r/nri

Dear new NRIs, when you move to a new country, please be mindful of your new home, even if your move is only temporary. Observe the social rules and be respectful. Because people will ask for examples, here is one very common one (applicable in some countries, not all ofc) - if you feel the urgent need to make a phone call back home to show signs of life, on video, in public, pls just use technology -> earphones/headphones are available everywhere and not rocket science anymore. Step out if you are in a restaurant/closed public space and take your call or just regulate your volume. Manage yourself and stop giving us all a bad name ("civic sense" is not limited to not littering), thank you :).

That's all. Rant over, request formulated.

P.s. this has nothing to do with white-washing or whatever it is called. Adaptation and respect are basic things and if you cant do these, just dont move and stay happy in your own well.

Hello guys,

A few years ago, I was willing to do an oci card. I don't know about other countries but in France this is a total mess and a scam. The process is entirely treated by VFS Global and it's almost impossible to do the steps only with them. Every NRI I know in France was force to use another company and pay more.
I've read the documentation multiple times and get all the documents needed but it's impossible to do the steps on your own. It's like a full scam where you HAVE to rely on some dirty company. I tried to only speak with VFS Global but they never answer email or phone. If they answer, they only talk gibberish.

So I quit trying and took the e-visa every time I went to India. The process is very easy and I don't need anyone to do it.

Does the process of having an e-oci is easier ? Or is it the exact same ?

Anyone succeed having an oci card in France without relying on some scammers ?

Thanks for your help !

I spent about 9 years in the US. Good career in tech, comfortable life. In 2022 my wife, our daughter and I moved back for good, not to Bangalore or Gurgaon, but to my hometown, Jaipur.

The "why" is what I still get asked the most, so here is the honest version:

• However integrated we got, we never fully shook the feeling of being a foreigner. I missed the plain familiarity of home.
• We are food people. We loved exploring every cuisine out there, but our hearts kept going back to the actual Indian food we grew up on.
• We wanted our daughter to grow up inside our culture and roots, not visiting them once a year, while still being free to go explore the world later if she wants.
• The pandemic made the distance from family unbearable. Watching parents age from the other side of the planet, and losing a few people we loved, made the decision for us.
• And honestly, we wanted to spare our kid the low-grade cultural confusion you often see in children raised far from their roots.

A few years in now, the verdict holds. It has not been frictionless. Some conveniences from the US just do not exist here. But every place has its trade-offs and we chose ours with eyes open.

The mental model that got us over the line was regret minimisation: picture yourself at 80 and ask which choice you would regret more. We did not want to spend life wondering "what if we had gone back."

If you are at that crossroads: weigh it honestly, get clear on your priorities, and do not let fear be the deciding vote.

For those who moved back, or are thinking about it, what actually tipped the decision for you, and what caught you off guard?

Hi desis

Anyone who moved from Germany to Hyderabad?

Every annual holiday is an emotional time with In laws asking our family to return.

I worked in IT and work culture puts me off at Hyderabad.

Please guide and thank you!

Hello everyone,

I am a Croatian citizen married to an Indian national. I previously attempted to apply for an OCI card but was rejected due to missing documentation.

With the recent launch of the e-OCI system as of May 1, 2026, I would like to clarify if the process is now entirely paperless. Specifically, for those applying under the spouse category, is it possible to complete the entire registration, document upload, and e-sign process online without needing to visit an Indian Embassy or VFS centre in person?

If anyone has successfully navigated a fresh OCI application under these new 2026 rules, I would greatly appreciate any insights or advice on your experience.

Thanks a lot for your help!

The Government of India's policy states that OCI cardholders must link their new passport with their OCI card within three months of passport issuance to receive this service free of charge. I fully complied with this requirement by submitting my complete application on April 23, 2026, well within the prescribed deadline.

After submitting my application, I sent five separate follow-up emails requesting confirmation and a status update. Not a single email received a response. Despite my repeated attempts to communicate, the Consulate remained completely silent.

Now that the three-month period has expired, I have been informed that I must pay $28 in government fees plus a $19 VFS service charge.

So frustrating to deal with these guys. Feel trapped and scammed.

Anyone had similar experience?

Hello,

Hope all are well. I have searched around, but I am a bit confused as to what the tariffs are + the workflow, hence I am posting here for some kind soul to assist.

Me & my wife are OCI NRIs, we are visiting Madras in a few weeks(yes I am showing my age here). We are predominantly an iOS/iPhone family. We make trips to India once every few years, that said as some of our family is getting older we probably would be visiting a bit more frequently. I am getting this primarily so that we have a local number to be used for Uber/Dunzo/Ola whatever, not for data, as my provider here in the UK gives me enough roaming data.

After researching around, this is what I am planning to do.

1. Go to a Jio/Airtel/BSNL store and show them my Aadhar/PAN card and if need be my OCI and order an eSIM for me and my SO.
2. Activate the eSIM and further hopefully enable WiFi calling too when I am in India.
3. Ideally I would like to sing up for a pre-paid annual plan.

My questions are.

1. Should I go with Jio or one of the other providers(Airtel or BSNL?)
2. I want as less friction as possible, I do know the govt has very strict workflows for getting a phone number, but ideally I don't spend hours on end in the store when I am visiting.
3. What plan should I sign up for that will allow me to continue to use this in the UK occasionally to receive OTP's and the occasional call or 2 ideally using Wifi calling.
4. What would the tariffs be?
5. What would the annual renewal workflow look like? Can I use my UK credit card or have to figure out a way to pay using some bank or card in India.

Any other suggestiosn appreciated.

Thank you!

hi friends - I am trying to help a friend who is an OCI holder. This person has very few ties to India, has few relatives left who are also quite old. He hardly visits India but is planning to travel this year and would like to have his Aadhar updated. Now, here's the predicament. His Aadhar was issued back in 2010-11 time. He does not have a mobile number linked to his Aadhar card and the address that is mentioned on it, while it still exists, is undergoing redevelopment. He acquired Aadhar prior to becoming an OCI holder.

He would like to update the details on his Aadhar - specifically citizenship, email, phone number and physical address. I'd like to help him out with the process but I have no idea where to begin. The UIDAI site is not accessible outside of India and is confusing to say the least.

What address should he put on Aadhar? Does Aadhar allow you to put foreign address, phone number for NRI/OCI holders?

On the earrival form webiste, what is the Nationality/Region for Green card holders? If you coming from USA, does it mean USA? Its green card and indian passport.

Almost 10 years i am in OCI and also doing regular ITR filling as Non-resident status for my india property income but recently in india, my parents received my SIR form to be filled out and i am bit surprised why my name is under voter list now. So far i am in assumption when india citizen is surrender automatically my name will be removed in voting list. In youtube video, somebody saying i need to return the SIR filled form with Form 7. What's action i need to take it or should i ignore it? what's impact if i ignore it? None of my oci friends are aware of form 7.

I’m currently in my 4th year of law school and I’ve been planning on doing an LLM abroad. IThe LLM would be justified only if I work abroad, hence I’ll most likely explore opportunities abroad too.

Now, the past few weeks I’ve spoken to various cousins and relatives who live abroad. Especially the ones who live in the US mentioned about how there was a lack of socialisation and every communication felt quite transactional. For example, he mentioned how in India one would generally make small talks while grocery shopping, while in the states it’s quite transactional. I also feel like Europe is far more social and they have a better WLB, but the taxes are quite high.

Now, how do you feel about missing family events, not being able to meet family members and in general not being able to live closely. Your life is now far more different from theirs. How do you cope with this? How do you deal with a “less social” life?

Also, did you never force your parents to move in with you? Did they deny and not want to move out or is it that you weren’t able to afford it yet? With them aging I’d like to live closely.

I’m veryy afraid I’ll be all alone and lonely if I move abroad. My grandad travels internationally often, maybe I can get him to stay w me for a while. But again, how Long? Maybe a month or two. My dad’s a director at an MNC and had ample opportunities to move abroad, to the states, to Germany, London, UAE and what not. They even asked him to atleast try out by staying there for shorter periods of time. He denied it all. Also he’s building a new home far away from Bangalore in a coastal town so I’m kinda sure he will not move in to the states with me. It’ll just be me. How do I deal with it? How do y’all deal with it? What if I feel like moving back to Bangalore later as I’d rather be with those who I love. I can’t make such switches in my career. It might be difficult to move back otherwise

If you're an existing OCI cardholder, there's a useful new update from the Bureau of Immigration, India.

India has officially introduced the e-OCI (Electronic OCI Card), which allows OCI holders to keep a digital version of their OCI card on their phone. According to the announcement, you can present the e-OCI at Immigration Check Posts and to airlines whenever required, making travel more convenient.

How to download your e-OCI:

1. Log in to the OCI Services Portal (ociservices.gov.in) using your existing credentials.
2. Open the e-OCI tab from your dashboard.
3. Click "Generate e-OCI Card."
4. Download and save the digital card on your phone.

A few important things to know:

• Your existing physical OCI card remains valid.
• The e-OCI is optional and is meant to make carrying your OCI card more convenient.
• Existing OCI holders can generate it through the OCI Services Portal.

Has anyone already downloaded their e-OCI? Was the process smooth, or did you run into any issues? It would be helpful to hear everyone's experience.

https://preview.redd.it/kyly9wwn7yah1.jpg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9e8bb3c9f070bdb14d6b2ed2945a5dbb3056dd2a

I've been lurking in this group because I'm currently at a crossroads in life. I've had a comfortable life in the UK for the last six years. It's not luxurious, but it's comfortable: my wife and I have modest IT jobs, a small three-bedroom house, and our first child is on the way.

I visit India every year to see my parents, who live alone in my hometown. I grew up in a nuclear family, and we don't have many relatives nearby because everyone moved to other states for work. We barely meet anymore, not even once a year. My sister has settled in Australia and is unlikely to return.

Whenever I see my parents, now 67 and 60, I feel selfish for leaving them to grow old alone. I always promise them that I'll come back when they need me. At those moments, it feels like my comfortable life abroad isn't worth it, and I convince myself that I'll return to India in a few years.

But every time I visit India, I feel the chaos has only increased. The UK has its own problems, and it's much more crowded than the US, but things are still structured and organised. Millions of cars flow through motorways and roundabouts with remarkable order, so traffic rarely comes to a standstill. In India, even in my Tier 2 hometown, an evening walk feels stressful because I'm constantly worried about being hit by a careless driver.

That leaves me wondering whether I'd actually be happier after returning.

I know many R2I folks recommend living in large gated communities with every amenity, but I honestly don't think I'll be able to afford that. As a frontend engineer, I'm a decent coder but nowhere near FAANG level. I've looked at the market and believe I'd earn around ₹40 LPA at best in Bangalore. My wife, who's in manual QA, would probably struggle to get ₹20 LPA, likely in a WITCH company. Add the 4 to 5 day office commute that many companies now require, and the stress only grows.

With that income, a premium society is out of reach. By the time I return, I'll own a small two-bedroom flat in Bangalore with the mortgage paid off, but it's still a fairly ordinary society with just a gym and a small play area. Step outside, and the chaos of Bangalore begins.

Unlike many friends in the US, I wasn't able to build substantial savings because UK salaries are much lower while the cost of living remains high. Now that we have a child on the way, schooling and healthcare become major expenses in India. In the UK, every child has access to good education and healthcare regardless of family income. In India, I wouldn't be able to afford an IB school on our income.

So now it feels like I have to choose between my parents' future and my child's future, and I genuinely don't know what the right answer is. My son would have access to excellent public education and a more stable upbringing in the UK, whereas in India he'd face a far more competitive and unequal system.

Sometimes I feel this is simply the price I pay for clean air.

This is mostly just a rant and me venting because I was feeling quite heavy today. I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who has been through a similar dilemma or had to make this decision.

I am an NRI, but my bank account is regular (not NRO/NRI). I am planning to change account to NRO. Is it possible to convert existing account to NRO from outside India? My account is with South Indian Bank (SIB).

I have my parents who can physically visit branch if needed. They have the bank card and passbook.

Can you please let me know?

Comparing a couple of premium banking options right now and one thing im weighing pretty heavily is how good their app and digital experience actually is for managing an nre savings account, versus relying on branch visits or calling customer care every time i need something done. im based abroad so branch access basically isnt an option for me most of the time, which makes the app experience even more important in my case. not sure how much weight this should have in my decision compared to things like interest rates or relationship manager quality though, so curious what others prioritize when picking a bank

Greetings Sub. I am a Canadian NRI looking at retiring in India part-time (about 6 - 8 months a year). Our spending budget is about C$10 K per month (~7.5 K USD). Looking for suggestions on good places in India to retire. Key requirements are decent climate, healthcare facilities, transport connections and safety. I am 66 yo with wife 63 yo. I plan to be renting and not interested in buying property. I am fluent in Hindi and English but now have no close family in India. I have an OCI card.
Thanks in advance for your suggestions.