Documents applicable in case of fresh application of a person who

Documents applicable in case of fresh application of a person

who is a foreign citizen by birth and never held Indian

passport:

MINOR (Applicants below the age of 18 years):

S. No.

Document

Duly signed OCI Application Form in original. The application may be

submitted online on the Government of India’s official website

https://ociservices.gov.in and physical copy of the OCI application needs to

be submitted with supporting documents. Please read the following carefully:

• If you are applying for OCI card for the first time and you never held

PIO card, kindly apply for new OCI registration.

• If you are already an OCI Cardholder, kindly use OCI Miscellaneous

Services.

• If you are a PIO Cardholder, kindly register through OCI Registration

(In Lieu Of Valid PIO-Card).

• If you are a PIO Cardholder and card is in lost state, kindly register

through OCI Registration (In Lieu Of Lost PIO-Card).

• To reprint your already registered application, kindly use 'Re-Print

Submitted Application' service.

In case of urgent travel, applicants may apply for appropriate visa.

Photograph & Signature: For detailed specifications - please click here

• The physical photo must be affixed on the physical application form

and the digital photo must be uploaded on the OCI form online.

Physical and uploaded photograph must be identical.

• The digital signature must also be uploaded online on the OCI portal

(only in blue or black ink). Uploaded signature must match with the

signature on the physical application form and passport.

Parental Authorization Form (Notarized and Original): Both parents must

sign the parental authorization form, which should be duly notarized.

Signatures of the parents on OCI Application Form, their passports/ID proofs

and parental authorization form must be identical. Mismatch of signatures will

result in delay in processing the OCI application, which is also liable to be

rejected (Click here for the format).

Note: One parent may sign the Parental Authorization Form only in the

following conditions:

• If parents are divorced and only one parent has legal custody of the

minor applicant (and the other parent has no visitation rights or

paying child support), court order regarding the legal custody must

be provided. If the court order is in any foreign language other than

English, translation in English by authorized translator is to be

enclosed.

• If one parent is not alive, copy of the death certificate must be

provided.

• If the parent is single adoptive parent, copy of adoption document

must be provided.

Copy of current valid passport with validity of minimum 6 months at the time

of submission of application. Information page of the passport should be duly

signed at the designated space. The document must be self-attested.

Birth Certificate: Copy of the birth certificate may be provided, if the

applicant was born in the USA. It must reflect (i) Names of Parents; (ii) Date

of Birth; and (iii) Nationality. Birth certificates issued by hospitals are not

acceptable. The document must be self-attested.

Note: If the applicant was born outside India or the USA, birth certificate must

be apostilled by the concerned Foreign Government or attested by the

concerned foreign Mission.

Evidence of Indian origin of parents or grandparents or great

grandparents (The document must be self-attested).: Any of the following

documents may be provided:

• Copies of Indian Passports

• Copy of the Domicile Certificate issued by the Competent Authority

• Copy of the Nativity Certificate from the Competent Authority

• PIO / OCI Card of parents along with documents on the basis of

which PIO/OCI card was issued

• Any other proof substantiating the request.

Note: If proof of Indian origin of parents is not available, the documents being

provided should be sufficient to establish family lineage to prove Indian origin.

If family lineage to prove Indian origin is not established, the application is

liable to be rejected.

Name Change Document issued by the local court or a duly notarized

affidavit regarding change in name. Previous name must invariably be

mentioned in the OCI application, failing which the OCI application is liable to

be rejected.

Marriage Certificate of Parents: If the marriage is solemnized in India,

Marriage Certificate issued by Marriage Registrar is required. Marriage

Certificate issued by any religious body is not acceptable. If parents are

divorced, copy of the divorce decree may be provided. If one parent is not

alive, copy of the death certificate may be provided. (The document must be self-

attested).

Copies of current passports of the parents (The document must be self-attested).

10.

Copies of naturalization certificates and current foreign passports of

parents: If parents have acquired foreign nationality, copies of their

naturalization certificates and current foreign passports may be provided. (The

document must be self-attested).

11.

PROOF OF LEGAL STATUS OF PARENTS IN THE USA (IF HOLDING NON-USA

PASSPORT) (The document must be self-attested).

Please submit any one of the following documents:

• Copy of valid Green Card – Front and Back, OR

• Copy of valid EAD – Front and Back, OR

• Copy of valid long-term US visa, OR

• In case visa extension is pending, I-797A Approval Notice / I-797C

Receipt Notice along with recently expired visa may be submitted.

12.

Copies of OCI cards issued to parents, if ever obtained and available (The

document must be self-attested).

13.

Copy of Indian visa, if ever obtained and available (The document must be self-

attested).

14.

Proof of address (the document must be self-attested): Proof of address must

match with the present address as per application. Copy of any one of the

following documents may be provided as proof of address:

• State issued Identity Card, OR

• Driving license, OR

• Utility bill – water / gas / electricity / telephone (Latest one, not more

than 3 month old), OR

• Valid Lease Agreement, OR

• Mortgage, OR

• Income Tax Return, OR

• For college/university students living in university

housing/dormitories, a letter from the institution on official

letterhead giving details of the applicant’s present address, OR

• In case of applicant residing with parents / children / relatives, a

notarized undertaking from them with any copy of address proof as

indicated above.

Note:

• Expired documents like lease/driving license are not acceptable as

valid proof of address.

• PO Box number is not acceptable as valid proof of address.

• Copy of Driver’s License should not be cut down to smaller size.

15.

Proof of native address for non-US nationals living in the USA (the

document must be self-attested): Non-US nationals residing in the USA on a valid

long-term visa should submit address proof of their home country. In the

absence of address proof, a notarized statement must be provided giving

details of native address.

Applicants having dual nationality should submit proofs of native address of

both the countries.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If any supporting document is in a foreign language

other than English, it should be translated in English by authorized translator.

16.

Affidavit in lieu of originals: A notarized affidavit needs to be submitted that

the documents in support of the OCI application are true copies of the original

documents, where only copies are being provided (Click here for the format).

17.

Undertaking by the OCI applicant (Click here for the format).

18.

Consent Letter, authorizing Indian Embassy/Consulate to make necessary

corrections on observing errors in the OCI application (Click here for the

format).

Note: Consent letter is just for the sake of facilitating an OCI applicant to avoid

delay in processing the OCI application and it is not an assurance to edit the

OCI application completely. The responsibility lies primarily with the applicant

to fill in correct details in the OCI application. Also that some details as per

the OCI application are not editable subsequently. In some cases, the OCI

application with errors is liable to be rejected and may be returned to the

applicant for submitting fresh OCI application with correct details.

19.

Fee Receipt:

• Application confirmation letter/payment confirmation is mandatory.

Complete the process online on VFS India Consular Application

Centre’s website to get the application confirmation letter/payment

confirmation.

ADDITIONAL IMPORTANT INFORMATION

• Don’t forget to enclose the application confirmation receipt. If

paying by Money Order or Banker’s Check, it should be made in

favor of “VFS Services (USA) Inc.” PERSONAL CHECKS ARE

NOT ACCEPTABLE. Please ensure to update the correct details

of the instrument (Money Order / Banker’s Check).

• Don’t punch dummy information. Incorrect information may lead to

rejection of your application.

• To complete registration on VFS Portal (Click here to proceed).

Documents in support of the OCI application must be uploaded online. The

supporting documents (maximum size 1000kb) to be uploaded broadly fall under the

following categories:

(i)

Address proof

(ii)

Current passport

(iii)

Current Indian passport of parents / grandparents / great grandparents / spouse

(iv)

Marriage Certificate

(v)

Spouse passport

(vi)

Joint declaration of subsisting of marriage

(vii)

OCI Card

(viii)

Indian origin proof

(ix)

Indian visa

(x)

PIO card

(xi)

Spouse OCI card

(xii)

Relationship certificate

(xiii)

Previous Indian passport of self

(xiv)

Previous Indian passport of parents / grandparents / great grandparents /

spouse

(xv)

OCI card of parents / grandparents / great grandparents / spouse

(xvi)

Nativity certificate of self / parents / grandparents / great grandparents / spouse

(xvii)

Domicile certificate of self / parents / grandparents / great grand parents

(xviii)

Naturalization certificate of the applicant’s current citizenship

(xix)

Renunciation certificate of Indian citizenship

(xx)

Employment / work letter

(xxi)

Legal status of parents (in case of minor applicants)

(xxii)

Parental authorization (in case of minor applicants)

2. All the supporting documents, including those which may not be uploaded under

broad categories, must be submitted with the application form as per the checklist.

COMMON MISTAKES IN OCI APPLICATIONS RESULTING IN REJECTION

USEFUL TIPS FOR FILLING OCI APPLICATION ONLINE

3. Indian Embassy / Consulate reserves the right to ask for additional documents for

processing the OCI application. Embassy/Consulate is under no obligation to inform

reasons, if the OCI application is rejected and the decision of the Embassy/Consulate will

be final.

1. Poor quality of uploaded photo / signature. Please ensure to upload good quality

photo and signature as per prescribed specifications.

2. All supporting documents not uploaded online.

3. Incorrect passport number / date of issue of passport

4. Incorrect name / place of birth / date of birth

5. Full names of parents / spouse not mentioned or not matching with their current

legal names.

6. Marital status / spouse name not mentioned.

7. Incorrect contact numbers and email address.

8. Part-B of OCI application not signed / Part-B (Minor Child) not signed by any of

the parents

9. Previous name not mentioned (if there is change of name, kindly mention the

same in relevant column of the application and provide supporting documents).

10. Incomplete postal address (please provide complete address ZIP code in the

application).

11. Proof of native address not provided (proof of native address must be provided if

application is being submitted in a country of residence other than home country).

1. Please ensure that you have all the supporting documents in pdf and

photo/signature in JPEG format as per specifications before starting online

application.

2. Fill all the details in the application very carefully and exactly as per documents.

Please ensure that all the details like full names, date of birth, place of birth are

exactly as per current passport. Please note that the date of birth, if different

from the one mentioned in the last held Indian passport, is not acceptable.

3. Upload all the supporting documents under their correct category / equivalent

category (e.g. Birth Certificate can be uploaded under Relationship category). If

you are unable to find suitable category to upload the document, please upload all

the remaining documents (including any legal document) under current passport

category along with current passport. MOST IMPORTANT IS TO UPLOAD ALL

THE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS.

4. Kindly check all the details of the OCI application once printed. In case

photo/signature and documents are not uploaded properly, these can be

uploaded easily by selecting appropriate option (Re-upload image/upload/re-

upload documents) available on the website.

Please note that the file reference number required to re-upload

photo/signature/documents is written vertically on left side and also below the bar

code at the bottom of first page of application form submitted online.

5. In case any information is wrong, please fill the form again.