SQTraveller

Good luck with getting the passport. Do let us know how it went!

:D!

What is this supposed to mean? You don't need a passport number to book flights!! You only need a name (and sometimes DOB).

You only need to provide the passport number at check-in as part of the API. Although you can submit API at the time of booking if you wish, there is no obligation to do so until check-in (which could be as late as 60 minutes before departure, at the airport), and there is no requirement that you type in the passport details yourself, as they can be collected by airline agents when they swipe your passport.

Furthermore, no airline considers correcting the API to be a "change" which might attract a charge.

889

Well, when I book international flights online I'm usually asked to enter my passport number at some point in the process -- expiry date often too -- but if that's not your experience on this booking then obviously you have no problem.

GUWonder

oliver2002

Yesterday I used the opportunity of a very relaxed and empty immigration counter at Delhi to quiz the BoI officers about a few things.

It seems you do not need to reissue the OCI booklet or have it amended when you get a new passport. My sons passport expires in late November and my wife's in September. For both he said to just carry the old expired passport with you and have it ready for inspection when at the immigration counter. Their system is setup to match the passport number with the visa. So when the airline transmits the passport number to them the system checks if the passport was issued an Indian visa or ETA. If the passport number doesn't have a visa associated with it they have to scan in the visa (or the OCI page) manually when you arrive and make a note in the system.

Regards APIS: they prefer to see the full name of the passenger on the boarding pass. However they are aware that there is not enough space on the PNR and boarding pass to show the full name so lastename/first name is sufficient. Their systems get the info you give at check-in, which is usually captured by the airline doing a passport swipe, ie Reading in the data on the machine readable portion of the main page. This has to match the passport you present at the desk to the officer.

Raj Dasani

Can kids travel with old OCI card and 'U' visa in old passport and current passport via Dubai to Mumbai ?



Thanks

oliver2002

No problem at all if you carry the old passport (recorded in the OCI card on the last page) with you.

Bandicoot

This advice seems overly conservative. I can't find the official document online right now, but I'm pretty sure since about 2015 the need to carry the old passport was eliminated. I have personally traveled many times to India with a new passport and the OCI booklet, and without the old passport, and never been questioned about it by any airline staff or immigration officer.

oliver2002

Íf you have it with you I see no problems. When dealing with goverment officials, especially Indians, I'd rather be on the conservative side. Arguing at the border that there is a document from 2015 someplace is probably not very wise.

Bandicoot

I agree one should be extra-conservative when dealing with Indian bureaucracy, but in this particular case it seems to be an established procedure that the old passport will not be asked for. The rule itself is referenced as "circular No. 26011/06/2015-OCI" and unfortunately I can't find that specific document online. However, TIMATIC has been updated to say specifically that the original passport with the 'U' visa sticker is not needed. The Ministry of External Affairs confirms on its site: https://www.mea.gov.in/oci-related-matters.htm and the Bureau of Immigration confirms on its site: https://boi.gov.in/content/overseas-...oci-cardholder. You can also find essentially the same language on the websites of many Indian consulates and embassies.

Could an immigration officer still raise a fuss despite all this? Possibly, yes, although on the flip side note that Indian bureaucracy also is all about following the rules obsessively. Well, anyway, at this point after more than a dozen trips to India where I was not asked for my old passport (I carried it along the first couple of times, and then I stopped), I feel it's a non-issue, and hence my earlier comment that the advice seems overly conservative. It falls below my level of risk to worry about. :-) Note that even if a fuss were raised it's unlikely an OCI holder would be absolutely denied entry to India, as even prior to 2015 there was a provision for a special landing permit to be issued to those who forgot to bring their passport with the 'U' sticker along.

Maxwell Smart

How does this square with the regulation that a child's OCI must be renewed when a new passport is issued?
My daughter's OCI was issued a couple years ago at age 14, she is now 16 and we're about to renew her US passport. Per the official regulations we're supposed to re-issue the OCI after passport renewal, and then have to do it again in 5 years after the next PP renewal since she will then be over 19. Not looking forward to going through the application process again and again.

Also, guess I should follow up with the aftermath of what prompted my original post for getting my wife to India urgently--

Getting a new passport at the Washington passport office went very smoothly. Had zero idea of what to expect, was envisioning a block-long line of applicants and spending the day there!
1. We reached there approx 0720 on Monday morning and by some miracle found a street parking space on the adjacent block.
2. Got in line, perhaps 15-20 people in front of us. They opened the doors and let us in around 0740.
3. Just as UAPremExecflyer said, there were 3 lines, went to the walk-in line, showed all the paperwork, explained the circumstances.
4. Went through security, stood in another line, went to a window where they reviewed everything and gave us a numbered ticket, DMV-style.
5. Number called, went to another window where everything was processed and payment was made. All finished by about 1000. Told to come back after 1430 to pick up the passport.
6. Interestingly, they only paid cursory attention to the documentation for the reason (death certificate, letter from doctor, etc.), they were more focused on ensuring that a flight in the next 72 hours was actually booked, asking about that repeatedly at each step (around 0900, when we said "10 o'clock", the agent's eyes opened wide in alarm until I clarified "PM"!). I'm guessing that was to prioritize the order of physically making the passports.
7. Left, had lunch, took it easy, came back and picked up the passport.
8. Important note- the entire time you were in the building, whether standing in line or sitting waiting for your number to be called, no phone calls allowed. You were free to use your mobile phone for texting, etc, just no actual voice calls.

No issues at Indian immigration at HYD with new passport+OCI card+old passport.
No one cared (or maybe not noticed) that new PP was issued after her 50th birthday thus theoretically required an OCI re-issue.
Which makes me wonder should I go through the hassle of getting my wife's OCI re-issued, or just ignore it?

Thanks to all that gave advice. When the situation began, I was thinking only on the Indian immigration aspect of needing 6 months validity and thus was focused on getting some sort of approval or assurance of being admitted into India. Only later, after talking with airlines did I realize that regardless of if India would admit her, no airline was going to allow her to board a flight in the first place without a new passport.

As a side note, Indian consulate was worse than useless. Washington's so-called "emergency number" had a full voicemail box, so couldn't leave a message. I managed to leave a message on the New York consulate's emergency number, and actually got a call back on Sunday afternoon. I explained the situation to the person, and asked about the issue of traveling with less than 6 months validity, he said something to the effect of, "I'm sorry I don't know anything about that" AND THEN PROMPTLY HUNG UP while I was in mid-sentence!

Bandicoot

No idea... My experience of traveling with the originally issued OCI and a new passport does not fall under either of the special cases of children and those over 50 who are required (at least going by the rules on the book today) to get new OCI documents issued. Anecdotal information is that the rule for those over 50 is not enforced. But here I'd be more cautious, and when it's time for me, I'll probably bite the bullet and get a new OCI. (That'll also fix a long-standing issue that my current OCI has an old address - I never bothered to have it updated, as it didn't seem that it mattered at all. But I might as well take care of that at the same time.)

oliver2002

That is why I specifically asked. In Germany the passport for under 26 has to renewed every 5 years, so the OCI updating for my two kids is going to be pain. As mentioned above they said as long as you bring the old expired passport along (which doesn't have any U visa in it, its just mentioned in the last page of the OCI booklet) you should be fine.

GUWonder

mcgiw

I have travelled with my kid, who has new passport but OCI issued on old one, return journeys between Europe and Bangalore, and Kochi and Australia in the past one month. We didn't have any issues. We were never asked for my son's old passport anywhere. Hope this helps for the required.