Sharing OCI application story from London
Hi all, sharing my OCI application process here for the benefit of others. I had to go through the appointment process twice, but hopefully you won't have to after reading this :)
A few things to note: I applied for my OCI from London, having recently obtained British citizenship.
Why I got rejected the first time: I didn't enter my mother's name exactly as it appears on the last page of my Indian passport — I left out her middle name. They caught it at document verification at the VFS centre, so I was turned away on the spot and had to correct the form and book a fresh appointment. Pull out your old passport, turn to the last page, and copy the parents' names across character for character. Same goes for every other detail on that page.
I started with the usual application at https://ociservices.gov.in/ and filled out everything. Then I booked an appointment on the VFS website: https://visa.vfsglobal.com/gbr/en/ind/external-interim
Documents — remember to do both: (a) print and sign a copy, and (b) scan and upload it before the appointment.
- Printed OCI application form, signed by you
- UK passport (valid for at least 6 months), plus a photocopy of the details page
- Naturalisation certificate, plus a photocopy
- Indian passport surrender certificate (original and photocopy)
- Cancelled Indian passport (original, and photocopies of the data pages)
- Proof of UK address (e.g. a utility bill or UK driving licence)
- Two identical physical passport photos (2 in × 2 in, square, white background) — these must match the one you uploaded
- Hidden requirements, which they only tell you about at the centre (or perhaps they're buried deep in the fine print):
- OCI declaration — roughly like the photo attached at the end. I was handed this physically on arriving at the centre, but friends of mine managed to find it online.
- Marriage certificate (if married)
- Spouse's passport copy (if married)
Trick for scanning and uploading: this part gets nasty. You have to upload all of the documents, and ideally you'd merge them while keeping the file size below 1 MB. That's not always possible, so I split mine into two files to get each below 1 MB. Use any online PDF compression (beware of data risk). Then upload them under any category — it doesn't matter which one you select.
You can only upload across a maximum of three categories, so I'd say keep one slot free in case a new requirement shows up on the appointment date.
All the best, and may the odds be ever in your favour!
OCI declaration, for reference only:
