EMBASSY OF INDIA SURINAME

For the benefit of the applicants, the salient features and eligibility requirements of the PIO and OCI Card Schemes are recapitulated below :

1.   Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs),  who are citizens of other countries, (except Pakistan and Bangladesh, or who have ever held nationalities of these two countries),  but were citizens of India on or after 26th January, 1950 or were eligible to become citizens of India on 26th January, 1950, are eligible to register themselves as Overseas Citizens of India (OCI).  

2.   All persons of Indian Origin,  who hold passports of other countries (except Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, China,, Nepal and Bhutan - Iran with prior permission of MHA),  are eligible to apply for PIO Card, if:- (i)  he/she at any time held  an Indian Passport; or (ii) he/she or either of his/her parents or any of his/her grand parents or great grand parents were born in and permanently resident in India, as defined in the Government of India Act, 1935 and other territories that became part of India thereafter, provided neither was at any time a citizen of any of the specified countries; or (iii)  he/she is a spouse of a citizen of India or a person of Indian origin covered under (i) or (ii) above.

3.   The documents required to be submitted with the OCI/PIO card applications to prove their status of Indian origin are as follows:


4.   It may be noted that OCI Card cannot be granted on the basis of eligibility of spouse. The applicant himself/herself has to be eligible for OCI Card as per norms given above.

5.   As per clarification given by Ministry of Home Affairs Minor children of Indian citizens, who are holding foreign citizenship, are not eligible for OCI Card and no further consular service can be provided on OCI Cards issued to such minor children