesh. Also, not any country as the Central Government may specify.
• At the time of OCI processing, the High Commission of India may ask for extra documents.
• The submission time of the submission of minor's application is 9:00 am to 12:00 pm on Weekdays.

What Is The Processing Time And Fees?

The processing time for an OCI card for minors in the UK may vary depending on the applicant's consulate's processing time. However, it generally takes 7-10 working days from the date of submission at the center.

OCI for minor fees for OCI card application in the UK are as follows:

Category	Fee Amount in n (£)
New OCI application	£194.00
PIO to OCI	£ 66.00
OCI renewal	£ 21.00
OCI renewal (Lost case)	£ 73.00
VFS charges	£ 7.44
SMS charges	£ 1.44
Fee for courier for envelope (Charged by VFS if the applicant doesn't provide special delivery envelopes.	£ 14.80 (express one-day delivery) £8.00 (3 days delivery)

Can both parents accompany the minor during the appointment in the UK?

No, only one parent or caregiver is allowed to go with a minor under 18 years old to the visa application center in the UK. One adult needs to accompany the minor and this cannot be a member of the VFS Global staff.

Is the minor required to appear in person?

No, a minor doesn't have to visit the center in person in the UK for an OCI card application. It is agreed if both parents have signed the application and the required documents.

Mistakes To Avoid In OCI Card Application For Minors

Keep in mind that the staff will not verify your application with a sympathetic view. Their job is to assess that you fulfill all the legal requirements. With such a strict process, you cannot make mistakes or miss anything in your application. Avoiding even the silliest mistakes is important to get a positive response. Let us discuss the common mistakes to avoid when applying for a minor OCI in the UK.

• Uploading Low-Quality Photos and Signature

There are some specifications for uploading photographs and signatures. In the case of minors, the parents will have to take care of it. The application will get rejected if you don't follow the specifications while uploading.

The photo must be uploaded in jpg format and photo must be vertical and the signature must be horizontal. Children who can't put their sign must provide a thumb impression.

• Providing Incorrect Information

It is important to provide information with proper accuracy and correctness. Every detail must be in the correct indicated format and must match the documents.

Giving wrong details or even making spelling mistakes are some common mistakes. This might seem very obvious but providing mismatched details with the official document or ID proof. If your name is written in the reverse order on the official document writing it the other way will lead to your visa having incorrect details.

• Not Submitting The Application On Time

You need to submit the OCI Card Application within 90 days from the date you fill out the online application. Application may get rejected if you use the online application form which was filled out 90 days ago. In such cases, the fee amount that you have paid will not be refunded.

• Wrong Document Format

Every supporting document must be submitted according to the specified format. So, make sure that you submit every supporting document in the proper format. The documents must be in PDF format. The photograph and OCI signature for minors should be uploaded in JPEG format.

Contact Visament

The OCI card application may get stressful at times. Having someone to assist you throughout the process can be very helpful. It will save you precious time and stay stress-free. Are you confused about how to get assistance and who to contact? Well, Don't worry.

Visament is the most trusted website among the customers. They have a team of experts and professionals. The Visament team is available 24*7 for the customers. Their team helps with every immigration service and guides the customers throughout the application process. They not only save time but also make you stress-free. With their assistance, you can get a positive response after applying for the first time. Contact Visament whenever you need assistance with any kind of OCI miscellaneous services in the UK, visa service, passport service, etc.