Miscellaneous OCI Services

Updating OCI details after passport renewal

• All OCI cardholders must upload online a copy of their new passport and a recent photograph (not older than 30 days) each time a new passport is issued.
• The update must be completed within three months of receiving the new passport.
• It is done entirely online in OCI Miscellaneous Services on the OCI portal and is free of cost; no documents need to be submitted physically.
• If the update is done after 3 months, a fee of CLP 25.900 applies, with a duly filled Annexure-I PDF.

When re-issue of the OCI card is required

Special case: foreign spouses

• Foreign spouses of Indian citizens or OCI cardholders must upload online, every time a new passport is issued: a copy of the new passport, a recent photo, a declaration that the marriage is subsisting, and copies of the Indian spouse’s passport or OCI card.
• This is also done in OCI Miscellaneous Services on the OCI portal, free of cost.

Travel notes

• You can travel to India with your existing OCI card and your current valid passport (minimum 6 months validity).
• You no longer need to carry your old passport with your OCI card.

Lost or damaged OCI card

If your OCI card is lost or damaged, apply for a replacement through OCI Miscellaneous Services at ociservices.gov.in. The application is submitted in physical form to the Embassy, in person or by post.

1. Lost card: file a complaint with the local police immediately and keep a copy of the police report; it is mandatory. Damaged card: keep the damaged card to submit with your application.
2. Apply online: on the OCI portal, select “OCI Miscellaneous Services”, choose “Lost/Damaged OCI Card”, fill in the form and upload the documents.
3. Prepare the documents: printed and signed OCI application form; recent photographs (as per specifications); copy of current valid passport (information page); copy of the previous OCI card (if damaged) or police report (if lost); proof of address (e.g. utility bill); evidence of Indian origin (if requested); fee payment receipt.
4. Pay the fee of CLP 95.000 into the Embassy bank account (electronic transfer only).
5. Submit the package by post or in person. Keep your receipt and tracking details.
6. Track your application with the Application Reference Number (ARN) on the OCI portal.

For all bank transfers, enclose proof of payment showing the date, amount, Embassy account number, the ARN of your application and the applicant’s name.

How to pay

Only electronic transfers are accepted. Cheques, money orders, credit cards, debit cards and cash are not accepted.

A/C Number

102784

Bank name

Banco Santander

A/C Type

Cuenta Corriente

RUT

69.903.100-3

A/C Name

Embajada de la India

Destination email

cons1[dot]santiago[at]mea[dot]gov[dot]in

Please attach a copy or screenshot of the payment to your application. Fees once received will not be refunded under any circumstances, even if the application is withdrawn or the case does not qualify for the service.

Where to submit

The Embassy of India will not accept any responsibility if a courier is lost, misplaced, damaged or delayed.

FAQs on OCI

See also the OCI additional FAQs PDF and the FAQs on the OCI Application page.

I have recently acquired a new passport; do I need to re-issue my OCI card?

OCI card renewal is only required once, after acquiring a new passport after turning 20 years of age. Updating the passport number is a Miscellaneous Service and is free of charge (gratis).

My parents were born in undivided India before partition and briefly held Pakistani citizenship before moving to Chile or another country. Am I eligible for an OCI card?

No. If the applicant, or his/her parents or grandparents, have ever been a citizen of Pakistan or Bangladesh, he/she is not eligible for an OCI card.

I hold a valid PIO card. Do I have to convert it to an OCI card?

Yes. The date for online applications for registration as OCI cardholder in lieu of a PIO card was extended till 31 December 2025. All PIO card holders were required to convert their PIO cards to OCI cards before that date. See PIO to OCI Conversion.

Is a Surrender Certificate for the Indian passport compulsory before I apply for an OCI card?

Yes. You can apply for a Surrender Certificate at the Embassy. It takes 2–3 working days to issue (excluding mailing time).

Can I travel to India with just my OCI card, or should I also carry the passport with the ‘U’ visa?

There is no need to carry the passport with the U visa. By circular No. 26011/06/2015-OCI dated 29 January 2015 of the Ministry of Home Affairs, immigration authorities in India do not insist on the foreign passport with the ‘U’ visa sticker; immigration clearance is granted on the valid OCI card with a valid passport.

My spouse is a foreign national of non-Indian origin and I hold an OCI card. Is my spouse entitled to an OCI card? What about my children?

Yes. The spouse of foreign origin of a citizen of India, or of an OCI cardholder registered under section 7A, whose marriage has been registered and has subsisted for at least two continuous years immediately before the application, can apply. Minor children whose both parents, or one parent, are citizens of India are eligible.

Are foreign military personnel of Indian origin eligible for OCI cards?

No. Foreign military personnel, serving or retired, are not entitled to OCI.

What are the benefits for an OCI card holder?

A multiple-entry, multi-purpose lifelong visa for visiting India; exemption from registration with the local police for any length of stay in India; parity with Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) in economic, financial and educational fields as per the relevant Acts, except acquisition of agricultural or plantation properties; and the OCI card can be used as identity proof for a PAN card, driving licence and bank account if the holder lives in India.

What is an OCI card holder NOT entitled to?

An OCI card holder cannot vote; be a member of a Legislative Assembly, Legislative Council or Parliament; hold constitutional posts such as President, Vice President or judge of the Supreme Court or a High Court; normally hold government employment; or undertake missionary work, mountaineering or journalism without prior permission of the Government of India. A Protected Area Permit or Restricted Area Permit is needed to visit protected or restricted areas, as for any other foreigner.

Can an OCI card holder renounce OCI status?

Yes, by declaring the intention to renounce in Form XXII to the Indian Mission where OCI registration was granted. The Mission then issues an acknowledgement in Form XXII A.

Is there a minimum validity for my foreign passport?

You will be allowed entry into India with a valid OCI card and a valid foreign passport. You do not need to carry the old passport with the “U” (OCI) visa, if it is different from your current passport.

Who can use the OCI Miscellaneous Services?

Only a registered Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card holder.

When can the OCI Miscellaneous Services be used?

For re-issue or a duplicate OCI registration certificate and visa: (i) when a new passport is issued (according to age); (ii) change of personal particulars such as nationality; (iii) loss or damage of the OCI registration certificate or visa; (iv) wrong personal particulars filled in the online application, such as name, father’s name or date of birth; (v) mistakes made by the Indian Mission while entering particulars in manually filled applications (now discontinued); (vi) change of address or occupation.

What should I do if my OCI card is lost?

File a complaint with the police. Apply online for re-issue of OCI under the lost category and submit the physical application with the required documents, including the police report.