India Overhauls Citizenship Rules: OCI Registration Goes Fully Digital with Major Reforms

New Delhi: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Thursday has notified the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2026, introducing the use of digital mode in various processes related to Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders and citizenship applications.

In the notification published, the government has added a special provision for citizenship applications related to children that 'a minor child cannot hold the passport of any other country simultaneously with the Indian passport'.

Will OCI card registration will be completely online?

Under the new rules, the 'Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2026', applications for OCI card registration and relinquishment will now be processed entirely through an online portal. Upon declaring relinquishment of OCI, the individual must submit the original card to the nearest Indian mission, post, or Foreigners Regional Registration Officer (FRRO). Returning the card will also be mandatory if the government revokes the OCI status. If the card is not returned, the government can still officially cancel it.

What about submitting a duplicate copy?

In the case of e-OCI holders, the government can cancel the digital registration in its records. The new rules eliminate the requirement to submit duplicate documents and introduce the e-OCI system, under which applicants can be issued a physical OCI card or receive an OCI registration digitally. The new rules also provide for the right to challenge the rejection of an OCI or citizenship application. Such cases will now be reviewed by an authority "one level higher" than the original decision-making authority.

When did OCI came into effect?

The OCI scheme was implemented in 2005 through an amendment to the Citizenship Act, 1955. The scheme provides for the registration of persons of Indian origin as Overseas Citizens of India, provided they were citizens of India on or after January 26, 1950, or were eligible to acquire citizenship on that date. However, persons who are or have been citizens of Pakistan or Bangladesh, or whose parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents were citizens of Pakistan or Bangladesh, are not eligible for the scheme.