3 min readNew DelhiMay 1, 2026 04:00 AM IST
The Union Home Ministry on Thursday notified the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2026, introducing electronic Overseas Citizen of India (e-OCI) cards, fully online applications, and stricter norms on dual passports for minors.
“The rules introduce a fully digital OCI framework, mandating online applications, electronic records, and acknowledgements, while phasing out duplicative physical processes. A new provision allows issuance of electronic OCI (e-OCI) alongside physical cards, signalling a shift toward paperless identity for overseas Indians. Applicants must now consent to sharing biometric data for integration with fast-track immigration programmes, enabling possible automatic enrolment in the future,” an MHA official said.
An MHA official said the new rules aim to streamline procedures, reduce paperwork, and bringing more clarity to processes such as registration, renunciation, and cancellation of OCI status. Earlier, OCI processes involved a mix of online and physical submissions, including paperwork and duplicate filing requirements. Now, they also formally codify certain provisions that were earlier followed in practice, but not explicitly written into the rules.
A major update mandates that minors holding Indian passports cannot simultaneously possess passports of other countries, as inserted in a new proviso to rule 3 and this addresses concerns over dual citizenship misuse, though OCI status itself does not confer full citizenship rights.
“These rules may be called the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2026. They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette. In the Citizenship Rules, 2009 (hereinafter referred to as the said rules), in rule 3, the following proviso shall be inserted, namely: Provided that the applicant in such cases shall note that the minor child cannot at any time hold the passport of any other country while also holding the Indian passport,” the notification said.
According to the notification, an application for registration as an Overseas Citizen of India cardholder under section 7A shall be made in Form XXVIII electronically on the designated online portal. “For OCI registration under Section 7A, applications must now be filed electronically in Form XXVIII on the designated portal, scrapping physical duplicates (Rule 29). Rule 33 has been revamped to issue either physical OCI cards or e-OCI registrations in Form XXIX, with records maintained digitally in Form XXX,” it said.
The amendments create a centralised electronic registry of OCI holders and strengthen cancellation/renunciation processes, including provisions for deemed cancellation and structured appeals.
Story continues below this ad
“Renunciation (Rule 34) and cancellation (Rule 35) processes are now online: Holders must submit Form XXXI electronically, surrender physical cards if applicable, and receive digital acknowledgments in Form XXXII. Non-compliance on cancellations could lead to cards being treated as invalid,” it said.
A new provision introduces the use of biometric data collected during OCI registration for future immigration facilitation. “Applicants are required to provide consent allowing their biometric data to be used for registration under the Fast Track Immigration Programme…or for automatic registration under such programmes in the future,” it said.
