Does OCI Need to Be Updated With New Passport?

At present, you need to reissue your OCI card every time a new passport is issued up to 20 years of age and once after turning 50 years old. An individual who has acquired the card before attaining 20 years of age will have to reissue their OCI card only once when they gain a new passport after turning 20 to capture the facial features on attaining adulthood. In case a person has acquired the OCI card after turning 20, there is no requirement to renew the OCI  card.

I already have my OCI card, but recently, my passport has expired. Do I have to apply for a new passport and renew my OCI card if I am 55 years old?

It is not essential, as an OCI comes with lifelong validity, so it does not require renewal. Formerly, when a passport was renewed, it was necessary to carry the old passport with the stamp of an Indian visa along with the OCI card. Now, it is not needed anymore. However, as per the latest guidelines, an OCI card should be reissued once you turn 50 years old. This is mainly to ensure whether your photo is recognizable or not and is only done when cards are issued before you turn 50.

OCI cardholders are not citizens of India; they are of Indian origin. The card is just a glorified long-term visa to stay in India for foreign citizens who themselves or whose parents or grandparents are of Indian origin. Only citizens of India can live in India without having a valid passport, and it is the same for all countries. Overseas citizens of India without a valid passport of their country and a valid visa for travelling nations are considered illegal, as no OCI card or visa is valid without a passport.

Is it mandatory for an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) to have a valid passport from another country to live in India forever, as I recently lost my passport?