OCI & Surrender · For NRIs & PIOs
OCI card & surrender certificate assistance.
Took foreign citizenship, or born abroad to Indian parents? We help NRIs and people of Indian origin file complete, correct applications for the OCI card, its re-issue, and the passport surrender certificate India requires. The card and certificate are granted by the Government of India — we make sure your application is right.
No WhatsApp? Just call, email, or use the short form below — whatever suits you.
Lifelong
OCI multiple-entry visa validity
No FRRO
Police registration not required
3 services
New OCI, re-issue & surrender
Who this is for
OCI and surrender — what we handle
This page is for NRIs and foreign nationals of Indian origin — people who have taken citizenship of another country, or were born abroad to Indian parents or grandparents — who want a lasting, visa-free connection to India. If you naturalised abroad, India requires you to surrender your Indian passport; an OCI card then lets you enter, live, study and invest in India for life. Foreign-origin spouses of Indian citizens or OCI holders, and minor children of Indian-origin parents, are covered too.
OCI — New registration
Foreign nationals of Indian origin — their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren — and foreign-origin spouses of an Indian citizen or OCI holder (marriage registered and subsisting 2+ years).
A one-time registration granting a lifelong, multiple-entry visa to India for almost any purpose, plus lifelong exemption from FRRO police registration. Applied for online at ociservices.gov.in. If you ever held an Indian passport, a surrender certificate must be in hand first.
OCI — Re-issue & miscellaneous
Existing OCI holders with a new passport, a change of name or address, or a lost or damaged card.
Most holders never need a physical re-issue — when your passport is renewed you simply upload the new passport and a recent photo online, free of cost, within three months. The one exception is a single re-issue for anyone who registered for OCI while aged 20 or under, done once on getting a new passport after turning 20, so the card captures adult facial features. The earlier requirement to re-issue after age 50 has been withdrawn. Name or address changes and lost or damaged cards are handled as miscellaneous services.
Surrender certificate
Anyone who once held an Indian passport and has since acquired foreign citizenship — and a prerequisite before an OCI card can be granted.
India does not allow dual citizenship: under Section 9 of the Citizenship Act, 1955 you cease to be an Indian citizen the day you naturalise abroad, and the Passports Act, 1967 requires you to surrender your Indian passport and obtain a surrender certificate. Holding or travelling on an Indian passport afterwards is a punishable offence.
How we help
How we handle your OCI or surrender application
- 01
Confirm the right service
We check your citizenship history, age and passport to tell you exactly what you need — a new OCI, a re-issue, or a surrender certificate first — and map the same for spouse and children where relevant.
- 02
Prepare documents & online form
We help you complete the application on the government portal and assemble proof of Indian origin, your foreign passport, naturalisation certificate, and a photo and signature that meet the strict specifications — the details that most often cause queries or rejections.
- 03
Submission, fees & biometrics guidance
We guide you through online submission, fee payment at government rates (paid at cost), sending documents to your Indian mission or VFS centre, and any appointment or biometrics step your location requires.
- 04
Follow-up until the grant
We help you track status and respond to any clarification the mission raises, right up to issuance. The OCI card or surrender certificate is always granted by the Government of India — our role is to make the file complete and correct.
Documents you'll typically need
- Current foreign passport — bio-data page
- Most recent Indian passport, or proof of Indian origin (a parent's or grandparent's Indian passport, birth certificate, or domicile document)
- Naturalisation or foreign-citizenship certificate
- Recent colour photograph meeting the government's size and background specifications
- Specimen signature on blank white paper (thumb impression for minors)
- Marriage certificate — for foreign-spouse OCI applications (registered, subsisting 2+ years)
- Existing OCI card — for re-issue or miscellaneous services
- Surrender certificate, or the Indian passport to be surrendered — required for OCI if you previously held an Indian passport
Exact documents depend on your nationality and case — we’ll send a tailored checklist when you get in touch.
Contact us
Three easy ways to reach us.
No account, no payment to enquire. Tell us what you need and a consultant gets back to you.
Lifeset Overseas is a private visa & documentation consultancy. Indian visas, OCI cards and passports are issued solely by the Government of India — we assist with eligibility, document preparation and filing on the official government portals.
Send us your details
Takes under a minute. We’ll reply by WhatsApp, email or a call.
FAQs
- Is OCI the same as dual citizenship?
- No. India's Constitution does not permit dual citizenship, so an OCI card is not citizenship. It is a lifelong visa and residency status for foreign nationals of Indian origin. OCI holders can enter, live, work, study and invest in India, but cannot vote, hold constitutional or most government posts, or buy agricultural or plantation land.
- Do I really have to surrender my Indian passport after taking foreign citizenship?
- Yes. Under Section 9 of the Citizenship Act, 1955 you stop being an Indian citizen the moment you voluntarily acquire another citizenship, and the Passports Act, 1967 requires you to surrender your Indian passport and obtain a surrender certificate. It is also a prerequisite — no Indian mission will issue an OCI card until your Indian passport has been surrendered.
- What if I travelled on my Indian passport after becoming a foreign citizen?
- Using an Indian passport after acquiring foreign citizenship is an offence under the Passports Act, and a penalty may apply as per government rules, depending on how the passport was used. It can still be regularised — the passport is surrendered and the matter closed before an OCI or fresh visa is issued. We help you compile the surrender application correctly so it moves smoothly.
- Do OCI holders need a separate visa to enter India?
- No. The OCI card is itself a lifelong, multiple-entry visa for almost any purpose, so you do not apply for a separate tourist or entry visa. You travel on your foreign passport and carry your OCI card. OCI holders are also exempt from registering with the FRRO or local police, however long they stay. A few activities — such as research, missionary or mountaineering work — still need prior permission.
- Can I get an OCI card for my child born abroad?
- Yes. A minor child is eligible if both parents are Indian citizens, or if one parent is an Indian citizen or an OCI cardholder. The child applies as a fresh OCI registration using the parents' documents proving Indian origin. If the child is registered while aged 20 or under, the card is later re-issued once after they obtain a new passport after turning 20.
- My spouse is not of Indian origin — can they still get OCI?
- Yes. A foreign spouse of an Indian citizen or of an OCI cardholder can register for OCI, provided the marriage is registered and has subsisted continuously for at least two years immediately before the application. Spouse cases carry extra scrutiny, including prior security clearance, which we help you prepare for.
- When does an OCI card have to be re-issued?
- For most holders there is no re-issue when your passport is renewed — you simply upload your new passport and a recent photo online, free of cost, within three months. The only mandatory physical re-issue is one-time: if you registered for OCI while aged 20 or under, you must re-issue the card once after getting a new passport following your 20th birthday, so it reflects your adult face. The earlier requirement to re-issue after age 50 has been withdrawn. Lost, damaged or detail-change cases are handled as miscellaneous services.
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