Embassy of India
Damascus, Syria

OCI card Service is available at the Mission now

For details of the OCI Scheme and PIO Cards, please visit the site of Ministry of Home Affairs: https://mha.gov.in 

Information on OCI / PIO cards is available at https://ociservices.gov.in/ 

Fee for OCI card : SYP 137500/- and ICWF charges : SYP750/-

Compulsory capturing of bio metrics of OCI cardholders at Immigration Check Posts on arrival in India

It is informed that bio-metrics of fingerprints & face (if technically feasible) of existing Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) cardholders shall be captured at the Immigration Check Posts (ICPs) during their entry/exit at the ICPs whenever they travel to/from India. In respect of applications submitted to FRROs in India, bio-metrics shall be captured at application stage. Applicants above 70 years of age or below 12 years of age would be exempted from Bio metric capturing.

Validity of old hand-written travel document/PIO card

It has been decided by competent authority that the Bureau of Immigration (BoI) will accept PIO Cards as valid travel document till 30th September 2019 along with valid foreign passport and the Indian Immigration Check-Posts (ICP) will continue to consider all PIO cards valid for exit/entry into India till 30th September 2019. This extension timeline is subject to the condition that if in the meantime any deadline is notified by the ICAO thereby making the hand-written PIO Cards invalid, then PIO Card holders may have to obtain appropriate visa from Indian Missions/Posts abroad.

Therefore, all PIO Card holders with valid PIO Cards as on 09.01.2015 are requested to apply at the earliest for conversion of PIO card to OCI Card at the nearest Indian Mission or FRRO office in India

Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra (PBK), New Delhi

Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi has constructed the Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra which was inaugurated by the Prime Minister on 2nd October 2016.The Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra, located at Dr. Rizal Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi was launched by the External Affairs Ministry as part of its efforts towards deeper engagement with the Indian Diaspora and intended to benefit the Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs). The facilities available at the PBK include – an auditorium (Capacity of over 300 persons), Conference rooms (with different dimensions that can accommodate from 20 to 35 persons), class rooms that can be used for training sessions/workshops, a Banquet Hall having aesthetically elegant interior décor (can seat about 120 persons) and a restaurant areas which can be used for larger sit-down or buffet lunches/dinners (over 300 for buffet), and 24 guest rooms. One modern Museum on Mahatma Gandhi with significant level of digital character, and a library comprising about three thousand titles with orientation towards the Diaspora-related subjects/themes/authorship, are the added attractions.

The facilities at PBK (excluding the Museum and the Library which are accessible to all visitors free of charge) are on payment basis, but heavily discounted for PIOs and PIO associations. The facility is exclusively for pravasi related activities and also for the broader interest of pravasis. No request for private nature will be entertained.

Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) with an OCI/PIO Card can book the guest rooms directly by writing to PBK at e mail: reservations.pbkmea.gov.in (Phone No.s +91-11-24156400/ 24156430/24156405. NRIs per se are not eligible for guest rooms. However, other facilities can be considered on the merit of the case if it is related to pravasi affairs. Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awardees, Office bearers of Indian Associations/Business Chambers can also avail the facilities of PBK in New Delhi on the basis of recommendation from Indian Embassy.

OCI CARD HOLDERS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR N.P.S.

The proposal for inclusion of Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card holders as an eligible category of individuals who can subscribe to National Pension Scheme (NPS), in parity with NRIs, has been approved by the Pension Fund Regulatory & Development Authority (PFRDA) on 19 February 2019. In this regard, the relevant clauses of Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) are being suitably amended by the RBI.