Consulate General of India
Cape Town
…
Subject: Revised guidelines for re-issuance of Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards.
Government of India has revised instructions/guidelines on “Re-issuance of OCI cards due to Issuance of new foreign passports to OCI cardholders.
i. Mandatory requirement of re-issuance of an OCI card each time a new passport is issued to a foreigner upto 20 years of age and once after completing 50 years of age is dispensed with.
ii. OCI cardholder is required to get the OCI card re-issued only once when a new passport is issued after completing 20 years of age so as to capture his/her facial features.
iii. OCI cardholder is required to upload ONLINE a copy of the new passport and a latest photo each time a new passport is issued upto 20 years of age and once after completing 50 years of age. The uploading of these documents on the OCI portal may be done within three months of receipt of the new passport. The service will be provided on Gratis [no cost/free] basis.
iv. Foreign Spouse of an Indian Citizen or spouse of foreign origin of an OCI cardholder are required to upload a copy of the new passport and also a latest photo ONLINE each time a new passport is issued along with a declaration on subsisting of marriage, copy of the Indian passport of the Indian spouse/passport & OCI card of the OCI cardholder spouse.
2. Necessary changes to upload documents in the OCI portal to facilitate above services to OCI cardholders will be done soon.
3. In the meanwhile, the timeline for re-issuance of OCI card in respect of OCI cardholders has been extended till 31 December, 2021. The OCI card holders travelling on the strength of their existing OCI card bearing old passport number are not required to carry their old passport.
April 20, 2021
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