India · For your nationality or ancestry
India OCI card by descent
Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card for former Indian citizens and their descendants (Citizenship Act 1955 section 7A)
First checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
OCI card by descent is a for your nationality or ancestry route for India. You can work locally. Checked 2026-10-11 against the official source.
- Government fees
- $275
Cost, time and long term
Government fees$275
- $275OCI registration fee per applicant at Indian missions abroad or the equivalent in INR in India; USD 250 is refunded if registration is refused.
CitizenshipAfter 5 years
An OCI cardholder registered for five years and ordinarily resident in India for twelve months may apply for Indian citizenship under section 5(1)(g).
Where to applyAbroad or in-country
Online, then at the Indian mission abroad or the FRRO in India for your place of residence.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Not open to passports from Pakistan, Bangladesh
What you'll need
Who can apply4
- You are a citizen of another country and were an Indian citizen on or after 26 January 1950, or were eligible to be one on that date.
- People who belonged to a territory that became part of India after 15 August 1947 also qualify.
- Or you are the child, grandchild or great-grandchild of such a person.
- Nobody whose parent, grandparent or great-grandparent is or was a citizen of Pakistan or Bangladesh is eligible.
What you must show1
- The fee is USD 275 per applicant; USD 25 is kept as processing fee if the application is refused.
Documents1
- Evidence of your or your ancestor's Indian citizenship or eligibility, such as an Indian passport, domicile or nativity certificate, plus proof of relationship.
Steps1
- Apply online at ociservices.gov.in, then submit documents to the Indian mission or FRRO for your place of residence.
After you arrive3
- The card gives a multiple-entry lifelong visa for any purpose; research, missionary, mountaineering and journalism need special permission.
- OCI cardholders may buy property other than agricultural land, farmhouses or plantation property.
- After five years as an OCI cardholder and twelve months of ordinary residence in India, a holder may apply for Indian citizenship.
When you become tax resident
How India decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Tax residence
- More than 729 days in a preceding seven tax yearsPresence above 729 days (together with residence in two of the ten preceding years) makes an individual ordinarily resident; 729 days or less gives RNOR status
- At least 182 days in a tax year (1 April to 31 March)Resident in India
- At least 60 days in a tax year, together with 365 days or more in the preceding four tax yearsAlternative resident test
- At least 120 days in a tax year, together with 365 days or more in the preceding four tax yearsAlternative test for citizens or persons of Indian origin with Indian income above INR 15 lakh (≈ $15,600)
- Foreign-source income
RNOR relief
A resident individual who is 'not ordinarily resident' in India is taxed on income received or accruing in India, and on foreign-source income only when it comes from a business controlled in or a profession set up in India.
- Special regime
Foreign-source income largely outside tax · Tax relief
All tax rules for India Tax records checked
Full official text
The OCI card is a lifelong multiple-entry visa and residence status for foreign nationals who were Indian citizens or whose parent, grandparent or great-grandparent was one. It is not citizenship: holders cannot vote or hold public office and need permits for research, missionary, journalistic and mountaineering activities. The fee is USD 275 and anyone with Pakistani or Bangladeshi ancestry is excluded. 1
What you must show and pay
- A fee of $275 · OCI registration fee per applicant at Indian missions abroad or the equivalent in INR in India; USD 250 is refunded if registration is refused. 1
Requirements
- You are a citizen of another country and were an Indian citizen on or after 26 January 1950, or were eligible to be one on that date. 1
- People who belonged to a territory that became part of India after 15 August 1947 also qualify. 1
- Or you are the child, grandchild or great-grandchild of such a person. 1
- Nobody whose parent, grandparent or great-grandparent is or was a citizen of Pakistan or Bangladesh is eligible. 1
- The fee is USD 275 per applicant; USD 25 is kept as processing fee if the application is refused. 1
- Evidence of your or your ancestor's Indian citizenship or eligibility, such as an Indian passport, domicile or nativity certificate, plus proof of relationship. 1
- Apply online at ociservices.gov.in, then submit documents to the Indian mission or FRRO for your place of residence. 1
- The card gives a multiple-entry lifelong visa for any purpose; research, missionary, mountaineering and journalism need special permission. 1
- OCI cardholders may buy property other than agricultural land, farmhouses or plantation property. 1
- After five years as an OCI cardholder and twelve months of ordinary residence in India, a holder may apply for Indian citizenship. 1
Stay
- Lifelong multiple-entry visa and residence status; it is not citizenship.
Nationality
Open to foreign nationals of Indian origin to the great-grandchild generation; excluded if any ancestor to the great-grandparent was a Pakistani or Bangladeshi citizen. Not open to: Pakistan, Bangladesh.
Work
OCI cardholders may work in India without a separate work visa, subject to the sector permissions set out in the scheme.
Family
Spouses of foreign origin married for at least two years may apply after security clearance; minor children of Indian citizens or OCI holders are eligible.
Official sources
- Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Cardholder – Frequently Asked Questions · Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India (ociservices.gov.in) · checked 2026-10-11
OCI card by descent and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| OCI card by descent | – | – | Yes |
| Ex-citizen descendant visa (E32B) Indonesia | Needs an investment from $30k | 5 yr, renewable | – |
| Korean F-4 overseas Korean visa South Korea | – | 2 yr, renewable | Limited |
| Quota Immigrant (13) Philippines | – | – | – |
| K visa (Khmer origin) Cambodia | – | – | – |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the OCI card by descent?
A fee of $275. OCI registration fee per applicant at Indian missions abroad or the equivalent in INR in India; USD 250 is refunded if registration is refused.
How long can I stay on the OCI card by descent?
Lifelong multiple-entry visa and residence status; it is not citizenship.
Can I work on the OCI card by descent?
Yes. OCI cardholders may work in India without a separate work visa, subject to the sector permissions set out in the scheme.
Can I bring my family on the OCI card by descent?
Spouses of foreign origin married for at least two years may apply after security clearance; minor children of Indian citizens or OCI holders are eligible.
Who can apply for the OCI card by descent?
Open to foreign nationals of Indian origin to the great-grandchild generation; excluded if any ancestor to the great-grandparent was a Pakistani or Bangladeshi citizen. Not open to: Pakistan, Bangladesh.
Is there a tax break for OCI card by descent holders in India?
Not ordinarily resident (RNOR) status: foreign-source income largely outside tax: A resident individual who is 'not ordinarily resident' in India is taxed on income received or accruing in India, and on foreign-source income only when it comes from a business controlled in or a profession set up in India. It's separate from the visa and has its own conditions.
Tax
Special regime
Not ordinarily resident (RNOR) status: foreign-source income largely outside tax
Tax relief
Details
- On: Income received or accruing in India
- Limit: ₹1.5M/yr ≈ $16k
A resident individual who is 'not ordinarily resident' in India is taxed on income received or accruing in India, and on foreign-source income only when it comes from a business controlled in or a profession set up in India.
Taxed on
Income received or accruing in India, plus foreign-source income derived from a business controlled in India or a profession set up in India.
Who it applies to
- Resident in India for the tax year but non-resident in nine of the ten preceding years, or present in India 729 days or less in the seven preceding years.
- Indian citizens or persons of Indian origin who visit India for 120 to 181 days with Indian-source income above INR 15 lakh (≈ $15,600) are treated as not ordinarily resident.
- Indian citizens deemed resident because Indian income exceeds INR 15 lakh (≈ $15,600) and they are liable to tax nowhere else are treated as not ordinarily resident.
- From tax years beginning on or after 1 April 2026 the rule is section 6(13) and section 5 of the Income-tax Act 2025; the criteria match the 1961 Act.
Exclusions
- Ordinarily resident individuals (more than 729 days in the preceding seven years and resident in at least two of the preceding ten years) are taxed on worldwide income.
Limits
- INR 1,500,000 a year (≈ $15,600) · Indian-source income (other than foreign-source) above which a citizen not taxed elsewhere is deemed resident, as RNOR
Days in the country
- More than 729 days in preceding seven tax years · Presence above 729 days (together with residence in two of the ten preceding years) makes an individual ordinarily resident; 729 days or less gives RNOR status
Tax residence
RNOR status is annual and tests look back to years governed by the 1961 Act.
Visas
Visa type is irrelevant; status depends on days of presence and past residence.
Other taxes
Goods and services tax, surcharge and cess apply separately.
Checked against official sources on Change log
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≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-11 against 1 official source. Status: verified against the official sources.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Cardholder – Frequently Asked Questions · Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India (ociservices.gov.in) · checked 2026-10-11
Tracked since 2026-10-11. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.