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A foreign national, who was eligible to become citizen of India on 26.01.1950 or was a citizen of India on or at anytime after 26.01.1950 or belonged to a territory that became part of India after 15.08.1947 and his/her children and grand children, is eligible for registration as Overseas Citizen of India (OCI). Minor children of such person are also eligible for OCI. However, if the applicant had ever been a citizen of Pakistan or Bangladesh, he/she will not be eligible for OCI.
Benefits:
Those registered as the Overseas Citizens of India will enjoy a number of benefits. They will be entitled to a new type of Visa called U Visa, which will be a multipurpose, multiple entry life long visa. This means that an OCI cardholder will be entitled to visit India at any time, for any length of time and for any purpose. The OCI cardholders have been exempted from police reporting for any length of stay in the country. Such persons have also been granted all rights in the economic, financial and education fields in parity with NRIs except, however, the right to acquisition of agricultural or plantation properties.
Processing of Applications:
The applicant has to submit the Part ‘A’ of the application form online at http://mha.nic.in Once the Part ‘A’ is submitted online, Part ‘A’ as well as Part ‘B’ are to be submitted with 4 latest photographs (Size 51mm X 51mm , light colour background but not white) personally to the Indian High Commission. The documents required are, proof of eligibility like previous Indian passport and Birth Certificate, valid foreign and presently held passport and local residence proof. If the applicant is applying on the basis of parent’s Indian citizenship then proof of relationship should be submitted. In case the applicant does not have old Indian Passport, he/she may provide copy of other documents issued from India like birth certificate, nativity certificate, etc., which will be sent to India for confirmation before accepting the application form. All the above documents are to be produced in original for verification and photocopies of the same are to be attached in duplicate with the application. (For fee Click here)
Re-issuance of OCI registration certificate / visa in following situations is possible,
i) In case of issuance of new passport. ii) In case of change of personal particulars viz. nationality etc.,
iii) In case of loss/damage of OCI registration certificate/ Visa.
iv) In case of filing of wrong personal particulars while submitting online applications viz. name, father’s name, date of birth.etc
v) In case of change of address/occupation.
Please visit http://mha.nic.in for further information, guidelines and instructions on applying online for these services.
Upon submission of Registration form, hard copy of application with Reference number is to be printed. Applicant has to sign the application, paste photograph and append his signature in the box provided and submit one copy of application form along with relevant enclosures and fee.
For any further query on OCI please visit http://mha.nic.in
Consular Services
Indian Nationals may contact the High Commission for assistance. For details on how to contact us click here.
PIO cards from the High Commission of Singapore
Any person currently holding a foreign passport, and can prove his or her Indian origin up to three generations before (i.e. either the person himself/herself or spouse or father or grandfather or great grandfather must have been a citizen and resident of India), is eligible to apply for a PIO card.
PIO cards will give the holder the following benefits-
- Visa-free entry into India for fifteen years- provided the individual holds a valid passport
- Exemption from the requirement of registration at the Foreigners' Regional Registration Office if the period of stay in India does not exceed 180 days. In the event of continuous stay for more than 180 days, the PIO card holder will have to register himself/herself at the concerned FRRO office.
- PIO card holders shall enjoy parity with NRIs in respect of facilities available in economic, financial and educational fields except matters relating to acquisition of agricultural/ plantation properties. The facilities will include the ability to acquire, hold, transfer or dispose of immovable properties in India (except agricultural/ plantation properties), open rupee accounts in India, lend in rupees to Indian residents, make investments in India etc.
- Admission of children in educational institutions in India in the general category quota for NRIs including Medical, Engineering colleges, IITs & IIMs.
- Eligibility for various Housing schemes under Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) or Central/State Governments. All future benefits extended to NRIs would also be available to PIO card holders
Possession of a PIO card will not entitle the holder to:
- Be eligible for the exercise of any political rights
- Visit restricted/protected areas without due permission
- Undertake mountaineering, research and missionary work without prior permission
- Citizens of Pakistan, Bangladesh and other countries as may be specified by the Central Government from time to time, would not be eligible for grant of PIO Cards.
Fees for the PIO card have been revised as under:-
- For adults, the fee is S$500 (Singapore Dollars Five hundred only), and
- For Children upto 18 years of age, the fee is S$ 250 (Singapore Dollars two hundred and fifty only).
The PIO cards, issued earlier, will remain valid. No refund will be given. However, the validity of these PIO cards will be extended for another 10 years without any extra fee being charged. Thus the PIO cards issued earlier will be valid for 30 years.
Eligibility:
“Person of Indian Origin” means a foreign citizen not being a citizen of Bangladesh, Pakistan or other countries as may be specified by the Central Government from time to time if;
- he/she at any time held a Indian passport; or
- he/she or either of his/her parents or grandparents or great grandparents was born in and permanently resident in India as defined in the Government of India Act, 1935 and other territories that became part of India thereafter provided neither was at any time a citizen of any of the aforesaid countries (as referred above);or
- he/she is a spouse of a citizen of India or a person or Indian origin covered under (i) or (ii) above.
The grounds of eligibility can be established only after receipt of application. It will not be possible to respond to queries regarding ground of eligibility before receiving the application.
Requirements:
- Existing (valid) passport in original, along with a photocopy,
- Expired Indian passport/travel document(s) of the applicant or either of his/her parents or grandparents or great grandparents in original, along with photocopy;
- All other relevant documents and their photocopies that may be helpful in establishing Indian origin which may include, inter alia, revenue records, domicile certificate/school or college leaving certificates, Indian Birth certificate of the applicant and of the parents or grandparents of the applicant etc. Nationality certificates of the applicant and of the parents or grand parents;
- In case application is for a child, Indian passports of parents (along with photocopies) and original birth certificate of the child (along with photocopies) may be submitted.
- Those applying as spouses of persons of Indian origin should submit original Indian passport or PIO card (whichever is applicable) of the spouse and original marriage certificate; (To be eligible the marriage must have taken place more than a year before the date of application)
- Four recent passport size photographs of the applicant showing frontal view of full face;
- Copy of proof of residence is required.
- Fee of S$570 (fee of S$285 for minors below the age of 18) to be paid in cash.
- In case application is for a PIO card in lieu of a lost PIO card, a fee of S$185 would apply. Besides, the applicant would also be required to submit a Police Report for the loss of PIO card.
- Please fill the application form completely. Mention the details of parents, grandparents, spouse etc., to the extent possible bringing out their Indian or foreign origin as applicable.
- Submit proof of residence for more than 6 months in case the application is from a non-Singaporean passport holder. In the case of Singaporeans, copy of NRIC may be enclosed.
- Above requirements are indicative and attempt has been made to cover majority of cases. However, the Consular Officer may ask for additional documents after examining the application in person and the same would have to be provided.
Processing time is 5-7 working days in case of Singapore passport holders and 10-12 working days in case of non-Singaporeans.
The fee is to be paid only in cash at High Commission.
To endorse new passport number on PIO card:
To endorse new passport number, both the old and the new passports and PIO card in original are required to be produced .
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Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI)