Indian officials are advising individuals to convert their PIO cards to Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards before the extended deadline
- The OCI card is a smart card that allows foreign citizens of Indian origin to visit India without a visa for 15 years, provides faster immigration clearance, and grants access to additional consular services
Indian authorities have announced that all Person of Indian Origin (PIO) cards will remain valid until December 31, 2025, extending the previous deadline of December 31, 2024, reported bal.com.
Key Points:
- Indian immigration check posts will continue to accept all PIO cards valid as of January 9, 2015, including both handwritten and machine-readable cards, along with a valid foreign passport, for entry or exit until December 31, 2025.
- The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) reserves the right to alter the extension and declare handwritten PIO cards invalid at any time. In such a case, PIO cardholders would be required to obtain an appropriate visa from an Indian mission/post abroad.
- Previously, the deadline for PIO card validity was December 31, 2024.
OCI Conversion Advisory:
Indian officials are advising individuals to convert their PIO cards to Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards before the extended deadline.
The OCI card is a smart card that allows foreign citizens of Indian origin to visit India without a visa for 15 years, provides faster immigration clearance, and grants access to additional consular services.
For more details on OCI conversion, individuals are encouraged to visit the official Indian government website.
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