OCI, citizenship and your family's documents
Families moving back often hold a mix of Indian and foreign passports, OCI cards and residence permits. Here's what each means, what to sort out for children born abroad, and the papers to carry.
The short version
Your Indian passport
- You can live and work in India with no other papers
- Renew your passport in India like any resident
- Update your address when you next renew it
OCI card
- India doesn't allow dual citizenship
- An OCI card lets you live and work in India for life
- You can't vote, hold some government jobs, or buy farmland
Born abroad
- Born to Indian parents in a country without birth citizenship (such as the Gulf): register the birth with the Indian mission and get an Indian passport
- Born with a foreign citizenship (such as the US or Canada): apply for an OCI card
- Sort this out before you move
Indian citizen vs OCI cardholder in India
| Indian citizen | OCI cardholder | |
|---|---|---|
| Live and work in India | Yes | Yes |
| Vote, or hold public office | Yes | No |
| Buy a home or commercial property | Yes | Yes |
| Buy farmland or plantations | Yes | No |
| Aadhaar | Can apply on arrival with an Indian passport | After 182 days in India in the past 12 months |
| School admission | As residents | As residents |
| College admission | As residents | Treated like NRIs: usually only NRI or extra seats, often at higher fees |
Keeping an OCI card up to date
- New passport before 20, or after 50: upload the new passport and a photo on the OCI services website within three months. It's free.
- New passport after 20: the OCI card needs to be re-issued once.
- If you gave up Indian citizenship, get a surrender certificate for your Indian passport. You'll need it for an OCI card.
Rules change from time to time: check the current instructions at ociservices.gov.in or your nearest Indian mission.
Your residence abroad after you move
| Country | What to know |
|---|---|
| United States (green card) | Long absences can count as giving it up. A re-entry permit covers up to two years abroad; otherwise you may want to give it up formally (form I-407), which also matters for US tax. |
| Canada (permanent residence) | You must spend 730 days in Canada in any five years to keep PR. |
| United Kingdom (indefinite leave to remain) | Usually lapses after two years in a row outside the UK. |
| Australia (permanent residence) | You need a valid travel facility or a Resident Return Visa to come back as a permanent resident. |
| UAE, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf | Your residence visa is usually tied to your job and cancelled when you leave. In the UAE, most residence visas lapse after six months outside the country. |
| Singapore (PR) | You need a Re-Entry Permit to keep PR while living abroad. |
A summary only: rules change and have exceptions. Check with the immigration authority before you decide.
Documents to carry
- Identity: passports, OCI cards, surrender certificates, and old passports with entry and exit stamps.
- Family: birth and marriage certificates, with an apostille or embassy attestation from the country that issued them.
- Education: degree certificates and transcripts, and children's school records and leaving letters.
- Work and money: employment letters, final payslips, tax returns from abroad, and bank and investment statements.
- Health: medical records, prescriptions and vaccination records for everyone in the family.
- Driving: your foreign licence and an International Driving Permit. You'll need an Indian licence to keep driving after the permit expires.
Questions
Can I hold Indian and foreign citizenship at the same time?
No. India doesn't allow dual citizenship. If you take another citizenship, you lose Indian citizenship and must surrender your Indian passport. An OCI card is the closest option.
My child was born in the Gulf. What do they need?
Gulf countries don't give citizenship by birth, so a child of Indian parents is an Indian citizen. Register the birth with the Indian embassy or consulate and get an Indian passport.
My child has a US, Canadian or British passport. Can they study in India?
Yes, with an OCI card. OCI children can attend school in India like any other child. For college, OCI cardholders are treated like NRIs: they can take entrance exams such as JEE and NEET, but usually compete only for NRI or extra seats, which often cost more.
Can an OCI cardholder work in India?
Yes, in most jobs, without a work visa. Some activities, such as research, journalism, mountaineering and visits to protected areas, need special permission.
Do I need Aadhaar after moving back?
It's needed for many everyday things, such as phone connections and some bank and government services. NRIs with an Indian passport can apply on arrival; OCI cardholders after 182 days in India in the past year.