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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)
- An additional S$ 20/- would be charged as Fax charges for taking clearance if the applicant is holding
Passport other than Singapore.
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$ 500 ( fee of S$ 250 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.
Application form for non Singaporeans will be accepted only after fax clearance.
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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PIO cards from the High Commission of Singapore