OCI Registration - Detailed Instructions For Filling Online Application Form

General Instructions for OCI Registration

1. Please fill the fields in BLOCK LETTERS.
2. A person who has not attained the age of 18 years is considered as minor. In case of minor who cannot sign, his / her left thumb impression may be placed in the signature box. Parents should not sign on the behalf of the children.
3. Signature / Thumb impression should be confined to the prescribed box. In case of minor applicants, parents should NOT sign in the box.
4. Photograph to be affixed on the application should be a square shape of size not less than 51x51mm (with 80% coverage of face). It should have plain light color background (not white) without the border with front view of person's head and shoulders showing the full face in middle of the photograph. It should not be stapled and not have any signature.
5. Photographs that do not conform to these standards will be rejected and may cause a delay in processing the applications. Please see standards of acceptable photographs as Photo Link.
6. If there are any objections while processing the applications, the same will be displayed on the Online Status Enquiry. Please follow the instructions and send requisite documents to the Indian Mission/ Office where you have applied quoting the File (or Acknowledgement) Number.
7. After successful registration, copy of Part A and Part B with an online registration number will be printed. Application form on Parts A and B, complete in all respects, along with all relevant enclosures may be submitted to the appropriate office.
8. Enclosures to be attached with the application:
   1. In case of applications for registration as Overseas Citizen of India Cardholder in lieu of PIO card, only copies of the following documents to be attached:
      1. Valid passport of the applicant
      2.  Valid PIO card of the applicant.
   2. In case of fresh application for registration as OCI Cardholder, following documents are to be attached:
      1. Proof of present citizenship - Copy of present valid passport (applicable in all cases), with validity of minimum 6 months at the time of submission of application.
      2. In case application is submitted in India, copy of any type of Visa (other than Missionary Visa and Mountaineering Visa) / Residential Permit with 3 months validity as on the date of application.
      3. Evidence of self or parents or grandparents or great grandparents being a citizen of India at the time of, or at any time after the commencement of the Constitution i.e. 26-01-1950 or being eligible to become a citizen of India at the time of commencement of the Constitution i.e. 26.01.1950 or belonging to a territory that became part of India after 15th August, 1947. These could be: Copy of the Indian Passport or Copy of the Domicile Certificate issued by the Competent Authority; or Copy of Nativity Certificate from the Competent Authority; or OCI Card / PIO card of parents / spouse along with the documents upon which the OCI / PIO card was issued; or Any other proof substantiating the request. Usually applicant does submit a certificate of residence or place of birth of self / parents/grandparents from First Class Magistrate/District Magistrate (DM) of the concerned place.
      4. Evidence of relationship as parent/grandparent / great grandparent, if their Indian origin is claimed as basis for registration as OCI Cardholder: The document of relationship could be Birth Certificate issued from competent authority mentioning both parents name. In case the birth certificate is issued by a foreign authority, it is to be Apostilled or endorsed by the concerned Indian Mission abroad.
      5. In case of minor child whose both parents are citizens of India or one of the parents is a citizen of India:
         1. Copy of childs birth certificate
         2. Copy of Indian passport of the parents / one of the parents or copy of the Domicile Certificate or Nativity Certificate issued by the Competent Authority in respect of the parents / one of the parents or any other proof substantiating the status of the parents/ one of the parents as being Indian citizen(s).
         3. If the parents are divorced, court order of dissolution of marriage, which specifically mentions that the legal custody of the child is with the parent who is applying for the OCI card.
      6. Evidence as spouse of foreign origin of a citizen of India or spouse of foreign origin of an OCI Cardholder:
         1. Registered marriage certificate; indicating that the marriage has taken place before 2 years on the date of application.
         2. AND In the case of spouse of an Indian citizen - Copy of the Indian Passport of the spouse or copy of the Domicile Certificate or Nativity Certificate issued by the Competent Authority in respect of the Indian spouse or any other proof substantiating the status of the spouse as being an Indian citizen
         3. OR In the case of spouse of an OCI Cardholder - Copy of the present valid Passport of the spouse and copy of the OCI Card of the spouse and copies of the documents upon which the OCI Card was issued to the spouse.
      7. Application Fee:
         1. In case of applications submitted to the Indian Mission / Post abroad, OCI registration fee of US$ 275 (US$ 100 for conversion of PIO to OCI card) for each application or equivalent amount in local currency to be paid by way of Demand Draft (till online payment facility is introduced).
         2. In case of applications submitted in India, a fee of Rs.15,000/- (Rs. 5500/- for conversion of PIO to OCI card) by way of Demand Draft drawn in favour of Pay and Accounts Officer (Secretariat), Ministry of Home Affairs payable at New Delhi (till online payment facility is introduced).
      8. The documents enclosed with the application should be self attested.
      9. Filled-in form when completed should be submitted in original along with photograph, signature and requisite documents.
         1. In India to the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer (FRRO), Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Amritsar, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Lucknow, Kochi, Kozhikode, Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) , Ahmedabad and Goa.
         2. Outside India, to the Indian Mission / Post having jurisdiction over the country of which the applicant is a citizen or if he / she is not living the country of his / her citizenship, to the Indian Mission/Post having jurisdiction over the country of which the applicant is ordinarily resident.
      10. After receipt of application in concerned office, a File (or Acknowledgement) Number would be issued to the applicant by way of acknowledgement.
      11. The applicant can verify the status of his/her application online by quoting the online Registration Number or File (or Acknowledgement) Number.
      12. Please contact Mission / Office where you have applied for OCI registration after 10 days from the date of dispatch of documents from Delhi or any day after receipt of documents at the Mission / Office whichever is earlier. Please produce your passports(s) and PIO card, if applicable, in person/through authorized person for affixing OCI visa sticker and issuance of registration certificate. In case of applications filed in India with FRRO, applicants should go to the FRRO office in person / through authorized person.
      13. For collection of OCI document, the applicant is required to be present at the concerned Indian Mission / FRRO Office in person or he / she can send a duly authorized person, along with his/her passport & PIO card (if any) and the original documents for which self-attested copies were attached at the time of submitting application, for verification purposes.
      14. Please check that all fields in the form are filled in and all necessary enclosures are attached before submission of the form to Indian Mission/Post abroad or FRRO in India.
      15. Concealment of any material fact or false representation etc. will lead to cancellation of registration as Overseas Citizen of India (Please refer to section 7D of the Citizenship Act, 1955).
          1. For Re-print this application, visit : https://ociservices.gov.in
          2. For status Enquiry about your application, visit : https://ociservices.gov.in
   3. Applicants applying for OCI-Card, please note:
      1. It is mandatory to upload Applicant's image and Applicant's signature image during OCI-Registration.
      2. Both the images must be in jpeg or jpg format, with max size 500kb.
      3. The height and width of the Applicant Photo must be equal.
         1. The minimum dimensions are 200 pixels (width) x 200 pixels (height).
         2. The maximum dimensions are 1500 pixels (width) x 1500 pixels (height).
      4. The height and width of the Signature Photo must have aspect ratio 1:3
         1. The minimum dimensions are 200 pixels (width) x 67 pixels (height).
         2. The maximum dimensions are 1500 pixels (width) x 500 pixels (height).
      5. Kindly be ready with both these images before starting the registration process.