Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI Travel)

The government of India doesn’t allow the citizens who are holding Indian citizenship and citizenship of the overseas country simultaneously; however, the government of India has decided to grant foreign citizens with Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) after consulting the High-Level Committee in Indian. Furthermore, here is the following categories of citizens (except Pakistan and Bangladesh) are allowed or eligible for OCI card:

• The citizen who belongs from another country, but at the part, he or she was a citizen of India at the time of commencement of the constitution.
• The citizen who is a foreigner, but was eligible to become a citizen of India at the time of the Indian constitution and the commencement of the Indian government or.
• Who is a citizen of another country, however, belonged to the Indian territory, but became the part of India after the August 1947 or.
• A person who was a child or a grand-child or a great-grandchild belonged to India, but lives in a foreign country and has citizenship of overseas.
• A person who is a child of the foreign citizen as mentioned in clause (a) or.
• A person who is a minor child and whose parents are an Indian citizen.

OCI Card Eligibility

Persons of Indian Origin or PIOs who are migrated from India and have citizenship of foreign country except for Pakistan and Bangladesh are eligible for OCI card as long as their own country allows dual country citizenship under their laws.

Maybe the person has a spouse of overseas origin or a citizen of India holds Overseas Citizenship of India card, registered under section 7A, Citizenship Act 1955, and whose marriage has registered under the government of India for a continuous period of two years can apply for the OCI. However, the person should not be from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and such other countries, which the Central Government may have been banned.

If the person serves in foreign military/police/defense or any other government services or may be retired from the civil servants who are working in the Ministry of Defense as IT engineers or civil contractors will be able to register himself or herself for the OCI card.

A person who registered as an Overseas Citizenship of India is eligible or able to apply for a grant of Indian citizenship under section 5 (1)(g) of the Citizenship Act, 1955. However, if the applicant is registered himself or herself as OCI for the next 5 years and has been living in India one year from his or her five years' validity before making their application, then they can apply for the same.

Benefits come with Overseas Citizenship of India card

• The citizen of foreign country who is going to apply for OCI can get the additional benefits such as he or she is allowed for a multiple entry, however, it also comes with multi-purpose and gives you opportunity to visit India lifelong.
• The applicant can also get police verification for exemption for any length of stay in India.
• Non-resident Indians or NRIs must show their statement of finance or economy and education documents, however, if they belong from of plantation or agricultural properties, then this criteria doesn’t apply.

If there is any other benefits to an OCI card holder, will be notified by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA), which comes under section 7B (1) of the Citizenship Act, 1955.

Other benefits which are not entitled with OCI

• The OCI is not entitled to vote.
• To become a member of Legislative Assembly.
• Legislative Council or Parliament.
• The person who holds OCI card cannot take part in constitutional posts such as President, Vice President, Judge of Supreme Court or High Court etc.
• And that person will not be able to work with or in the Government, and will not be able to serve as a government employee.

Renunciation Certificate Guidelines for citizen of India or Indian origin

• Surrendering or renunciation of Indian citizenship is important and mandatory, once you do acquire foreign citizenship forever.
• The surrender certificate or the renunciation application, you must submit separately and pay the fee as per the demand from the government of India.
• However, the surrender certificate or the renunciation procedure and payment structure is totally based on the person of India or Indian origin because it’s up to him or her that where or which country they want to live as a citizen of foreign country.

Addresses of the offices where the applicant can submit original document for advance verification

As per the existing procedure for document verification, the candidates have to submit the application form online and must upload all of the original documents (self attested), photo and signature (in the case of minors who can't sign, left hand thumb) along with the application form.

After submission of the entire OCI application form online with the documents, colored photograph signature, and the files which mentions about the applicant, have to submit to the Indian Mission/ Post/ Foreigners Regional Registration Officer (FRRO)/ Foreigners Registration Officer (FRO) concerned for an advance verification.

Important offices where you can submit your documents for verification—

Applicant outside India

On this regard, the Indian Mission or Post will work by having jurisdiction over the foreign country where the applicant is a citizen.

The applicant is not living in their country where they have citizenship for, however, on this situation, the Indian Mission or Post will work by having jurisdiction over the foreign country where the applicant is an ordinary citizen.

Applicants in India can submit their original documents in the following FRRO/FRO offices:

Serial Number	FRRO Office	States/ UTs (jurisdiction)
1	FRRO, Amritsar Bureau of Immigration, D-123, Ranjit Avenue, Amritsar – 143001 Tel: 0183-2500464 Fax:0183- 2500465 Email: frroasr@nic.in	Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir and Chandigarh
2	FRRO, Bangalore 5 th Floor, ‘A’ Block, TTMC, BMTC Bus Stand Building, K.H.Road, Shantinagar, Bangalore-560027 Tel.: 080-22218195;22218183 Fax: 080-22218196 Email: frroblr-ka@nic.in	Karnataka
3	FRRO, Chennai No.26, Shastri Bhawan Annexe Building, 26 Haddows Road, Nungambakkam, Chennai- 600006 Tel: 044-23454970;28251721 Fax:044-23454971 Email: frrochn@nic.in chiochn@nic.in	Tamilnadu, Puducherry and Andaman & Nicobar islands
4	FRRO, Delhi, East Block VIII, Level 2, Sector-1, R.K.Puram, New Delhi – 110066 Tel.: 011-26711384 Support Centre:011-26711443; 26713851 Fax: 011-26711348 Email: frrodli@nic.in	Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand
5	FRRO, Goa Foreigners Branch, Goa Police Head Quarters, Opposite Azad Maidan, Panaji – 403001 Tel.: 0832-2426545 Fax: 0832-2426545 Email: frrogoa@nic.in	Goa and Dadra & Nagar Haveli (However, till further orders, cases pertaining to Goa and Dadra & Nagar Haveli will be handled by the FRRO, Mumbai)
6	FRRO, Hyderabad Bureau of Immigration, Room no.301, 3rd Floor, CGO Tower, Kabadiguda, Hyderabad-500080 Tel.: 040-27541022; 040-27541088 Fax: 040-27541087 Email: frrohyd@nic.in	Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha and Chhattisgarh
7	FRRO, Kochi (Cochin) 2 nd Floor, Airlines Building, Cochin International Airport Ltd., Airport P.O., Kochi – 683111 Tel.: 0484-2611277 Fax: 0484-2611277 Email: frrococ@nic.in frro.cochin@nic.in	Kerala (excluding jurisdiction of other FRROs in Kerala)
8	FRRO, Kolkata 237, A.J.C.Bose Road, Kolkata Tel.: 033-22900549 Email: frrokol@nic.in	West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura
9	FRRO, Kozhikode (Calicut) 20/1305, Castle view, Thiruvannur Road, Panniyankara, Kallai P.O. Kozhikode – 673003 Tel: 0495-2323550 Fax:0495-2323550 Email: frrocal@nic.in frro-clt@nic.in	Kerala (excluding jurisdiction of other FRROs in Kerala)
10	FRRO, Lucknow 557, Hind Nagar, Kanpur Road, Near Old Chungi, Lucknow - 226012 Tel: 0522-2432431 Fax:0522-2432430 Email: frrolko@nic.in	Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand
11	FRRO, Mumbai Annex-II Bldg, 3rd Floor, Badruddin Tayyabji Marg, Behind St.Xavier College, C.S.T., Mumbai – 400001 (Near CST Railway Station and the office is in the lane beside Times of India building) Tel.: 022-22621169 022-22621167 (OCI enquiry) Fax: 022-22620721 Email: frromum@nic.in	Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Daman & Diu. Till further orders, cases pertaining to Goa and Dadra & Nagar Haveli will also be handled by the FRRO, Mumbai
12	FRRO, Thiruvananthapuram T.C.14/1377, Vazhuthacaud, opposite Ganapati Temple, Thycaud P.O., Thiruvananthapuram – 14 Tel.: 0471-2333515 Fax: 0471-2333514 Email: frrotvm@nic.in	Kerala (excluding jurisdiction of other FRROs in Kerala) and Lakshadweep

Requirements for OCI Travel

• 1.Strictly no amendment in the application form, and every single detail should be in type written (*must not forget to type exact details which are written on your passport).
• 2.Uploading of photographs. The Embassy or the authority of immigration wishes that all photographs which you are going to upload must match the given instruction: apply for the Basic Life Support. The photo should be the same as the 2x2 picture attached in the application form.
• 3.NO scanned signature.
• 4.Foreign Nationals or citizens desire to live in India with OCI Travel must provide an explanation letter why they're applying for this travel. *Hand written is not allowed.
• 5.Passport with a minimum validity of six months from the date of visiting India.
• 6.You must have a photocopy of the passport bio page.
• 7.Surrender Indian passport or cancelled passport with surrender certificate
• 8.Photocopy of passport (back and front)
• 9.Lease license of tenant

*Embassy may ask for the additional document if needed from the applicant.

Documents and other details

All pages of the OCI visa application form must be printed on the letter-head paper and the Undertaking must be signed with date and stamp. Two copies of the filled application form have to be submitted with the Undertaking to the Embassy of India, and should contain the following information which is written below:

Documents required for OCI Travel: Firstly, the applicant needs to submit his or her application for OCI with these documents

• 2 recent Passport size photos.
• Original Passport.
• Photocopy of the passport with the relevant pages including residence visa page
• Application Form
• Undertaking
• Detailed Synopsis
• Itinerary (Ports of entry and exit from India to be indicated)
• Bio-profile with details:
• Name and surname as featuring in the passport
  1. Contact coordinates - telephone & e-mail address
  2. Profession
  3. Nationality
  4. Date and place of birth (Day/ Month/ Year)
  5. Passport number & validity

Evidence of parents or grandparents

If the foreign citizen belongs from the time of commencement of the Indian constitution; Being eligible to become a citizen of India or maybe belong to the territory before the commencement of India and the Indian constitution, they should submit these documents as well:

• Copy of Indian passport
• Copy of Domicile certificate
• Copy of Nativity certificate
• OCI or POI card of parents, grandparent or self along with documents that prove the applicant's Indian origin
• Birth certificate of parents or grandparents
• Marriage certificate of parents or grandparents
• In case a minor child whose parents are both Indian must have a birth certificate of a child
• If the spouse is Indian origin, then he or she needs to submit a registered marriage certificate, copy of the present valid passport, copy of the OCI card
• In case, the parents are divorced, then they need to submit; divorce or separation certificate

Note: Duration of Travel or the number of entries in India is purely the discretion of the Indian Embassy, or Consulate has no role in order to make any approach or process. The applicant has to observe and realize that Travel will not be a subject of right, and, hence the Embassy / Consulates might deny the visa if no longer observed the eligibility / or does no longer have adequate supporting documentation. If the process is not matching according to the demand from the authority will not grant an OCI visa if you request more days or time in India. So, provide your details and information before you submit your application, and must pay your application process amount. There will be no clarifications on this regard, and the resolution or decision of the Embassy / Consulate will probably be final.