India's Citizenship (Amendment) Rules 2026 turn the OCI card fully digital
Notified on 1 May 2026, the new rules replace the familiar blue OCI booklet with a digital e-OCI record and move every OCI application online. Minors may no longer hold an Indian and a foreign passport at the same time.
India's Ministry of Home Affairs notified the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2026 on 1 May 2026, overhauling how Overseas Citizens of India are registered and recognised, immigration firm Envoy Global reported.
The headline change: the physical blue OCI booklet gives way to a digital e-OCI record. A physical card stays available on request, but it is no longer mandatory for travel or immigration clearance.
Every OCI application — registration, re-issuance, renunciation and cancellation — must now be filed electronically through the official portal, with supporting documents uploaded digitally.
Two provisions matter most for families. Biometric consent is now mandatory for those using India's Fast Track Immigration Programme. And a minor child may no longer hold the passport of another country while also holding an Indian passport — a point worth checking for dual-national children well before any India trip.
Sources: Envoy Global · Akashvani / News on Air · VisaHQ.
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