India launches fully digital e-OCI system under Citizenship Amendment Rules 2026
From 1 May 2026, OCI applications and renewals are paperless. The new fee structure: US$275 from abroad, ₹15,000 in India.
From 1 May 2026, India has formally launched a fully digital e-OCI system under the Citizenship Amendment Rules 2026, Indian Eagle reports. OCI application and renewal are now end-to-end paperless.
The revised fee structure is set at US$275 outside India and ₹15,000 within India, effective from 1 April 2026. Each time a cardholder renews their passport, the new details must be uploaded to the OCI Miscellaneous Services portal within three months; a US$25 late fee applies after that window.
The digital system replaces a process that — until recently — required mailing physical documents, sometimes between continents, with significant lag and risk of loss. For the diaspora, that single workflow improvement is overdue.
The change sits alongside two complementary updates already in force this year: the end of PIO card acceptance at India's borders, and the removal of the six-month-stay-in-India requirement for OCI applicants. Together, they redraw the legal contours of how the diaspora maintains its formal connection to India.
Cardholders should also note that the physical disembarkation card has been discontinued; arrivals must instead complete the Digital e-Arrival Card before boarding flights to India.
Sources: Indian Eagle · InvestMates · VisaVerge.
