Is PIO to OCI Conversion Mandatory?

DB Posted by: Dhruv Bhandari
• 02 June, 2025
5 Reply

PIO was used to be considered a visa with a validity of 15 years for non-Indian citizens. However, this scheme has been withdrawn by the Indian government and merged with the Overseas Citizen of India scheme. The OCI card is known as a lifetime visa status for foreign citizens who are of Indian origin, and it is the closest thing India offers for dual citizenship. Currently, all PIO cardholders are treated as OCI cardholders. So, yes, it is mandatory to convert your PIO card to an OCI card.

Tags : PIO to OCI rules India, PIO card conversion requirement, Mandatory PIO to OCI update

  • Vikram Singh 17 June, 2025

    Yes, PIO to OCI conversion is mandatory to do as this scheme has been withdrawn by the Indian government and merged with the OCI. Till 31 December 2025, you can use this card to travel to India. After that, you need an OCI card if you want to travel visa-free in India.

  • Rajesh Gupta 14 June, 2025

    According to me, yes, it is mandatory to convert your PIO card to an OCI card, as the PIO scheme is merged with the OCI scheme. Additionally, the Indian government has also requested all the PIO cardholders to convert their PIO card to OCI cards. As per my knowledge, the last date of the conversion process is  31 December 2025.

  • Arnav Gera 11 June, 2025

    Yes, it is mandatory to convert your PIO card to an OCI card. It is because the Indian government has withdrawn the PIO scheme and merged it with the OCI scheme. So, if you want to enjoy the benefits and privileges while visiting India, it is mandatory to do the conversion process.

  • Ananya Khatri 11 June, 2025

    Yes, it is compulsory to convert your existing PIO card to an OCI card, as from 31 December 2025, these cards will no longer remain valid to use in India.

  • Suresh Bhatia 05 June, 2025

    The Indian government has merged the PIO card scheme with the OCI card scheme. In addition, asked all the PIO cardholders to convert their existing PIO card to OCI cards to enjoy the privileges and benefits India offers to its foreign individuals who belong to Indian origin. So, as per the Indian government guidelines, it is mandatory to do the conversion.

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