Step-by-Step Process to Apply for OCI Card UK 2025

If you are an overseas citizen of Indian origin living in the UK and you want to visit India, an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card is a card that you need to travel to India. With an OCI card, you get many benefits like multiple-entry and life-long visa-free access to India without any restrictions on the length of stay. In this blog, we will guide you through the steps to apply for OCI card UK, the advantages and disadvantages of OCI card, and the processing time for a smooth and easy OCI application UK.

Importance Of An OCI Card

An OCI Card is an identification document and a travel document that allows Indian nationals in foreign countries to travel to India and live and work here for an indefinite period. For those people who marry an Indian citizen or have parents or grandparents of Indian origin for them OCI card is more important to travel and visit India. For an OCI card, you need to apply for OCI card UK. An OCI card has both advantages and disadvantages which we will be going to see in this blog further.

Advantages of An OCI card

The advantages of OCI card are as follows:

• Multiple-entry, life-long visa to India.

• The application fee for an OCI card is one-time.

• No need to report to authorities for the duration of the stay.

• Parity with NRIs in financial, educational, and economic fields.

• Have quicker immigration clearance and consular services.

Disadvantages of Having An OCI Card

The disadvantages of OCI card are as follows:

• OCI cardholders do not have the right to vote or hold public office in India.
• OCI cardholders are not allowed to acquire agricultural or plantation properties.
• Some countries may still require OCI cardholders to obtain visas for entry.
• OCI cardholders are not considered full Indian citizens.

Applicants who want to apply for an OCI card in London, involve the following steps.

Steps To Apply For OCI Card

Steps that help to apply for OCI card UK are:

• Visit the official VFS Global website.

• Select "New OCI Registration” and Fill out the OCI application form online.

• Provide your personal, family, and passport information in the OCI application UK.

• Upload scanned photograph and signature.

• Collect all the necessary documents for the OCI application form.

• Pay OCI application form fees.

• Book an appointment with VFS Global.

• Visit the VFS Global application center with the completed and signed OCI application UK.

• Wait for the OCI processing time UK.

For your OCI application, you need to submit some documents that are important to apply for OCI card UK.

Necessary Documents Required For OCI Card in UK

To apply for an OCI card in London, you need to ensure that you have all the required documents. So here’s a list of documents that are required to fill out an OCI application UK.

• A valid foreign passport with a minimum validity of 6 months.

• Surrender Certificate (if applicable).

• Proof of Indian Origin which includes a copy of your cancelled Indian passport and surrender certificate.

• If you have acquired British citizenship through naturalization. Then you need to give a Naturalisation certificate.

• Proof of address in the UK.

• Passport-size photographs.

• A spouse OCI card (if applicable).

• A relationship certificate (if applicable).

• A PIO card.

After you submit an OCI application form, you need to wait for the approval for your OCI card. With the proper documents, your OCI application will take less time to process.

Processing Time and Fee for An OCI Card

Processing time for an OCI application takes about 4-12 weeks for a new OCI application. For a miscellaneous OCI application processing time is 40 days. Application processing time also depends on the details and information filled in the application.

Fees for a new OCI application form cost £200–218 and for a miscellaneous OCI application £23–75. There is also an extra service charge for VFS Global which is 7.44 pounds.

Conclusion

In this guide, we have seen the steps to apply for OCI card UK. OCI application is a travel and identification document for foreign Indian Nationals that help them to travel visa-free to India without reporting to any authority for their duration or length of stay. If you want more information related to OCI Services or Visas you can Visit the Visament Website, which helps applicants to apply easily and hassle-free for Indian Passports and Visas. You can get a free consultation also from their website.