Dec 5, 2022, 2:15 am
Last edit by: oliver2002
Link to the latest guideline in force: https://www.mha.gov.in/sites/default...s_16072021.pdf
If you are below 20 and get a new passport:
go to https://ociservices.gov.in/ click on 'OCI Miscellaneous Services' and update your details, upload a pdf of your new passport and a jpg of a recent passport foto.
You will receive an email confirming the submission and sometime later get another email confirming the update. Nothing is reissued.
If you were issued an OCI card when you were younger than 20 and get a new passport:
you have to apply for a reissue of the OCI card.
go to https://ociservices.gov.in/ click on 'OCI Miscellaneous Services' and update your details, upload a pdf of you new passport and a jpg of a recent passport foto.
Then contact your local mission to submit the old OCI card and receive the new one. Some missions do this on site, mssions with a larger Indian community like the UK/US use a service provider like VFS for that.
If you were issued an OCI card when you were older than 20 and get a new passport:
You don't need to do anything. The next time you fly to India, it would be advisable to carry the old passport with you. If you have time on hand and nothing else to do:
go to https://ociservices.gov.in/ click on 'OCI Miscellaneous Services' and update your details, upload a pdf of you new passport and a jpg of a recent passport foto.
You will receive an email confirming the submission and sometime later get another email confirming the update. Nothing is reissued.
If you were issued an OCI card when you were older than 20 and get a new passport after you turned 50:
go to https://ociservices.gov.in/ click on 'OCI Miscellaneous Services' and update your details, upload a pdf of your new passport and a jpg of a recent passport foto.
You will receive an email confirming the submission and sometime later get another email confirming the update. Nothing is reissued.
The TIMATIC entries are currently as follows: checked on EK on 09FEB2024: https://www.emirates.com/de/english/...destination=in
Visa Exemptions:
Passengers with an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card or booklet. A physical OCI card or booklet is required. A digital or photocopy of the OCI card or booklet is not accepted.
...
Passengers with an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card must apply for a new Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card only once when they obtain a new passport after turning 20 years old.
If you are below 20 and get a new passport:
go to https://ociservices.gov.in/ click on 'OCI Miscellaneous Services' and update your details, upload a pdf of your new passport and a jpg of a recent passport foto.
You will receive an email confirming the submission and sometime later get another email confirming the update. Nothing is reissued.
If you were issued an OCI card when you were younger than 20 and get a new passport:
you have to apply for a reissue of the OCI card.
go to https://ociservices.gov.in/ click on 'OCI Miscellaneous Services' and update your details, upload a pdf of you new passport and a jpg of a recent passport foto.
Then contact your local mission to submit the old OCI card and receive the new one. Some missions do this on site, mssions with a larger Indian community like the UK/US use a service provider like VFS for that.
If you were issued an OCI card when you were older than 20 and get a new passport:
You don't need to do anything. The next time you fly to India, it would be advisable to carry the old passport with you. If you have time on hand and nothing else to do:
go to https://ociservices.gov.in/ click on 'OCI Miscellaneous Services' and update your details, upload a pdf of you new passport and a jpg of a recent passport foto.
You will receive an email confirming the submission and sometime later get another email confirming the update. Nothing is reissued.
If you were issued an OCI card when you were older than 20 and get a new passport after you turned 50:
go to https://ociservices.gov.in/ click on 'OCI Miscellaneous Services' and update your details, upload a pdf of your new passport and a jpg of a recent passport foto.
You will receive an email confirming the submission and sometime later get another email confirming the update. Nothing is reissued.
The TIMATIC entries are currently as follows: checked on EK on 09FEB2024: https://www.emirates.com/de/english/...destination=in
Visa Exemptions:
Passengers with an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card or booklet. A physical OCI card or booklet is required. A digital or photocopy of the OCI card or booklet is not accepted.
...
Passengers with an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card must apply for a new Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card only once when they obtain a new passport after turning 20 years old.
QUESTIONS about OCI re-issue after turning 20/50 years
Feb 24, 2020 | 5:18 pm
#92
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: SFO
Posts: 4,198
My head hurts going around in circles on this with a family member ... can somebody please clarify?
- OCI was issued before turning 50 on US passport #1
- Passport #1 expired, got passport #2 (OCI card holder is under 50)
- OCI card holder is now older than 50, but passport #2 doesn't expire for another 5 years
Last edited by malgudi; Feb 24, 2020 at 5:34 pm
Feb 24, 2020 | 6:37 pm
#93
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: Delta
Posts: 397
No, the OCI does not need to be reissued. When passport #2 expires and a new passport (#3 ) is obtained, then it will be required to have the OCI reissued.
Until June 30, 2020, there is a temporary relaxation of the rule, which allows someone in such a situation to continue to use the OCI without re-issue even if passport #2 expires and a new passport #3 is acquired before June 30 (but then passport #1 needs to be carried along with #3 and the OCI). Your family member is not in this situation since passport #2 does not expire for another few years.
Meanwhile, with all the confusion around this and variable and sometimes arbitrary interpretation of the rules by airlines, it may be best to carry passport #1 along with #2 and the OCI just in case there's a fuss about it, even though your family member technically is not in the situation! I think it would just be prudent, rather than trying your luck arguing about the rule with some airline agent mid-way through a long international journey.
Personally I have started carrying my original passport that was used for the OCI issue (my "#1 ") along with my newer passport (my "#2 ") even though I'm not required to. Just too nervous with all the reports of people being denied boarding. I spent years without carrying my original passport with me on numerous trips to India, those days are long gone, I guess.
Until June 30, 2020, there is a temporary relaxation of the rule, which allows someone in such a situation to continue to use the OCI without re-issue even if passport #2 expires and a new passport #3 is acquired before June 30 (but then passport #1 needs to be carried along with #3 and the OCI). Your family member is not in this situation since passport #2 does not expire for another few years.
Meanwhile, with all the confusion around this and variable and sometimes arbitrary interpretation of the rules by airlines, it may be best to carry passport #1 along with #2 and the OCI just in case there's a fuss about it, even though your family member technically is not in the situation! I think it would just be prudent, rather than trying your luck arguing about the rule with some airline agent mid-way through a long international journey.
Personally I have started carrying my original passport that was used for the OCI issue (my "#1 ") along with my newer passport (my "#2 ") even though I'm not required to. Just too nervous with all the reports of people being denied boarding. I spent years without carrying my original passport with me on numerous trips to India, those days are long gone, I guess.
Mar 4, 2020 | 2:45 pm
#95
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: USA
Programs: SQ PPS SOLITAIRE, DL SILVER ,HHONOR DIAMOND, BONVOY GOLD, IHG PLAT
Posts: 2,045
Has your wife travelled to India with new OCI and eVisa? (both active)
Issue reported is not with obtaining one while in possession of the other. That part is easy as two issing parties are totally different.
Problems reported on immihelp was on entry/exit (agian, mangable problems)
Issue reported is not with obtaining one while in possession of the other. That part is easy as two issing parties are totally different.
Problems reported on immihelp was on entry/exit (agian, mangable problems)
Since then I have probably made about 20 trips with my OCI and my US Passport with the visa.
No issues at all at immigration entry/exit. In fact, I usually tell the Immigration Officer to process based on the OCI with no problems at all.
May 24, 2020 | 7:11 pm
#96
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: Delta
Posts: 397
The exemption on needing to renew the OCI after a new passport is issued after the age of 50 has been extended further, to December 31, 2020.
From the Indian consulate general in San Francisco:
https://www.cgisf.gov.in/news_detail/?newsid=66
From the Indian consulate general in San Francisco:
https://www.cgisf.gov.in/news_detail/?newsid=66
May 24, 2020 | 11:51 pm
#97
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 52,754
The caveat of carrying the old passport with you is now a standard sentence:
As and when prohibition on international air travel is lifted by the Central Government and the status of OCI card as a lifelong visa for travel to/from India is restored, such OCI cardholders may be allowed to travel on the strength of their existing OCI cards bearing old passport number. However, this will be subjected to the condition that the OCI cardholder will have to travel along with old and new passports and the OCI card having the old passport number.
Aug 1, 2020 | 8:06 pm
#98
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,217
[QUOTE=Bandicoot;32401151]The exemption on needing to renew the OCI after a new passport is issued after the age of 50 has been extended further, to December 31, 2020. /QUOTE]
Wouldnt it be nice if they extend it to 2120?
That way, they can get rid of ridiculous nonsensical requirement without having to admit that they were wrong in the first place to have it.
Wouldnt it be nice if they extend it to 2120?
That way, they can get rid of ridiculous nonsensical requirement without having to admit that they were wrong in the first place to have it.
Aug 2, 2020 | 9:01 am
#99
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: BOM-WAW-EWR
Programs: UA*G (1K again), Sixt Plat, AC*G, LH FTL, AI*G *was*: SQ QPP01 & SK EBS/EBG, LH SEN, AA EXP, 9wPlat
Posts: 8,751
Aug 3, 2020 | 1:51 am
#100
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 52,754
IF you still have a PIO card you don't have to do anything... yet refer to the PIO/OCI conversion nonsense and you will see that nothing is as simple...
Aug 7, 2020 | 2:22 pm
#101
Join Date: Jun 2014
Programs: EY
Posts: 976
Aug 7, 2020 | 2:24 pm
#102
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: BOM-WAW-EWR
Programs: UA*G (1K again), Sixt Plat, AC*G, LH FTL, AI*G *was*: SQ QPP01 & SK EBS/EBG, LH SEN, AA EXP, 9wPlat
Posts: 8,751
Oct 10, 2020 | 5:29 pm
#104
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 52,754
This week I travelled with a new passport and OCI with the old passport number for the first time. Big mess, will get the OCI booklet reissued asap:
Departing to India all the systems marked me as having no visa because the (new) passport number was not linked to any visa. Major confusion and no note in checkin systems possible.
Each time you have to fuss around with two passports and the booklet.
Leaving the BoI officer decided to take a good look at my old passport (since there was no one else to check) and looked at all the pages. He was very curious that I had been to China so often ... all questions were posed in Hindi which I tried my best to respond to in my garbled Tom Alter hindi...
Departing to India all the systems marked me as having no visa because the (new) passport number was not linked to any visa. Major confusion and no note in checkin systems possible.
Each time you have to fuss around with two passports and the booklet.
Leaving the BoI officer decided to take a good look at my old passport (since there was no one else to check) and looked at all the pages. He was very curious that I had been to China so often ... all questions were posed in Hindi which I tried my best to respond to in my garbled Tom Alter hindi...
Oct 13, 2020 | 12:12 pm
#105
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: Delta
Posts: 397
I'm sorry you ran into this. It does seem that things have changed and the procedures tightened up. For years I traveled with the old and new passports and without getting the OCI reissued, and it was totally fine at all points, no problems with (many different) airlines nor with BoI. However, as we know, from last year the 50-years rule started becoming more tightly enforced, and on my last two visits to India I did have the BoI officer suggest that "it would be better" to reissue my OCI booklet - even though I strictly speaking still did not need to. Which seemed odd, at least they could stick to their own rules. Anyway, the next time I travel to India I will have updated documents on hand, as I'm taking advantage of the pandemic-induced break in my travel to renew my passport and then I will have to renew my OCI too (by the 50-years rule). Hopefully there will not be further problems in this area for a long time after that.
Of course, now the next thing we might run into is whether anything will change with the renewal process and rules now that Cox & Kings is out and VFS Global is taking over US visa operations for the Indian missions from November. Hiopefully they're just as (in)efficient as Cox & Kings and renewals won't take longer nor the process become more cumbersome.
Of course, now the next thing we might run into is whether anything will change with the renewal process and rules now that Cox & Kings is out and VFS Global is taking over US visa operations for the Indian missions from November. Hiopefully they're just as (in)efficient as Cox & Kings and renewals won't take longer nor the process become more cumbersome.