Dec deadline to get OCI cards re-issued when new passport issued
LONDON
The Goan diaspora in the UK and other countries who are Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders will have till December 31 to get their OCI cards re-issued once a new passport is issued.
According to the High Commission of India in London, the government of India had issued revised guidelines for re-issuance of OCI cards due to issuance of new foreign passports to OCI cardholders.
The revised guidelines make mention of the “mandatory requirement of re-issuance of an OCI card each time a new passport is issued to a foreigner up to 20 years of age and once after completing 50 years of age is dispensed with.”
“The OCI cardholder is required to get the OCI card re-issued only once when a new passport is issued after completing 20 years of age so as to capture his/her facial features.”
The revised guidelines state that the OCI cardholder is required to upload online a copy of the new passport and a latest photo each time a new passport is issued up to 20 years of age and once after completing 50 years of age.
The uploading of these documents on the OCI portal may be done within three months of receipt of the new passport. The service will be provided on Gratis (no cost/free) basis.
The foreign spouse of an Indian Citizen or spouse of foreign origin of an OCI cardholder is required to upload a copy of the new passport and also a latest photo online each time a new passport is issued along with a declaration on subsisting of marriage, copy of the Indian passport of the Indian spouse/passport and OCI card of the OCI cardholder spouse.
Necessary changes have been initiated to upload documents in the OCI portal to facilitate above services to OCI cardholders.
The Indian government had initially provided a deadline till December 31, 2021 for re-issuance of OCI cards in respect of OCI cardholders, who may be required to get their OCI cards re-issued.
The guidelines stipulated that OCI card holders travelling on the strength of their existing OCI card bearing old passport number are not required to carry their old passport, but carrying of new passport is mandatory.
In another notification, the High Commission of India in London later stated that the Indian government had granted a relaxation on the re-issuance of OCI cards and stated all OCI Card holders who are required to get their OCI card re-issued once a new passport is issued after completing 20 years of age, would be given a further time to do so by December 31 this year.
“Such OCI Cardholders will be allowed to travel on the strength of their existing OCI Cards bearing old passport number and new passport,” stated the High Commission of India in London.
Details of the OCI cards are available at https://www.hcilondon.gov.in/page/recent-circulars-on-oci/ and https://ociservices.gov.in/.
