Consulate General of India - Edinburgh

       REGISTRATION AS OVERSEAS CITIZEN OF INDIA

  The applicants are responsible for the correctness of documents submitted.

• THERE IS NO EMERGENCY SERVICE FOR OCI. If you are travelling in the near future/have an emergency, please apply for visa.
• Incomplete applications will not be accepted. 
• Applicant will be responsible for any correction/omission.
• All applicants should sign/affix thumb impression properly and fill the entire form, all columns, proper name, parents' names, current nationality, etc. as per documents, if not, application will be rejected.
• OCI Miscellaneous applicants have to show their old passport and Old OCI card at the time of submission of application at the counter.
• OCI Miscellaneous applicant who is applying from previous passport to new passport, will be required to get his/her previous OCI Card/Visa sticker cancelled on issuance of new OCI Card/Visa sticker.
• OCI Miscellaneous applicants should fill their new passport number, not the old Passport number in the application form. OCI card will be printed & OCI Visa sticker pasted on the passport whose details are given/filled in the application form.
• OCI Miscellaneous applicants must enclose copies of old OCI Card, OCI visa sticker, old passport and new passport.
• Non-UK passport holder should give residential address in respective country and such cases require more processing time.
• OCI cannot be applied on the basis of spouse's Indian origin.
• Please do not send the UK Passport with the application.

            Eligibility for minor applicants

• One of the parents should be eligible for OCI.
• Minor PIO children whose both parents are Indian nationals or if one parent is an Indian national and the other is ineligible for OCI, are not eligible for registration as OCI. Such minor OCIs who are already issued with OCI cards are not eligible for services under OCI Miscellaneous services.
• For applying OCI/OCI Misc Services for minors, self attested copies of Indian passports/OCI cards of both the parents and address proof are required. The declaration on the application and the accompanying documents are also required to be signed by both the parents. If the child had never held an Indian passport, a joint affidavit, duly notarised (with stamp/seal and signature), to this effect must be submitted by both the parents.

We expect the OCI cards to be ready for collection at Consulate General of India, Edinburgh in approximately 12 weeks and we request that no enquiry may please be made before 12 weeks from date of submission of application. Applicants having urgent travel schedule should take visa, otherwise travel only after receiving OCI documents.

WARNING: It is an offence to knowingly furnish false information or to suppress material information when applying for OCI. All the applications will be subject to pre/post enquiry depending on whether any adverse information is voluntarily reported in the application or not. If the Government comes to know that any false information was furnished or material information was suppressed, the registration as OCI already granted shall be CANCELLED as per Citizenship Act, 1955. The person will be blacklisted thereby banning his/her entry into India.

SUBMISSION OF OCI APPLICATIONS:

FOR SECURITY REASONS OCI APPLICATIONS ARE ACCEPTED AT THE COUNTER FROM THE APPLICANTS ONLY  AND NOT THROUGH THIRD PARTY. APPLICATIONS CAN ALSO BE SENT BY POST. ALL OCI APPLICATIONS MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY A PREPAID SELF ADDRESSED SPECIAL DELIVERY ENVELOPE (PAID UPTO 500 GRAMS & TO FIT A4 SIZE).

      ·   OCI Applications need to register online at http://passport.gov.in/oci/OnlineOCIRegistrationG.jsp  An online number will be issued. 

       ·    Download and make a set of application.  Please follow instructions as given in the MHA website. Any queries may  be sent to cgioci@btconnect.com

·       One set of application form complete in all respects including 4 identical photos and signature along with relevant documents/enclosures, and copy of address proof.

·        All documents should be self-attested by the applicant. For minors the parent must self-attest the photocopies. When signing on the photocopies of the documents please mention as "Self Attested" and sign with name & date. [All original documents may be kept ready for verification].

·        Full signature should be provided in the box in case of major and thumb impression (left hand thumb for male & right hand thumb for female) or signature in case of minor.

·        One photograph (51x51mm with 80% coverage of face) should be pasted on the application form. Photograph should be of light colour background (not white) with front pose, both shoulders and both ears visible.

·    For OCI online status enquiry, enter your passport number and online registration number on the following link:

     https://passport.gov.in/oci/OnlineOCIenquiry.jsp

·    In case of collection on behalf of applicant other than head of family, authority letter from the holder of OCI applicant, along with identity proof may please be submitted.

LIST OF DOCUMENTS/ENCLOSURES:

• Photocopy of the first page, photo page, last page and other pages having any observations of valid/cancelled Indian passport/PIO Card along with copy of Surrender Certificate OR
• ‘Nativity Certificate’ issued by a District Collector/District Magistrate in India (with name, stamp, seal and contact telephone/fax numbers with area code and e-mail address for verification) OR birth certificate from Indian Municipality/Panchayat (along with other supporting documents) by which eligibility may be reasonably ascertained. A copy of authorised English translation of the certificate, if it is not in English/Hindi should accompany such documents.
• If the applicant is making application on the basis of documents/Indian origin of his/her parents or grandparents, he/she should submit documentary evidence of relationship as parents/grandparents viz. copies of full version birth certificate of self and marriage certificate of parents along with photocopy of the first page, photo page, last page and other pages having any observations of valid/cancelled Indian passport of parents/grand Parents.
• Photocopies of the first page, photo page, all observation pages of valid British/Foreign Passport and ID card.
• Photocopy of Naturalization/Registration Certificate.
• Persons of Indian origin who acquired foreign nationality and claim he/she held Indian passport; but no proof is available or never held an Indian passport are, in addition to the above mentioned documents, must submit a sworn affidavit duly notarised (with stamp/seal and signature)  to the effect that he/she had not retained the Indian passport for more than three years or not travelled beyond grace period of three months, after acquisition of foreign nationality; or never held an Indian passport, as the case may be.

OTHER SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS REQUIRED TO CONNECT RELATIONSHIP/ CLARIFICATION (WHERE APPLICABLE):

·        Marriage certificate, where required.

• Change of name / appearance affidavit, if required, by Notary Public with stamp/seal and signature.
• Birth certificate from Indian Municipality/Panchayat duly certified by the Indian First Class Magistrate of the area with name, stamp, seal and contact telephone/fax numbers with area code and e-mail address for verification. For applicants born in UK full version birth certificate from Registrar of Births/Local Borough. In all other cases, birth certificate must be in full version and duly translated in Hindi/English  by Reputed and Registered translation authority.
• Birth certificate issued by one of the African countries wherein the nationality of parent is mentioned as Indian can be accepted provided it is authenticated by the Indian Mission/Post of that African country on production of sufficient proof in this regard.
• Foreign passports issued from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda etc., in respect of parents, wherein the place of birth of holder is mentioned as India are not acceptable as a proof of Indian Origin, unless it is authenticated by the Indian Mission/Post of that country.
• 'Empire of India' passport issued by the British authorities in India prior to Indian Independence, stating the National Status of the holder as British subject by birth, is NOT acceptable as a proof of Indian Origin.
• 'Empire of India' passport issued by the British authorities in India prior to Indian Independence, stating the national status of the holder as person of British Protectorate, originally a citizen of a place in India , is acceptable as a proof of Indian Origin.
• Letter issued by Indian Missions in Nairobi, Darussalam, etc. in respect of applicant’s  parents/grand parents etc. stating that the applicant was once a citizen of India can be accepted as proof of Indian Origin.
• Domicile Certificate for the applicant or his/her parents/grand parents issued by the Competent Authority concerned in India i.e. District Magistrate/District Collector/Sub-Divisional Magistrate of the District/Sub-Divisions only (with name, stamp, seal and contact telephone/fax numbers with area code and e-mail address for verification), may also be accepted as a proof of Indian Origin.

If the supporting documents are not satisfactory applicant will be asked to provide more documentary evidence.

For FAQ's on OCI click here  http://mha.nic.in/pdfs/oci-faq.pdf

OCI Miscellaneous Services for registered OCIs 

For fees & photo requirement click here  http://www.cgiedinburgh.org/PassportAndConsularServices.shtml