OCI Services

Overview

INFORMATION

The Constitution of India does not allow holding Indian citizenship and Citizenship of a foreign country simultaneously.

Advantages of obtaining OCI Card

Registered OCIs shall be entitled to following benefits:

• Multiple entry lifelong visa
• Residence Permit to stay in India without limits for any purpose, including employment and education
• Benefits in economic, financial & educational fields.
• Right to purchase residential and commercial properties.
• High interest rates in Indian bank deposits (currently upto 6% on savings accounts and 7.5% on fixed deposits).
• Opportunity to pursue professions as academics, doctors, architects, engineers, chartered accountants etc in India
• Valid identification document in all states

Any further benefits to OCIs will be notified by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) under section 7B (1) of the Citizenship Act,1955.

A person registered as OCI is eligible to apply for grant of Indian citizenship under section 5(1) (g) of the Citizenship Act, 1955 if he/she is registered as OCI for five years and has been residing in India for one year out of the preceding five years before making the application.

Who is eligible?

1. All foreign citizens whose ancestor was eligible to become a citizen of India at the time of the commencement of Indian Constitution in 1950 (Eg: Persons from Surinami-Hindustani community) upto 6th Generation.
2. A person, who is a child or a grandchild or great grandchild of an Indian citizen; or
3. Minor child, whose atleast one parent is a citizen of India or an OCI card holder
4. Anyone who was previously a citizen of India; or
5. spouse of an Indian citizen or an OCI cardholder 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:

Provided that for the eligibility of registration as an OCI Cardholder, such spouse shall be subjected to prior security clearance by a competent authority in India:

Provided further that no person, who or either of whose parents or grandparents or great grandparents 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 registration as an Overseas Citizen of India Cardholder.

Foreign spouse whose Indian spouse has died

Foreign spouse whose Indian spouse is no more can apply for OCI card subject to the condition that the foreign spouse has not re-married another foreigner. In this case, the details of child/children born out of wedlock with the Indian spouse, properties acquired by such married couple in either of their name, etc. are required to be provided by the applicant. It may please be noted that if the foreign national gets remarried to another foreigner after issuance of OCI card, he/she is not eligible for OCI card. In that case, he/she will be required to present him/herself before the Indian Mission/FRRO concerned for cancellation of OCI card. In case of re-marriage to another citizen of India or an OCI cardholder, the person concerned will have to submit fresh application for grant of OCI card.

The foreign national children of such Indian national who is no more are entitled to OCI card as per section 7A of the Citizenship Act, 1955 on the basis of their Indian origin. Such children holding PIO card are also be eligible to apply for OCI card in lieu of PIO card.

Visa Fees

Your payment allows you to deposit an application. The latter can be accepted, refused or modified by the Embassy of India in its full right. Once fees have been paid, they cannot be refunded, even in a case of an application refusal or cancellation.

Modes of payment

• Credit Card or Debit Card (American Express is not accepted)
• Cash

Fees Chart

The price of your application is made up of fixed service charges and variable consular charges. Please consult the fees chart below in order to calculate the total amount to pay.

Print Fees Brochure Indian Services.

Download instructions:

• All our forms are provided in PDF format.
• In order to view, download and print these forms, you would require the software Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Please click here to download the software.

Indicative Fees:

Accepted payment modes: Bank Transfer

Bank Transfer to the following account:

The bank account holder name VF Services (UK) Ltd

Bank account number: NL27DEUT0265000799

BIC: DEUTNL2A

Please ensure to mention your surname + date of birth+service applied when making the transfer and don’t forget to attach the proof of payment along with your application.

Important: Payments by cash/cheque are not accepted by post.

Documents Required

Kindly print the check list which corresponds with the service you wish to apply for and attach it with your application. It must be filled in and signed. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.

Print OCI Registration Checklist

All documents as per checklist to be uploaded irrespective of heads mentioned on the website while filling up the application form.

On the OCI website there are 7 headings to select from.

For each heading you can upload 1 PDF document with multiple pages.

Below is an example of respective headings to select to upload documents:

DOCUMENT UPLOAD

Photo Specifications

Photographs should be in colour and strictly as per the specifications below.

• Un-mounted - 2 inch x 2 inch in size.
• Face should cover about 70 to 80% of the photo area.
• Frame Subject with Full Face, Front view, Eyes open
• Taken within the last 6 months to reflect your current appearance.
• The photographs must be clear, well defined and taken against a plain white background.
• Appropriate brightness and contrast showing your skin tones naturally
• Even lighting (no shadows across or behind the face)
• Face must be square to the camera with a neutral expression, neither frowning nor smiling and with your mouth closed.
• If you must wear a head covering for religious reasons, make sure your full facial features are not obscured.
• Non-tinted prescription glasses are allowed as long as your eyes are clearly visible. Make sure that the frame does not cover any part of your eyes. Sunglasses are not acceptable.
• Headphones, wireless hands-free devices, or similar items are not acceptable in your photo.
• Photograph for Child/babies - The photograph should show the baby or child awake, looking straight at the camera with mouth closed and nothing covering the mouth. It should also show both edges of the face clearly (no toys, blankets, chair backs or other people visible) and no hair across the eyes.

Refer to guidelines for capturing photographs for minors below 4 years of age.

Please Note:

A photo service is available in all of our centres.

Newborn applicants are advised to take pictures from professional studios.

Processing Time

Please note due to the delay in processing OCI applications, in case you need to travel urgently you should apply for a visa.

The Embassy of India and VF Services Netherlands Limited cannot, in any circumstances, be held responsible for any applications which are not completed in time for your intended date of departure. Kindly note that obtaining an OCI card is not automatic; your application may be accepted, modified or refused by the Embassy of India in its full right.

Applications processed individually

Each application is processed individually by the Embassy of India: as a result processing times may vary between applications that appear to be similar. It is particularly frequent for families and groups who have submitted their applications simultaneously to receive their OCI cards with a few days gap.

Minimum processing times

The company VF Services Netherlands Limited has no influence over the processing times of an OCI application: these depend essentially on the Embassy of India. We are therefore not in a position to guarantee maximum processing times. We are only able to communicate minimum processing times, provided for information purposes only.

The Embassy of India reserves the right to withhold any application submitted for an in-depth examination

Representatives of Embassy of India and VFS Global takes no responsibility on the delays/rejections caused by incorrect photo/signature specifications uploaded by applicant. Applicants are strongly advised to comply with the photo-signature specifications indicated in the Government website to avoid any inconvenience on processing time.

Download Forms

ONLINE APPLICATION FORM

All applicants have to apply by online registration through Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India website. As a private outsourcing partner of the Embassy of India, The Hague, VF Services Netherlands Limited has no influence over the content of the website or the form and are not in a position to modify its content or structure.

Access the Indian Government OCI application form

Instructions to fill in the online visa application form

• Applicants need to fill Part-A and Part-B of the application online. Please select The Hague station at the time of filling the form.
• You must upload your photo, signature and other supporting douments
• Once the application is filled, the registration number (NLDT….) will be generated by the system and then you will need to print and sign it ready for submission in your selected application centre.
• For each family application Part-B is common to all applicants of the family up to a maximum of four. Separate applications are required for any other additional members.

Frequent errors / Important Information

• You should not to use any special characters or punctuation in any questions on the form: these could lead to errors during the processing of your application.
• Where names of people are asked (parents, grandparents, spouse) please ensure to write their full name and not just the first name or surname.
• No manual corrections should be made on the application form. In case of a mistake you will be required to fill a new form or modify the existing one online. Applicant will be responsible for any wrong entries in the application form
• Full signature in the box should be provided in case of major. In case of minor applicants his/her thumb impression (left hand thumb for male & right hand thumb for female) or signature of the minor applicant should be provided.
• Applicants must fill all the columns as per entries made in their passports.
• It is an offence to knowingly furnish false information or to suppress material information when applying for OCI.
• Re-issuance of OCI is mandatory every time passport is renewed up to the age of 20 years, and again after attaining the age of 50 years in view of frequent biological change in facial features in these age groups.

Please note that if the supporting documents provided are not satisfactory, the applicant will be asked to provide more documentary evidence.

Additional Forms

Your application may require additional documents as per your situation or the age of the applicant. You may find all the additional forms on this page.

Overview

OCI Card Re-Issue is for applicants currently holding an OCI Card which needs to be renewed for the following reasons:

• Change in the passport number
• Change in personal particulars
• Loss or damage of OCI Card
• The following OCI guidelines have been in force since 2005:
• OCI card needs to be re-issued each time a new passport is acquired by the cardholder up to the age of 20 years.
• OCI card is advised to be re-issued once on acquiring a new passport after completing 50 years of age.
• Re-issuance of OCI card is not required each time a passport is issued to a cardholder between 21 and 50 years of age.

For conversion of PIO to OCI

1. Indian Immigration will accept all Person of Indian Origin (PIO) cards (including handwritten ones) along with valid foreign passport, as valid travel document till December 31, 2024, instead of earlier deadline of December 31, 2023.
2. Indian Immigration Check Post(s) will continue to consider all PIO cards (which were valid as on January 9, 2015) valid for exit from/entry into India till December 31, 2024. This extension of timeline is subject to the condition that if in the meantime, any deadline is notified by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) thereby making handwritten PIO cards invalid, then PIO cardholders may have to obtain appropriate visa from Indian Missions/Posts.
3. All PIO cardholders (handwritten and machine-readable) are meanwhile advised to convert their PIO card to OCI card before this deadline.

Visa Fees

Your payment allows you to deposit an application. The latter can be accepted, refused or modified by the Embassy of India in its full right. Once fees have been paid, they cannot be refunded, even in a case of an application refusal or cancellation.

Modes of payment

• Credit Card or Debit Card (American Express is not accepted)
• Cash

Fees Chart

The price of your application is made up of fixed service charges and variable consular charges. Please consult the fees chart below in order to calculate the total amount to pay.

Print Fees Brochure Indian Services.

Download instructions:

• All our forms are provided in PDF format.
• In order to view, download and print these forms, you would require the software Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Please click here to download the software.

Indicative Fees:

Accepted payment modes: Bank Transfer

Bank Transfer to the following account:

The bank account holder name VF Services (UK) Ltd

Bank account number: NL27DEUT0265000799

BIC: DEUTNL2A

Please ensure to mention your surname + date of birth+service applied when making the transfer and don’t forget to attach the proof of payment along with your application.

Important: Payments by cash/cheque are not accepted by post.

Documents Required

Kindly print the check list which corresponds with the service you wish to apply for and attach it with your application. It must be filled in and signed. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.

Print OCI Miscellaneous Checklist

Photo Specifications

Photographs should be in colour and strictly as per the specifications below.

• Un-mounted - 2 inch x 2 inch in size.
• Face should cover about 70 to 80% of the photo area.
• Frame Subject with Full Face, Front view, Eyes open
• Taken within the last 6 months to reflect your current appearance.
• The photographs must be clear, well defined and taken against a plain white background.
• Appropriate brightness and contrast showing your skin tones naturally
• Even lighting (no shadows across or behind the face)
• Face must be square to the camera with a neutral expression, neither frowning nor smiling and with your mouth closed.
• If you must wear a head covering for religious reasons, make sure your full facial features are not obscured.
• Non-tinted prescription glasses are allowed as long as your eyes are clearly visible. Make sure that the frame does not cover any part of your eyes. Sunglasses are not acceptable.
• Headphones, wireless hands-free devices, or similar items are not acceptable in your photo.
• Photograph for Child/babies - The photograph should show the baby or child awake, looking straight at the camera with mouth closed and nothing covering the mouth. It should also show both edges of the face clearly (no toys, blankets, chair backs or other people visible) and no hair across the eyes.

Refer to guidelines for capturing photographs for minors below 4 years of age.

Please Note:

A photo service is available in all of our centres.

Newborn applicants are advised to take pictures from professional studios.

Processing Time

Please note due to the delay in processing OCI applications, in case you need to travel urgently you should apply for a visa.

The Embassy of India and VF Services Netherlands Limited cannot, in any circumstances, be held responsible for any applications which are not completed in time for your intended date of departure. Kindly note that obtaining an OCI card is not automatic; your application may be accepted, modified or refused by the Embassy of India in its full right.

Applications processed individually

Each application is processed individually by the Embassy of India: as a result processing times may vary between applications that appear to be similar. It is particularly frequent for families and groups who have submitted their applications simultaneously to receive their OCI cards with a few days gap.

Minimum processing times

The company VF Services Netherlands Limited has no influence over the processing times of an OCI application: these depend essentially on the Embassy of India. We are therefore not in a position to guarantee maximum processing times. We are only able to communicate minimum processing times, provided for information purposes only.

The Embassy of India reserves the right to withhold any application submitted for an in-depth examination

Representatives of Embassy of India and VFS Global takes no responsibility on the delays/rejections caused by incorrect photo/signature specifications uploaded by applicant. Applicants are strongly advised to comply with the photo-signature specifications indicated in the Government website to avoid any inconvenience on processing time.

Download Forms

ONLINE APPLICATION FORM

All applicants have to apply by online registration through Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India website. As a private outsourcing partner of the Embassy of India, Paris, VF Services Netherlands Limited has no influence over the content of the website or the form and are not in a position to modify its content or structure.

Access the Indian Government OCI application form

Instructions to fill in the online visa application form

• Applicants need to fill Part-A and Part-B of the application online. Please select The Hague station at the time of filling the form.
• You must upload your photo, signature and other supporting douments
• Once the application is filled, the registration number (NLDT….) will be generated by the system and then you will need to print and sign it ready for submission in your selected application centre.
• For each family application Part-B is common to all applicants of the family up to a maximum of four. Separate applications are required for any other additional members.

Frequent errors / Important Information

• You should not to use any special characters or punctuation in any questions on the form: these could lead to errors during the processing of your application.
• Where names of people are asked (parents, grandparents, spouse) please ensure to write their full name and not just the first name or surname.
• No manual corrections should be made on the application form. In case of a mistake you will be required to fill a new form or modify the existing one online. Applicant will be responsible for any wrong entries in the application form
• Full signature in the box should be provided in case of major. In case of minor applicants his/her thumb impression (left hand thumb for male & right hand thumb for female) or signature of the minor applicant should be provided.
• Applicants must fill all the columns as per entries made in their passports.
• It is an offence to knowingly furnish false information or to suppress material information when applying for OCI.
• Re-issuance of OCI is mandatory every time passport is renewed up to the age of 20 years, and again after attaining the age of 50 years in view of frequent biological change in facial features in these age groups.

Please note that if the supporting documents provided are not satisfactory, the applicant will be asked to provide more documentary evidence.

Additional Forms

Your application may require additional documents as per your situation or the age of the applicant. You may find all the additional forms on this page.

Overview

PIO Alert

PIO Scheme has been withdrawn and merged with OCI scheme.

Applications for replacement can be filled up using the web links:

https://ociservices.gov.in/

1. Indian Immigration will accept all Person of Indian Origin (PIO) cards (including handwritten ones) along with valid foreign passport, as valid travel document till December 31, 2024, instead of earlier deadline of December 31, 2023.
2. Indian Immigration Check Post(s) will continue to consider all PIO cards (which were valid as on January 9, 2015) valid for exit from/entry into India till December 31, 2024. This extension of timeline is subject to the condition that if in the meantime, any deadline is notified by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) thereby making handwritten PIO cards invalid, then PIO cardholders may have to obtain appropriate visa from Indian Missions/Posts.
3. All PIO cardholders (handwritten and machine-readable) are meanwhile advised to convert their PIO card to OCI card before this deadline.

Visa Fees

Your payment allows you to deposit an application. The latter can be accepted, refused or modified by the Embassy of India in its full right. Once fees have been paid, they cannot be refunded, even in a case of an application refusal or cancellation.

Modes of payment

• Credit Card or Debit Card (American Express is not accepted)
• Cash

Fees Chart

The price of your application is made up of fixed service charges and variable consular charges. Please consult the fees chart below in order to calculate the total amount to pay.

Print Fees Brochure Indian Services.

Download instructions:

• All our forms are provided in PDF format.
• In order to view, download and print these forms, you would require the software Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Please click here to download the software.

Indicative Fees:

Accepted payment modes: Bank Transfer

Bank Transfer to the following account:

The bank account holder name VF Services (UK) Ltd

Bank account number: NL27DEUT0265000799

BIC: DEUTNL2A

Please ensure to mention your surname + date of birth+service applied when making the transfer and don’t forget to attach the proof of payment along with your application.

Important: Payments by cash/cheque are not accepted by post.

Documents Required

Kindly print the check list which corresponds with the service you wish to apply for and attach it with your application. It must be filled in and signed. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.

Print OCI in Lieu of PIO Checklist

Photo Specifications

Photographs should be in colour and strictly as per the specifications below.

• Un-mounted - 2 inch x 2 inch in size.
• Face should cover about 70 to 80% of the photo area.
• Frame Subject with Full Face, Front view, Eyes open
• Taken within the last 6 months to reflect your current appearance.
• The photographs must be clear, well defined and taken against a plain white background.
• Appropriate brightness and contrast showing your skin tones naturally
• Even lighting (no shadows across or behind the face)
• Face must be square to the camera with a neutral expression, neither frowning nor smiling and with your mouth closed.
• If you must wear a head covering for religious reasons, make sure your full facial features are not obscured.
• Non-tinted prescription glasses are allowed as long as your eyes are clearly visible. Make sure that the frame does not cover any part of your eyes. Sunglasses are not acceptable.
• Headphones, wireless hands-free devices, or similar items are not acceptable in your photo.
• Photograph for Child/babies - The photograph should show the baby or child awake, looking straight at the camera with mouth closed and nothing covering the mouth. It should also show both edges of the face clearly (no toys, blankets, chair backs or other people visible) and no hair across the eyes.

Refer to guidelines for capturing photographs for minors below 4 years of age.

Please Note:

A photo service is available in all of our centres.

Newborn applicants are advised to take pictures from professional studios.

Processing Time

Please note due to the delay in processing OCI applications, in case you need to travel urgently you should apply for a visa.

The Embassy of India and VF Services Netherlands Limited cannot, in any circumstances, be held responsible for any applications which are not completed in time for your intended date of departure. Kindly note that obtaining an OCI card is not automatic; your application may be accepted, modified or refused by the Embassy of India in its full right.

Applications processed individually

Each application is processed individually by the Embassy of India: as a result processing times may vary between applications that appear to be similar. It is particularly frequent for families and groups who have submitted their applications simultaneously to receive their OCI cards with a few days gap.

Minimum processing times

The company VF Services Netherlands Limited has no influence over the processing times of an OCI application: these depend essentially on the Embassy of India. We are therefore not in a position to guarantee maximum processing times. We are only able to communicate minimum processing times, provided for information purposes only.

The Embassy of India reserves the right to withhold any application submitted for an in-depth examination

Representatives of Embassy of India and VFS Global takes no responsibility on the delays/rejections caused by incorrect photo/signature specifications uploaded by applicant. Applicants are strongly advised to comply with the photo-signature specifications indicated in the Government website to avoid any inconvenience on processing time.

Download Forms

ONLINE APPLICATION FORM

All applicants have to apply by online registration through Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India website. As a private outsourcing partner of the Embassy of India, Paris, VF Services Netherlands Limited has no influence over the content of the website or the form and are not in a position to modify its content or structure.

Access the Indian Government OCI application form

Instructions to fill in the online visa application form

• Applicants need to fill Part-A and Part-B of the application online. Please select The Hague station at the time of filling the form.
• You must upload your photo, signature and other supporting douments
• Once the application is filled, the registration number (NLDT….) will be generated by the system and then you will need to print and sign it ready for submission in your selected application centre.
• For each family application Part-B is common to all applicants of the family up to a maximum of four. Separate applications are required for any other additional members.

Frequent errors / Important Information

• You should not to use any special characters or punctuation in any questions on the form: these could lead to errors during the processing of your application.
• Where names of people are asked (parents, grandparents, spouse) please ensure to write their full name and not just the first name or surname.
• No manual corrections should be made on the application form. In case of a mistake you will be required to fill a new form or modify the existing one online. Applicant will be responsible for any wrong entries in the application form
• Full signature in the box should be provided in case of major. In case of minor applicants his/her thumb impression (left hand thumb for male & right hand thumb for female) or signature of the minor applicant should be provided.
• Applicants must fill all the columns as per entries made in their passports.
• It is an offence to knowingly furnish false information or to suppress material information when applying for OCI.
• Re-issuance of OCI is mandatory every time passport is renewed up to the age of 20 years, and again after attaining the age of 50 years in view of frequent biological change in facial features in these age groups.

Please note that if the supporting documents provided are not satisfactory, the applicant will be asked to provide more documentary evidence.

Additional Forms

Your application may require additional documents as per your situation or the age of the applicant. You may find all the additional forms on this page.