Blogs Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, (OCI) overseas citizens of India can get an Aadhar Card, but for that, they need to fulfill the requirements.

Yes, OCIs can buy commercial and residential property in India.

Yes, Person of Indian Origin cards are still valid in India till December 31, 2024.

Yes, PIO can become an Indian citizen if they register as an OCI.

Yes, PIO are able to own property in India subject to certain conditions.

OCI cardholders can live in India for an unlimited period of time.

The OCI cardholders do not have the right to vote in Indian elections and cannot work in government sectors. Additionally, they do not have the permission to be a member of the Legislative Council, Legislative Assembly, or Parliament, and cannot hold constitutional posts such as the Supreme Court or High Court judge, President, or Vice President.

PIOs are people of Indian origin who are citizens of countries other than India. An individual is eligible to apply for a PIO card if he/she at had an Indian passport, his/ her parents, grandparents, or great grandparents were born or permanently lived in India, or belonged to a territory that, on and after 15 August 1947, became part of India.

Yes, with an OCI card, you can live permanently in India. An OCI card provides cardholders the right to live in India for an indefinite time and visa-free travel. In addition, allow the individuals to enter the country multiple times for multiple purposes.

No, an OCI card is not valid without a passport. Although the card provides visa-free travel to India to the cardholders. However, one should have a valid passport by their side from the country they are currently a citizen of to use it with an OCI card.

Yes, you can apply for an OCI or PIO card online. However, you cannot apply for PIO cards since the scheme is discontinued by the Indian government and merged with the OCI card, so you can only apply for the OCI card. To do so, you can use the Indian government OCI services website. Through this, you can fill out the application form, submit the required documents, pay the applicable fee online, and book an appointment with the Indian consulate or embassy for your biometrics data and physical submission of the application.

PIO and OCI cardholders do not have permission to vote in Indian elections, they cannot purchase any plantation property, and hold government jobs. In addition, they need permission to visit restricted and preserved areas. Also, do not participate in Indian elections or hold any constitutional positions.

No, you do not need a visa to enter India if you hold an OCI card. A valid passport and an OCI card is requisite.

Whether an OCI or NRI is better depends completely on your needs and situation.

No, you are not allowed to apply for an OCI while on an e-visa in India. You can't apply for a visa while on a tourist visa, missionary visa, or mountaineering visa.

Yes, you can live permanently in India with an OCI card. It acts like a lifelong visa and the cardholder can visit the country at any time for any duration of stay.

The OCI miscellaneous services in Australia take around 3-6 weeks for re-issuing or applying for a duplicate OCI card, and when applying for a fresh OCI card, it takes around 6-8 weeks.

OCI miscellaneous services cater to the needs of registered OCI cardholders who want to re-issue duplicate OCI documents due to loss/damage or who need to update their information, including passport details, address, occupation, and contact details.

To fill the OCI miscellaneous form, you need to visit the website for OCI services and select the “OCI Miscellaneous Services” option. After that, you have to enter some required details and upload all the documents required as per your applied miscellaneous services and submit it.

The OCI miscellaneous service takes around 35-40 days for processing and recording updates after acknowledging your application. Once your updates are made, you will get an automated email confirming the updates to your OCI records.