PIO cards no longer accepted at India's borders, as of January 2026
Persons of Indian Origin cards are no longer accepted at India's border check posts. PIO holders who did not convert to OCI must now apply for an Indian visa to travel.
From 1 January 2026, the Government of India stopped accepting Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) cards at its border check posts, VisaVerge reports. PIO cardholders who did not convert to Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) before the deadline must now apply for a regular Indian visa to travel.
The change closes an extended grace period that has been quietly tightening since 2015, when the OCI and PIO schemes were formally merged. As of March 2026, no further extensions are being granted. Airlines may deny boarding to passengers travelling on PIO cards alone, VisaVerge's reporting notes.
For diaspora readers, the action is simple: if you still hold a PIO card, convert it to OCI immediately, or arrange an Indian visa before your next trip. There is no longer a middle path.
The change is part of a broader 2026 overhaul of OCI rules, including new fee structures, a removed 6-month-in-India waiting period for first-time applicants, and the launch of a fully digital e-OCI system. We cover each of those changes in companion pieces on this desk.
Source: VisaVerge.
