Consulate General of India in China Houston Announcing the launch of e-OCI facility by the Government of India which allows OCI cardholder Generate and store a digital version of it OCI card on their mobile devices. Their existing physical OCI cards will still be valid.
“You no longer need to carry a physical OCI booklet with you. Simply download the digital electronic OCI card to your phone and present the card along with your passport at immigration checkpoints and participating airlines.” Announcement read.
The notification added that only digital OCI cards (e-OCI) will be issued to all new OCI applicants from Wednesday, July 8. The application process will remain unchanged.
“This is a welcome digital initiative that will make it easier for OCI cardholders to have their documents readily available while traveling,” the notice reads.
What is OCI?
OCI, the abbreviation of Overseas Citizenship of India, is a special immigration status and ID card issued by the Indian government to foreign citizens of Indian origin. It allows these people. It is a special immigration status and identity card issued by the Indian government to foreign citizens of Indian origin. It allows individuals to live, work and travel in India indefinitely without the need for a visa.
OCI cardholders enjoy several benefits, such as no need to register at the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) regardless of the length of stay. They also have similar rights as Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) in banking, running businesses and education. However, they cannot purchase agricultural or plantation land.
Cardholders can even enjoy parity with Indian nationals in terms of domestic air tickets and entry fees to national parks and monuments. However, despite the word “citizenship”, the OCI card does not confer actual Indian citizenship.
