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OCI Card Worldwide Services – Blessing Immigration

Blessing Immigration provides OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) Card services worldwide for NRIs, foreign nationals, and persons of Indian origin living abroad. We offer complete assistance for new OCI applications, renewals, re-issuance, and corrections, ensuring a smooth and error-free process from any country.

Our expert consultants guide you through OCI eligibility checks, online application form filling, document verification, and submission support as per Indian Embassy, Consulate, and VFS requirements. We also assist with Long Term Visa guidance, visa conversion, and apostille requirements for foreign-issued documents.

Whether you are applying from the USA, UK, Canada, France, Germany, UAE, Bahrain, Australia, or any other country, Blessing Immigration ensures timely updates, transparent service, and dedicated support until your OCI card is approved.

FAQ for OCI CARD for NRIs

How do I pay for the Visa Fees and service charges?

As per section 7A of The Citizenship Act, 1955 (57 of 1955),following categories of foreign nationals are eligible for

registration as Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Cardholder:-

a. Any person of full age and capacity:-

i. who is a citizen of another country, but was a citizen of India at the time of, or at any time after the commencement of the Constitution 1.e. 26.01.1950; or

ii. who is a citizen of another country, but was eligible to become a citizen of India at the time of the commencement of the Constitution i.e. on 26.01.1950; or

iii. who is a citizen of another country, but belonged to a territory that became part of India after 15.08.1947; or iv. who is a child or a grandchild or a great grandchild of such a citizen; or

b. a person, who is a minor child of a person mentioned in

(a) above; or

c. a person, who is a minor child, and whose both parents are citizens of India or one of the parents is a citizen ofand whose marriage has been registered and subsisted for a continuous period of not less than two years immediately preceding the presentation of the

application. Such spouse shall be subjected to prior security clearance by competent authority in India.

Note : 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 Cardholde

2. Who was eligible to become Citizen of India on 26.01.1950?

OCI Miscellaneous Services can be availed only by the registered OCI Any person who, or either of whose parents or any of whose grandparents was born in India as defined in the Government of India Act, 1935 (as originally enacted), and who was ordinarily residing in any country outside India was eligible to become citizen of India on 26.01.1950.

3. Which territories became part of India after 15.08.1947 and from what date?

The territories which became part of India after 15.08.1947 are:

i. Dadra & Nagar Haveli - 11.08.1961

ii. Goa, Daman and Diu - 20.12.1961

iii. Puducherry - 16.08.1962

iv. Sikkim - 26.04.1975

4. Can the spouse of the eligible person apply for registration as OCI Cardholder?

Further, spouse of foreign origin of a citizen of India or spouse of foreign origin of an Overseas Citizen of India Cardholder registered under section 7A of The Citizenship Act, 1955 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 can apply

5. Can minor children apply for registration as OCI Cardholder?

Yes. However, if either of the child's 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, the child will not be eligible for registration as an Overseas Citizen of India Cardholder

6. In what form should a person apply for registration as an OCI Cardholder and where are the forms available?

Applications for registration as OCI Cardholder is to be submitted only on the online system. For this purpose, please

log on to https://ociservices.gov.in

7. What documents have to be submitted with the application?

List of supporting documents to be uploaded along with the application are :-

1. Proof of present citizenship -

b. Copy of the certificate of registration of citizenship/naturalization (as the case may be), for the present nationality of the applicant (applicable in

all cases).

c. Cancelled/ Surrendered Indian passport with Surrender Certificate (for those who have surrendered Indian passport in or after 2010).

2. Evidence of address of the place of application -

i. Copy of the Electricity Bill/ Telephone Bill in own/ parents/grandparents/ spouse name.

ii. If the above is in any other relative's name,

undertaking from the relative Stating that the

foreigner is residing with him/ her

iii. Lease License in case of tenants.

3. In case application is submitted in India -Copy of any long duration Visa (other than Tourist Visa, Missionary Visa and Mountaineering Visa) with 3 months validity as on the date of application along with Residential Permit/ Registration Certificate issued by the jurisdictional FRRO/ FRO, as the case may be (applicable in all cases where application is submitted in India). [Foreign nationals holding Tourist Visa, Missionary visa and Mountaineering visa cannot apply for registration as an OCI cardholder in India]

4. Evidence of self or parents or grandparents or great grandparents -

a. 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

b. Being eligible to become a citizen of India at the time of commencement of the Constitution i.e. 26.01.1950; or

c. Belonging to a territory that became part of India

iii. Copy of Nativity Certificate from the competen authority; or

iv. PIO/ OCI card of parents/ spouse along with documents to prove Indian Origin; or

v. Any other proof substantiating the request. Usually applicants are able to submit a certificate of residence or place of birth of self/ parents/

grandparents from First Class Magistrate/ District Magistrate (DM) of the concerned place.

5. Evidence of relationship as parent/ grandparent/ qreat grandparent, if their Indian origin is claimed as basis for registration as OCI Cardholder -

a. The document of relationship could be "Birth Certificate" issued from Competent authority mentioning both parents' name. In case the birth

certificate has been issued by a foreign country which is signatory to the Hague Convention, 1961 and the document has been apostilled by the authorities concerned of that country, then the said document may be accepted without any further attestation/ apostille by any other authority either in that country or in India. However, if the birth certificate has been issued by a foreign country which is not signatory to the Hague Convention, 1961, them the document will have to be first attested by the authority concerned in that country followed by re-attestation by the

Indian Mission in that country or by the Foreign Mission concerned in India to make the document acceptable.

Note. 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. If the court order is in my foreign language, translation in English or Hindi Documents of inherited landed property, if any. c. Marriage Certificate of parents (If not available, reasons for same).

6. In case of minor child whose both parents are citizens of India or one of the parents is a citizen of India -

i. Copy of child's Birth Certificate

ii. Marriage Certificate of parents (if no marriage certificate is available,reasons for same to be indicated) iii. 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 inrespect 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).

iv. 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. If the court order is in any foreign language, translation in English or Hindi by authorized translator is to be enclosed.

7. Evidence as spouse of foreign origin of a citizen of India

or spouse of foreign origin of an OCI Cardholder -

i. Registered Marriage Certificate; and

ii. In case the marriage in solemnized iii a / foreign

country which is signatory to the Hague Convention, 1961 and the marriage certificate has been apostilled by the authorities concerned of that country, then the said document may be accepted without any further attestation/ apostille by any other authority either in that country or in India. However, if the marriage certificate has been issued by a foreign country which is not a signatory to the Convention, Hague 1961, then the document will have to be first attested or by the Foreign Mission concerned in India to make the document acceptable.

iii. 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.

iv. Declaration from the Indian/ OCI Cardholder spouse stating that in case of divorce/ separation/ death of

foreign spouse, it is his/ her responsibility to surrender the OCI Card to the Government of India.

Note: In all cases where the Marriage Certificate is to be submitted, the following guidelines will be applicable:- i. If the marriage is solemnized in India, Marriage certificate issued by Marriage Registrar is required. ii. If the marriage is solemnized in foreign country, it should be apostled/ certified by the concerne Indian Mission/ Post. iii. If the Marriage Certificate is in any foreignlanguage other than English, it should be translated in English by authorized translator.

Note: Only one living spouse duly fulfilling the conditions laid down in clause (d) of sub-section (1) of section 7A of The Citizenship Act, 1955 shall be

registered as an Overseas Citizen of India Cardholder.

8. What is the application fee payable for registration as OCI cardholder?

a. In case of application submitted in Indian Mission/ Post "Pay and Accounts Officer (Secretariat), Ministry of Home Affairs" payable at New Delhi.

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. The height and width of the applicant photo must be equal. The minimum dimensions are 200 pixels (width) x 200 pixels (height). The maximum dimensions are 900 pixels(width) x 900 pixels (height). The images of the photograph and signature must be in JPEG/ JPG format with max size 200 KB. Note: Photographs that do not conform to the above standards will be rejected and may cause delay in processing the applications.

9. What are the specifications of the photograph to be uploaded with the application?

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. The height and width of the applicant photo must be equal. The minimum dimensions are 200 pixels (width) x 200 pixels (height). The maximum dimensions are 900 pixels(width) x 900 pixels (height). The images of the photograph and signature must be in JPEG/ JPG format with max size 200 KB.
Note: Photographs that do not conform to the above standards will be rejected and may cause delay in processing the applications.

10. Whether applicant(s) have to go to the Indian Mission/ Post/ FRRO concerned to submit hard copy of the application (s)?

After submission of the complete application online including documents, photograph and signature, the applicants are required to bring only the originals of the supporting documents to the Indian Mission/ Post/ FRRO concerned for prior verification. They are not required to bring hard copies/ printouts of the application or the photocopies of the uploaded documents.

11. Whether the applicant(s) have to take oath beforethe Counsel of the Indian Mission/Post?

No. Earlier provision in this regard has been done away with. The originals of the documents are to be submitted to the Indian Mission/ Post having jurisdiction over the country of which the applicant is a citizen or if he/she is not living in the country of his/her citizenship, to the Indian Mission/Post having jurisdiction over the country of which the applicant is ordinarily a resident. In case the applicant is residing in India, the originals of the documents will have to be submitted to the FRRO concerned. Details of FRROs along with their jurisdiction are given below:-

S.No FRRO Office States/ UTs (jurisdiction)

1 FRRO, Ahmedabad Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Gujarat

2 FRRO, Amritsar Chandigarh, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Punjab

3 FRRO, Bengaluru Karnataka

4 FRRO, Chennai Andaman & Nicobar, Puducherry, Tamilnadu

5 FRRO, Delhi Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh (Gautam Budh Nagar and Ghaziabad districts)

6 FRRO, Hyderabad Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Telangana

7 FRRO, Cochin Kerala(Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Idukki,Kottayam, Palakkad and Thrissur Districts), Lakshadweep

8 FRRO, Kolkata Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura and West Bengal
9 FRRO, Calicut Kerala (Kannur, Kasaragod, Kozhikode, Malappuram and Wayanad Districts)

10 FRRO, Lucknow Uttar Pradesh (except Gautam Budh Nagar & Ghaziabad districts)

11 FRRO, Mumbai Chhattisgarh, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra

12 FRRO, Trivandrum Kerala (Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Thiruvananthapuram Districts) or addresses and contact details of FRROs, please click here.

Note: For the above purpose, 'ordinarily resident' will mean a person staying in a particular country or in India for a continuous period of 6 months.

If there is any deficiency in the application/ uploaded documents/ photograph, the Indian Mission/Post/FRRO concerned shall inform the same to the applicant by email. The applicant may then submit the required documents to the Indian Mission/ Post/ FRRO concerned, who will take

submitted are in order, the Indian Mission/Post/FRRO concerned shall acknowledge the receipt of the application on the online system and simultaneously an auto email will be sent to the applicant informing "Application received and is under process". Thereafter, the originals of the supporting documents will be returned to the applicant.

12. Where the applicant has to bring the original documents for verification?

There will be a mandatory verification step of personal interview (either physical or through video conference) of all OCI applicants who apply for registration as an OCI Cardholder under section 7A(1)(d) of The Citizenship Act, 1955 (i.e. spouse basis). This personal interview shall be conducted

by the Indian Mission/ Post/ FRRO concerned at the time of document verification stage itself and the OCI application on spouse basis shall be acknowledged on the online system only after the personal interview has been held. In other cases, there will be no personal interview.

13. Will there be a personal interview at the Indian Mission/ FRRO concerned?

Capturing of biometrics of fingerprints & face (if technically feasible) in case of applicants for registration as OCI Cardholders is mandatory. In case of applications for registration as OCI cardholders submitted to Indian Missions/ Posts abroad, the applicants will have the option of giving

biometrics at the application stage or at the Immigration Check Posts on arrival in India. Applicants are, however, advised to give biometrics at the Indian Mission/ Post concerned at the application stage itself i.e. at the document verification stage. If for any reason the applicant is not able

to give the biometrics at the application stage (which shall be informed to the Indian Mission/ Post concerned in writing), his/ her biometrics shall be captured at the Immigration Check Posts (ICPs) on arrival in India. In respect of applications submitted to FRROs in India, biometrics shall be captured at the application stage itself i.e. at the document verification stage. Biometrics captured would be valid for next 5 years from the aptured for them. Further, applicants with less number of fingers shall give fingerprints of existing fingers only. Applicants above 70 years of age or below 12 years of age would be exempted from biometric capturing.

14. Will the biometrics be captured at the time of submission of the application?

After grant of registration, a registration certificate in the form of a booklet will be issued. For collection of the OCI Cardholder registration booklet, the applicant is required to be present at the concerned Indian Mission/FRRO in person or he/she can send a duly authorized person, along with his/her passport for this purpose. However, the condition is that the applicant should be physically present in the country of issuance of OCI Cardholder registration booklet when it is collected through an authorized person. If a person is not in a position to travel to the country of issuance of the OCI Cardholder registration booklet, he/she could procure it through the concerned Indian Mission/ FRRO of their present

place of stay by making a formal request to the office issuing the OCI Cardholder registration booklet.

15. What is the procedure for collecting the OCI cardholder registration booklet?

place of stay by making a formal request to the office issuing the OCI Cardholder registration booklet.

16. Will the 'U' Visa sticker be pasted on the foreign passport?

'U' (Universal) visa sticker on the foreign passport of OCI Card holders has been dispensed with from 29th January, 2015. Immigration authorities in ICPs in India have been advised not to insist on production of foreign passport containing the 'U' visa sticker in the case of OCI Cardholders while they enter/ exit India.

17. What are the requirements to be fulfilled by erstwhile PIO cardholders for registration as OCI Cardholder?

All PIO Cardholders with valid PIO Cards as on 09.01.2015 are deemed to be OCI cardholders in terms of the notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on 9th January, 2015 in exercise of the powers conferred by section 7A(2) of The Citizenship Act, 1955. However, all persons having valid PIO Cards as on gth January, 2015 are advised to apply for registration as OCI Cardholder in view of the following advantages in possessing an OCI Card:- a. OCI Card is a smart card.

b. Possession of an OCI Card will facilitate quicker immigration clearance at the Immigration Check Posts A separate online application form for submission of application for registration as an OCI Cardholder in lieu of PIO Card is available in the website https://ociservices.gov.in.

Applications can be submitted online from anywhere. An erstwhile PIO Cardholder with a valid PIO Card as on 09.01.2015 will have to upload only the following documents with his/ her application:-

a. Copy of the valid passport

b. Copy of the PIO Card Applicants are to make payment of the following fee:-

a. In case of application submitted in Indian Missions/Postabroad- By way of Demand Draft for US $100 for each applicant or equivalent in local currency.

b. In case of application submitted in India, a fee of INR ₹5,500/- by way of Demand draft drawn in favour of "Pay and Accounts Officer (Secretariat), Ministry of Home Affairs" payable at New Delhi. The OCI card shall be issued by the Indian Mission/ Post/ FRRO concerned within the jurisdiction of the applicant's place of residence. The applicant will have to approach the Indian Mission/ Post/ FRRO concerned for collecting the OCI Card by

surrendering the PIO card.

18. What are the consequences of furnishing wrong information or suppressing material information?

If the registration as an OCI Cardholder was obtained by means of fraud, false representation or the concealment of any material fact, the registration as OCI Cardholder shall be cancelled under section 7D of The Citizenship Act, 1955. The person will also be blacklisted thereby banning his/her future entry into India.

19. What is the time taken for registration as OCI?

Normally, the time taken for issue of OCI registration booklet is about 30 days from the date of acknowledgement of the application on the online system.

20. If the registration as an OCI Cardholder is not granted, what amount will be refunded?

If registration is refused, an amount of US $250 or equivalent in local currency shall be refunded. US $25 is the processing

fees, which is non-refundable. In case of application submitted in India, the processing fee is Rs.1400/-, which is non- refundable.

What Property Can NRIs Buy in India?

✅ Permitted:

Residential property (flats, houses)
Commercial property (offices, shops)

❌ Not Permitted:

Agricultural land
Plantation property
Farmhouses

➡️ But inheritance of agricultural land is allowed if received from an Indian citizen by will or succession.

Documents Required for NRIs to Buy Property

Valid Indian Passport or OCI CardPAN Card (mandatory for transactions)
Power of Attorney (PoA), if you're authorizing someone in India
Aadhaar (if applicable)
Indian bank account (preferably NRE/NRO)

How NRIs Can Finance the Property

Payments must be made in Indian Rupees only.
Allowed through NRE/NRO/FCNR bank accounts.
Home loans can be availed from Indian banks (with conditions).

Inheriting Property as an NRI

✅ NRIs can inherit:

Residential, commercial, agricultural, and ancestral property.
Through a will or intestate succession (if no will).
Relevant Laws:
- Hindu Succession Act, 1956
- Indian Succession Act, 1925

Selling or Gifting Property

✅ NRIs can sell:

Any property (except agricultural land unless inherited).

✅ Can gift to:

Indian citizen or another NRI (subject to FEMA rules).
Agricultural land can be gifted only to Indian citizens who are agriculturists.

⚠️ Capital Gains Tax applies while selling.

Key Legal Precautions

✅ Verify Title Deed
✅ Check Encumbrance Certificate
✅ Register property with Sub-Registrar
✅ Stamp Duty must be paid

Common Mistakes to Avoid

🚫 Buying agricultural land
🚫 Not registering the sale deed
🚫 Ignoring TDS (tax deducted at source) on sale
🚫 Not having a PAN Card
🚫 Giving General PoA without legal advice