OCI Card Rules 2026: Fees, New Passport Update and e-OCI

Published 2026-10-31 · 7 min read · By the Travlys visa team

The USD 275 OCI fee is not new, but the three-month passport update rule now carries a late fee, and the e-OCI card arrived on 30 June 2026. Here is what OCI holders must do and when.

In 2026 a fresh OCI card still costs USD 275 when you apply from abroad. Reports calling it a new fee are wrong, because Indian missions were already charging it. The rule that matters more is the passport update: when you get a new foreign passport, upload it on the OCI portal within three months for free, or pay a late fee of USD 25 plus local charges.

At a glance: Fresh OCI (abroad): USD 275, plus ICWF USD 3 and the service provider's fee (USD 19 at VFS in the US). Re-issue: USD 25. Lost or damaged card: USD 100. New passport update: free within three months on ociservices.gov.in. Late update: USD 25 fee from MHA; in the US the total is USD 25 + USD 3 ICWF + USD 19 VFS. Travel while update is pending: allowed. e-OCI card: launched 30 June 2026, free to download. Age 50 re-issue: dropped in 2021. Age 20 re-issue: government says not needed from 30 June 2026; some mission pages not yet updated. Re-issue time: ordinarily 15 days from acknowledgement.

Is USD 275 a new OCI fee?

No. Several articles in April 2026 said the OCI fee had risen to USD 275 from 1 April 2026. VisaVerge later corrected its own report, saying missions abroad already charged USD 275 for a fresh OCI. The Embassy of India in Washington lists USD 275 for a new OCI card, plus USD 3 for the Indian Community Welfare Fund and a VFS service fee of USD 19. That makes about USD 297 in the US before any shipping or optional VFS services.

Outside the US you pay the local-currency equivalent set by your mission, plus the outsourcing agency's charge, which differs by country. In the UK and the Gulf, check the High Commission or Embassy fee page and the VFS fee page on the day you apply, because exchange-rate based fees change from time to time.

Do I need to update my OCI card when I get a new passport?

Yes. MHA's OCI FAQ says you must upload a copy of the new passport and a latest photo each time a new passport is issued. Do it within three months of receiving the passport and it costs nothing. Leave it later and the update is processed only after you pay a fee.

The three-month rule and the late fee

The three-month window has existed since the 2021 OCI changes. In 2026, missions have published fresh notices that spell out the late fee. The Consulate General of India in San Francisco issued an advisory on 16 June 2026, and the Embassy of India in Riyadh issued a public notice on 15 October 2026.

Within three months: free. Fill the online miscellaneous services form on ociservices.gov.in and upload the new passport, the old passport and a recent photo.
After three months: MHA charges USD 25. In San Francisco the total is USD 25 consular fee + USD 3 ICWF + USD 19 VFS service fee, paid online to VFS.
Saudi Arabia: the Riyadh embassy says the late fee is SAR 105.
No paper file: San Francisco says no physical OCI application has to be sent to VFS or the consulate for this service.
Travel: you may travel to and from India while the update is pending, according to the Washington and Riyadh embassies.

Missions word the start of the three months differently. Some say from the date of issue of the passport, others from the date you receive it. Count from the issue date to be safe.

Re-issue versus update: the age 20 and 50 rules

An update is an online upload. A re-issue gives you a fresh OCI booklet and costs USD 25. Until April 2021, you needed a re-issue with every new passport up to age 20 and once after 50. In April 2021 the government dropped the age-50 re-issue and kept just one re-issue: when someone registered as OCI before 20 gets a new passport after turning 20.

On 30 June 2026, Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched the e-OCI card. News reports of the launch say the new system removes the need to re-issue the OCI booklet when you get a new passport after 20, and that you only update your passport details online. However, the Washington embassy's re-issue guidelines and MHA's FAQ still describe the age-20 re-issue. If you got your OCI as a child and have a new adult passport, ask your mission which process applies before paying for a re-issue.

The e-OCI card

What it is: a digital version of your OCI card, downloaded from ociservices.gov.in.
Cost: free.
Existing holders: log in, open the e-OCI tab and click Generate e-OCI Card. MHA says it does not change the validity or status of your existing card.
Limit: up to five downloads per day.
New passport: the e-OCI shows the new passport details only after your update request is approved, so do the update first.

Keep your physical OCI card if you have one. MHA describes the e-OCI as a digital representation of the OCI card, and existing booklets stay valid.

OCI fees in 2026 (US example)

Fresh OCI: USD 275 + USD 3 ICWF + USD 19 VFS fee.
Re-issue in place of an existing card: USD 25 + USD 3 ICWF + outsourcing agency charge (listed as USD 15.90 on the embassy's re-issue page).
Lost or damaged card: USD 100 + USD 3 ICWF + agency charge.
Passport update within three months: free.
Passport update after three months: USD 25 + USD 3 ICWF + USD 19 VFS fee.

The Washington embassy lists the VFS charge as USD 19 on its new OCI page and USD 15.90 on its re-issue page, so confirm the figure on the VFS site before you pay.

How long it takes

MHA says a re-issue is ordinarily decided within 15 days of acknowledgement. A fresh OCI takes longer, because it needs verification, and timelines vary by mission. Check the current processing time on your mission's website, and do not book non-refundable tickets on a fresh application until the card or e-OCI is granted.

Common mistakes

Forgetting the update after a passport renewal and finding out at the airport. Set a reminder the day the new passport arrives.
Paying for a full re-issue when a free online upload would do.
Travelling with only the new passport. Carry the old passport too until the update is acknowledged.
Uploading an old photo. MHA asks for a latest photo with the new passport.
Trusting a fee quoted in a blog. Fees differ by country and service provider.

Bringing your parents from India to visit

OCI rules cover you, not your parents. If your parents hold Indian passports, they need a visitor visa from India for the country where you live. For the US that is a B1/B2 visa, which needs an interview at a US consulate in India. For the UK it is a Standard Visitor visa, applied for online with biometrics at a visa centre. For Canada it is a visitor visa, also with biometrics. Canada also offers a Super Visa for parents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents that allows longer stays.

Start early: US interview waits in Indian cities can be long, so check current wait times and apply well before a family event.
Show their ties to India: property, pension, savings and family who stay behind matter more than your income.
Your invitation letter helps: add a copy of your passport, visa or residence status, address and a short trip plan.
Health insurance: buy cover for the whole stay, especially for parents above 60.
Check costs: the visa cost calculator at travlys.com/visa-cost-calculator/ shows current government fees.

How Travlys helps

Travlys does not file OCI applications. Those go through ociservices.gov.in and your Indian mission or its service provider. What we do is file visas for your parents and family in India: US B1/B2 (from ₹19,940), UK Standard Visitor (from ₹12,950) and Canada visitor visas (from ₹14,950), plus Australia, Schengen, Singapore, UAE, Thailand, New Zealand and Malaysia. Government fees are extra. We check documents before submission and plan holiday packages with hotels and private transfers. We have filed 5,000+ visas with a 98% approval rate. WhatsApp +91 82009 18967.

Last checked: Rules and fees in this guide were checked on 31 October 2026 against MHA's OCI FAQs, the Embassy of India in Washington, the Consulate General of India in San Francisco, the Embassy of India in Riyadh and the news reports listed below. OCI fees and processes differ by country, so check your mission's website and ociservices.gov.in before you apply.

Frequently asked questions

What is the OCI card fee in 2026?

A fresh OCI card costs USD 275 when you apply outside India, or the local-currency equivalent set by your Indian mission. This is not a new fee; missions were already charging it. In the US, the Embassy of India adds USD 3 for the Indian Community Welfare Fund and a VFS service fee of USD 19. Re-issue costs USD 25 and a lost or damaged card USD 100.

Do I have to update my OCI after getting a new passport?

Yes. Every time you get a new foreign passport, you must upload a copy of it and a recent photo on ociservices.gov.in. If you do it within three months of getting the passport, it is free. After three months, MHA charges a fee of USD 25, and missions add their own charges. In the US that comes to USD 25, plus USD 3 ICWF and USD 19 VFS fee.

Can I travel to India while my OCI passport update is pending?

Yes. The Embassy of India in Washington and the Embassy in Riyadh both say there is no restriction on OCI cardholders travelling to or from India between the date the new passport is issued and the final acknowledgement of the update. Carry both your old and new passports and your OCI card, so immigration can link your OCI to the new passport.

Is OCI re-issue still required at age 20 or 50?

The age-50 re-issue was dropped in April 2021. On 30 June 2026, the government said re-issuing the OCI booklet is no longer needed when you get a new passport after age 20, with an online update instead. Some mission pages, including the Washington embassy's, still describe the old age-20 re-issue. Check with your mission before you apply.

What is the e-OCI card?

The e-OCI card is a digital version of the OCI card that you download free from ociservices.gov.in. It was launched on 30 June 2026. MHA says it does not change the validity or status of your existing OCI card. Existing holders log in, open the e-OCI tab and click Generate e-OCI Card. You can download it up to five times a day.

How long does an OCI re-issue take?

MHA's OCI FAQ says a re-issue application is ordinarily decided within 15 days from the date of acknowledgement. Fresh OCI applications take longer and depend on your mission and on background checks, so check the current processing time on your mission's website. A simple passport upload within three months has no fixed timeline, but you can travel while it is pending.

Sources

Checked on 2026-10-31. Visa rules change; confirm on the official site before you travel.