Applying for an OCI card: getting your Indian documents ready

Most OCI delays come from Indian documents: an old birth certificate with a spelling mistake, a missing record, or a document in Marathi or Hindi without a translation. Sort those out first. Then fill in the form, prepare the photo and signature to size, and submit in the country where you live.

What to do

1. Gather proof of Indian origin: your old Indian passport, or a parent's or grandparent's Indian passport or birth certificate.
2. Fix any gaps: get a birth certificate, a correction, or a non-availability certificate (NABC) if no record exists.
3. Get documents translated into English, and apostilled if the receiving office asks.
4. Fill in the online form and prepare the photo and signature to the portal's sizes.
5. Submit at the Indian mission or its centre where you live.

Common questions

Do you submit the OCI application? No. We prepare everything, and you submit where you live.

What if my parent's birth was never registered? A non-availability certificate (NABC) with supporting affidavits is often used instead. We check what your mission accepts.

Ask SafeNRI about this