India’s Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Amit Shah, officially launched a revamped Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) portal on May 19, 2025, in New Delhi. The updated portal features a modernized user interface designed to streamline the registration process for Overseas Citizens of India.

The launch event was attended by Union Home Secretary, the Director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB), and other senior officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Speaking at the event, Minister Shah emphasized that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is committed to delivering world-class immigration services to OCI cardholders.

He stated that the improved OCI portal aims to simplify registration for members of the Indian diaspora. “We must ensure they face no inconvenience when visiting or staying in India,” he added.

The redesigned portal, accessible at the existing URL https://ociservices.gov.in, offers enhanced functionality, strengthened security, and a more user-friendly experience for over 5 million existing OCI cardholders, as well as new applicants.

In a statement, the Ministry said, “The Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) scheme was introduced through an amendment to the Citizenship Act, 1955, in 2005. The scheme provides for the registration of Persons of Indian Origin as Overseas Citizens of India, provided they were citizens of India on or after 26th January 1950, or were eligible to become citizens on that date.” The statement added, “However, individuals who are or had been or whose parent or grandparent or great grandparent citizens of Pakistan or Bangladesh are not eligible.”

The previous version of the OCI services portal, launched in 2013, currently operates in more than 180 Indian missions worldwide and 12 Foreigners Regional Registration Offices (FRROs), processing approximately 2,000 applications daily.

“Given the significant technological advancements over the past decade and feedback received from OCI cardholders, a revamped OCI portal has been developed to address existing limitations and enhance user experience,” the Ministry noted.

The new OCI portal introduces several user-friendly features, including: User sign-up and segregation of registration menu; Auto-fill of user profile details in registration forms; Dashboard displaying completed and partially filled applications; Integrated online payment gateway for those who filed in FRROs; Seamless navigation across application steps; Categorization of requisite documents to upload based on application type; Editing option to the applicant at any stage before submission; Integrated FAQ in the portal; Reminder to the applicant to verify information before final submission; Display of eligibility criteria and requisite documents based on selected application type; and In-built image cropping tool for uploading applicant photos and signatures.

New Technical Features included are Infrastructure Modernization; Software and Platform Upgrades; Enhanced Security Protocols; Process Automation Integration; Data Management; User Experience (UX) Enhancements; and Cybersecurity Enhancements. 

Related posts:

Indian Panel Flags OCI Card Revocations, Pushes for NRI Voting Rights and Policy Reforms ICCR Opens Scholarship Applications for 2025-26 Academic Year in Indian Universities Consul General Binaya Pradhan cautions travel agents against overcharging fees and submitting fraudulent documents  Embassy of India Hosts Consular Camp at the Southern Asian Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Maryland