274. Apply for OCI

Q: Dear Sir I was an Indian citizen ( holding Indian Passport) until l968 when I became a British citizen. As India did not allow dual citizenship at that time, I had to surrender my Indian Passport. I thought India nowadays allows dual citizenship but reading some of your information it seems that is not true. As I do not wish to surrender my British citizenship/passport, would it be appropriate for me to apply for Overseas Citizen of India (OCI). Will that give me a permanent visa to travel to India whenever want and stay as long as I want . I would be grateful if could tell me where I could get the necessary form and any other relevant details. Thank you Yours faithfully Sunit Roy A. The Indian constitution does not allow dual citizenship, hence the Indian Government came up with OCI in January 2005 as some sort of a compromise so as to appease persons of Indian origin holding foreign passports. Some of the benefits of OCI are: (a) Multi-purpose, multiple entry, lifelong visa for visiting India. (b) Exemption from registration with local police authority for any length of stay in India. (c) Parity with NRIs in respect of economic, financial and education fields except in matters relating to the acquisition of agricultural/plantation properties. Once you get OCI you will have a visa for life to visit India and stay as long as you want. The fee for OCI in UK is £167, for information and application go to the Indian consulate website or click HERE. Update Jan 15, 2012: The fee for OCI in UK is now £172.