DualCitizenship

Conferment of rights on overseas citizen of India

Apart from the benefits and privileges available to an Overseas Citizens of India as enumerated above, such a citizen would also be entitled to other rights which the Central Government would specify and which would be notified in the official Gazette from time to time. However, there are certain sector such as public employment, voting rights etc where the rights would not be available to overseas citizens.

An overseas citizen of India shall not be entitled to the rights conferred on a citizen of India -

1. under article 16 of the Constitution with regard to equality of opportunity in matters of public employment;
2. under article 58 of the Constitution for election as President;
3. under article 66 of the Constitution for election of Vice-President;
4. under article 124 of the Constitution for appointment as a Judge of the Supreme Court;
5. under article 217 of the Constitution for appointment as a Judge of the High Court;
6. under section 16 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 in regard to registration as a voter;
7. under sections 3 and 4 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 with regard to the eligibility for being a member of the House of the People or of the Council of States, as the case may be;
8. under sections 5, 5A and 6 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 with regard to the eligibility for being a member of the Legislative Assembly or a Legislative Council, as the case may be, of a State;
9. for appointment to public services and posts in connection with the affairs of the Union or of any State except for appointment in such services and posts as the Central Government may by special order in that behalf specify.

Procedure

The application of registration as an Overseas Citizen of India ( OCI) has to be made in the prescribed form. This form when completed should be submitted in triplicate;

In India: to the Collector within whose jurisdiction the applicant is ordinary resident for transmission to the Central Government through the State Government or Union Territory Administration, as the case may be.

Elsewhere: to the Indian Consulate/Embassy whose jurisdiction the country of which an applicant is a citizen for this for transmission to the Central Government.

To commence registration process please complete the No Obligation Online Form

Fees/Government levy

The application fee for registration under the OCI Scheme is US$ 275 or its equivalent local currency. An additional amount of US $15 or its equivalent local currency towards return mailing charges and a self addressed envelope should also be sent with the application. For a family $15 as a mailing charges should be added along with the OCI fees. For PIO card holders, the fee for OCI is US$ 25, this amount along with US$ 15/- for return mailing charges.