Is OCI a lifetime Visa?

SL Posted by: Simran Luthra
• 09 June, 2025
9 Reply

Yes, an OCI card is a beneficial lifetime visa for India. It means it allows the OCI cardholder to enter and exit India without the need for a visa throughout their life. Also, they get to enjoy the same rights as an NRI (Non-Resident Indian) in most areas.

Tags : OCI lifetime visa, OCI card validity, OCI card expire

  • Swati Menon 13 June, 2025

    An OCI card may be a lifelong visa for India, but it is neither a visa nor a passport. You will still need a valid passport from your home country to be eligible to travel and enter India legally.

    • NP
      Nilesh Patel 08 July, 2025

      Yes, an OCI card can be so useful for various purposes, like long-life visa-free entries, to get permission to enter the national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and get the same equal rights as an NRI in the economic, financial, and educational sectors, and OCI cardholders also have the same fares as an Indian citizen in domestic flights.

  • Anil Mehta 12 June, 2025

    The answer is yes, an OCI card is valid for a lifetime once it is issued to an individual; hence, it is called a lifetime visa. However, it will not be considered valid if you get citizenship of either Pakistan or Bangladesh simultaneously.

  • Sneha Nair 11 June, 2025

    Although OCI is valid for life, it remains valid only as long as the passport related to it is valid. The old rules of keeping your old passport with your OCI card have been changed.

  • Kavita Joshi 11 June, 2025

    I am a 54-year-old woman with an OCI card. Do I need to renew my OCI card, which was issued to me 10 years ago? I haven't traveled to India for the past few years, so I am not aware of the latest guidelines.

    • KB
      Kabir Batra 20 June, 2025

      You can apply for an OCI card by going to the official website of the OCI services and filling out the online application form, entering all the details with supporting documents, booking an appointment at your nearest application center to submit your OCI application with all the supporting documents, and paying the fees for the application. Then, after a few days, you will get your OCI card in just a few days. 

  • Pooja Reddy 10 June, 2025

    Hi, my father is of Indian origin, and I heard somewhere that you can apply for a lifetime visa if you are from India. I am not aware of the name of the visa. Can someone help with this? Additionally, since I was born in Canada, can I apply for the same visa with my mother?

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