NEW DELHI: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has notified the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2026, introducing changes to streamline Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) services and strengthen regulatory oversight.
Under the revised rules, OCI applications will be submitted only through an online system, replacing the earlier hybrid process. Provisions have also been introduced for both physical OCI cards and electronic OCI (e-OCI) documentation to improve efficiency.
The rules clarify that minors cannot hold both Indian and foreign passports simultaneously, reinforcing existing citizenship norms.
OCI cards provide multiple-entry, lifelong visas to persons of Indian origin and their spouses, along with certain economic and educational benefits in India. However, the government reiterated that OCI status does not grant full citizenship or political rights such as voting, contesting elections or holding constitutional posts.
The Ministry of Home Affairs stated that OCI status remains a privilege and can be revoked if the holder violates Indian laws or regulations.
The OCI scheme was introduced in 2005 through an amendment to the Citizenship Act, 1955. It allows eligible Persons of Indian Origin to register as Overseas Citizens of India if they were citizens of India on or after January 26, 1950, or were eligible on that date.
Individuals with current or past citizenship links to Pakistan or Bangladesh remain ineligible.
The government has tightened OCI norms in recent years. A notification issued on August 11 last year said OCI registration can be cancelled if a person is sentenced to two years or more in prison or is charge-sheeted for offences punishable with a term of seven years or more.
The latest amendments aim to modernise processes while strengthening compliance, security and accountability.