Following is the chart showing comparison of Non Resident India, Person of Indian Origin and Overseas Citizen of India.
NRI
An Indian citizen who is ordinarily residing outside India and holds an Indian Passport
PIO
A person who or whose any of ancestors was an Indian national and who is presently holding another country's citizenship/ nationality i.e. he/she is holding foreign passport
OCI Card Holder
A person registered as Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Cardholder under section 7A of the Citizenship Act, 1955
Who is Eligible for OCI Card
Following categories of foreign nationals are eligible for registration as
Overseas Citizen of India (OCI)
Cardholder:-
(1) Who was a citizen of India at the time of, or at any time after the
commencement of the Constitution i.e. 26.01.1950; or
(2) who was eligible to become a citizen of India on 26.01.1950; or
(3) who belonged to a territory that became part of India after 15.08.1947; or
(4) who is a child or a grandchild or a great grandchild of such a citizen; or
(5) who is a minor child of such persons mentioned above; or
(6) who is a minor child and whose both parents are citizens of India or one of
the parents is a citizen of India; or
(7) spouse of foreign origin of a citizen of India or spouse of foreign origin
of an Overseas Citizen of India Cardholder registered under section 7A of the
Citizenship Act, 1955 and whose marriage has been registered and subsisted for a
continuous period of not less than two years immediately preceding the
presentation of the application.
Note : No person, who or either of whose parents or grandparents or great
grandparents is or had been a citizen of Pakistan, Bangladesh or such other
country as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette,
specify, shall be eligible for registration as an Overseas Citizen of India
Cardholder.
How to Register for OCI
Eligible persons to apply online. For this purpose, please log on to https://passport.gov.in/oc
| Description | NRI | PIO | OCI |
| Benefits | All benefits as available to Indian citizens subject to notifications issued by the Government from time to time | No Specific Benefits | (i) Multiple entry lifelong visa for visiting India for any purpose
(However OCI Cardholders will require a special permission to undertake
research work in India for which they may submit the application to the
Indian Mission/ Post/ FRRO concerned). (ii) Exemption from registration with Foreigners Regional Registration Officer (FRRO) or Foreigners Registration Officer (FRO) for any length of stay in India. (iii) Parity with Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) in respect of all facilities available to them in economic, financial, and educational fields except in matters relating to the acquisition of agricultural or plantation properties. (iv) Registered Overseas Citizen of India Cardholder shall be treated at par with NonResident-Indians in the matter of inter-country adoption of Indian children. (v) Registered Overseas Citizen of India Cardholder shall be treated at par with resident Indian nationals in the matter of tariffs in air fares in domestic sectors in India. (vi) Registered Overseas Citizen of India Cardholder shall be charged the same entry fee as domestic Indian visitors to visit national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in India. (vii) Parity with Non-Resident Indians(NRI) in respect of:- (A) entry fees to be charged for visiting the national monuments, historical sites and museums in India; (B) pursuing the following professions in India, in pursuance of the provisions contained in the relevant Acts, namely:- (a) doctors, dentists, nurses and pharmacists; (b) advocates (c) architects (d) chartered accountants (C) to appear for the All India Pre-Medical Test or such other tests to make them eligible for admission in pursuance of the provisions contained in the relevant Acts. (viii)State Governments should ensure that the OCI Cardholder registration booklets of OCI Cardholders are treated as their identification for any services rendered to them. In case proof of residence is required, Overseas Citizens of India Cardholder may give an affidavit attested by a notary public stating that a particular/specific address may be treated as their place of residence in India and may also in their affidavit give their overseas residential address as well as e-mail address, if any. Any other benefits to an OCI Cardholder will be notified by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) under section 7B(1) of the Citizenship Act, 1955. |
| Does the person require Visa for visiting India | No | Yes | Can visit India without visa for life long |
| Whether the person required to register with the local police authorities in India | No | Yes if the period of stay is more than 180 days | No |
| What are the activities can be undertaken in India | All activities which Indian Citizen can do | Activities as per the type of Visa obtained | All activities except research work for which special permission is required from the Indian Mission/Post/FRRO concerned. |
| How to get Indian Citizenship | The person is Indian Citizen | As per section 5(1)(a) & 5(1)(c) of the Citizenship Act, 1955, he/she has to be ordinarily resident in India for a period of 7 years before making an application for registration. | As per section 5(1)(g) of the Citizenship Act,1955, a person registered as an OCI cardholder for 5 years and who is ordinarily resident in India for twelve months before making an application for registration is eligible for grant of Indian citizenship. |
Where to Apply for OCI Card
Till such time the online payment facility is introduced, the following
instructions shall be followed:-
(i) The print out of the online application form, completed in all respects,
along with enclosures, demand draft and photograph in duplicate should be
submitted to the Indian Mission/Post having jurisdiction over the country of
which the applicant is a citizen or if he/she is not living in the country of
his/her citizenship, to the Indian Mission/Post having jurisdiction over the
country of which the applicant is ordinarily a resident.
(ii) If the applicant is residing in India, the print out of the online
application form, completed in all respects, along with enclosures, demand draft
and photographs in duplicate should be submitted to the Foreigners
Regional Registration Offices (FRROs) according to their jurisdictional control.
To know the jurisdiction of FRROs, please see "Addresses of offices to submit
OCI applications" in the website of the Ministry of Home Affairs -
www.mha.nic.in.
How Much is OCI Application Fee
(a) in case of application submitted in Indian Mission/ Post abroad - US $
275 or equivalent in local currency.
(b) in case of application submitted in India - Rs.15,000/-
(Note: Please check the latest fee from the concerned website)
Which Nationals are ineligible for OCI Card
No person, who or either of whose parents or grandparents or great grandparents is or had been a citizen of Pakistan, Bangladesh or such other country as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify, shall be eligible for registration as an Overseas Citizen of India Cardholder.
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