Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday launched a revamped Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) portal, aimed at enhancing the user experience and simplifying the registration process for Indian-origin individuals residing abroad.
Speaking at the launch, Shah emphasised the significance of the Indian diaspora and the government’s commitment to ensuring that Overseas Citizens of India face no inconvenience while visiting or staying in the country.
“Many Indian-origin citizens reside in various countries across the world. It is our responsibility to make sure they have a seamless experience when interacting with Indian services,” Shah said, according to a statement from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
The updated portal, accessible at the existing URL https://ociservices.gov.in, features a modern user interface, advanced security, and several new functionalities to support the over five million existing OCI cardholders and new applicants.
Key Features of the New OCI Portal:
- Simplified registration process with user sign-up
- Segregated registration menu for clarity
- Auto-fill functionality for user profile details
- Dashboard showing completed and partially filled applications
- Integrated online payment gateway for applications processed via FRROs
- In-built image cropping tool for uploading photos and signatures
The OCI scheme was introduced in 2005 through an amendment to the Citizenship Act, 1955, enabling Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) who were Indian citizens on or after January 26, 1950, or were eligible to become citizens on that date, to register as OCIs.
However, individuals who are or have been citizens of Pakistan or Bangladesh, or whose parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents were citizens of those countries, are ineligible for OCI status.
The previous version of the OCI services portal, launched in 2013, is currently operational across 180 Indian missions abroad and 12 Foreigners Regional Registration Offices (FRROs) in India. It processes around 2,000 applications daily.
The newly launched version was developed in response to significant technological advancements over the past decade and feedback received from users, aiming to remove legacy limitations and improve accessibility.
Present at the launch ceremony were Union Home Secretary, Director of the Intelligence Bureau, and other senior officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs.
