OCI card and PIO card – validity, renewal, and extension of deadlines
These OCI cards and PIO cards are schemes of the Government of India offered to foreigners of Indian origin/relation to facilitate hassle-free movement while arriving in/departing from India and also provide additional facilities when compared to other foreigners.
OCI card renewal date extended till 30th June 2021
The mandatory provision that an OCI cardholder should get her/his OCI card renewed every time her/his passport is renewed/issued until the age of 20 years and once after the age of 50 years, is now relaxed until 30th June 2021. However, until the deadline, such OCI cardholders are required to travel with both the old and new Passports to enter India. The old passport should be that of which’ number is mentioned in the OCI card. Failure of this may result in refusal of entry into India and may be sent back.
This relaxation is given by the government of India in the wake of the Pandemic to facilitate OCI cardholders to travel to India without inconvenience. It is however advised that all cardholders who require getting the renewal get this done as soon as possible.
The earlier such deadline for renewal was 31st December 2020. But, due to the Covid-19 situation still lingering the new deadline has been issued.
PIO cards conversion deadline extended till 31st December 2021
PIO cards are done away with, in the year 2015 and the scheme of PIO is merged with OCI. Thereby all the PIO card holders are instructed by the government of India to get their cards converted into OCI cards. However, to minimize the inconvenience until all such PIO cards are converted, the deadlines of such conversion was being periodically extended from time to time. The last such deadline before this was 30th September 2020.
In the wake of the Pandemic, the new deadline for such conversion is extended to 31st December 2021. The immigration authorities of India will accept these handwritten travel documents (PIO cards) until this date. However, the PIO cardholders are required to travel with a valid foreign Passport. This extension of the deadline is further subjected to the ICAO guidelines. ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) is an international organization under the United Nations and regulates aviation sector travel practices. In the meantime until 31st December 2021, if ICAO releases any deadline making the handwritten documents such as PIO cards invalid, then the Indian government may do away with the existing PIO cards immediately without or with short notice. If such a thing occurs, then PIO cardholders may have to obtain a valid VISA from the Indian mission/post concerned for traveling to India.
Therefore, if you are a PIO cardholder it is suggested you get your card converted to an OCI card as soon as possible to avoid any inconvenience.
FAQs
What is an OCI card and who are issued OCI cards?
Overseas citizenship of India registration certificate, also called ‘OCI Card’ is issued to certain categories of foreigners of Indian origin. It is also issued in some cases to foreign spouses of Indian citizens/OCI cardholders. OCI card facilitates quick clearance at Immigration check-posts and for obtaining quick consular services from Indians missions/posts abroad Click here to read about the full scheme
what is the validity of an OCI card?
This card serves as a life-long VISA to travel to India and the OCI cardholders are also given some other economic and stay relaxations. Read more here
OCI Card renewal
Although the validity of an OCI registration is for one’s lifetime, the physical document itself needs to be renewed in some cases. This is required to minimize the confusion arising out of the biological/facial changes of the person. These cases are:
Every time the OCI cardholder gets her/his passport renewed until the age of 20 years.
Once after the age of 50 years
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