donblount wrote: ↑Thu Dec 07, 2023 12:11 am
OCI was issued when I was a citizen of country A, the OCI has reference to passport number of country A.
Since then I acquired citizenship of country B. I continue to retain citizenship of country A ( dual citizen)
Unfortunately the passport of country A is only valid for 4, passport for country B is valid for 8 years. Is this a problem for traveling to India as my OCI is associated with country A?
Alternatively can I apply for eVisa to India using passport B? Passport B countries are eligible for eVisa. Are there any restrictions for OCI holder to apply for eVisa.
Technically to the GoI, the person with passport A is a different being from the person with passport B (unless they are a criminal or high profile etc). You can apply for eVisa on passport B and travel.
For awareness for all, OCI is not a "lifelong visa" only. It is much more than that, although most refer to it as lifelong visa. In summary, it puts you on par with NRIs and Indian citizens in many areas.
With that in mind, the issue of passport validity of less than 6 months from return date is an issue for entry on visa, not OCI. For entry on OCI, the only requirement is that the foreign passport be valid on date of entry.
Below is from the HCI website:
Q: I have a valid OCI Card and a valid foreign passport. Is there any minimum validity specified for my foreign passport?
A: You will be allowed entry into India if you have a valid OCI Card and a valid foreign passport. You do not need to carry the old passport on which your "U” (OCI) Visa was stamped, if that happens to be different from your current passport.
