Reminder for Person of India Card Holders to Obtain Overseas Citizen of India Card by March 31, 2019
March 7, 2019

The situation
As a reminder, Person of India (PIO) cardholders (machine and non-machine-readable) must obtain an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card by March 31, 2019.
Impact
Those who fail to convert their card by March 31, 2019 will be deniedentry/exit while traveling to and from India.
Background
- What is an OCI card? The OCI card and the ‘OCI in lieu of PIO’ card is an identity document for foreign nationals of Indian origin that offers benefits that other countries offer dual citizens, such as entry into India without a visa and exemptions from local registration requirements, among other benefits. After the merger of the PIO and OCI categories, all PIO card holders were advised by the Ministry of Home Affairs and Bureau of Immigration to apply for the ‘OCI in lieu of PIO’ card.
- Machine-readability. While they were issued, PIO cards were made in the form of both machine readable and non-machine-readable cards. This change in policy is intended to align India’s entry/exit rules with the rules of the International Civil Aviation Organization, which encourages the use of machine-readable travel documents to prevent fraud and to streamline immigration clearance processes at airports.
Looking ahead
The transition to mandatory use of machine-readable travel documents in India is in line with other efforts by the Indian government to streamline entry and exit in the country. For example, the e-Visa program was recently expanded and relaxed to encourage tourism and business visits to India.
Immigration rules will likely continue to be further relaxed to boost tourism and encourage investment in and travel to India. Fragomen will report on related developments.
Fragomen in India is Fragomen Immigration Services India (Pvt) Ltd., operating exclusively as an immigration consultancy and not as a law firm in India. This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].
Explore more at Fragomen

Media mentions
Partner Bo Cooper explains how proposed H-1B fee and lottery changes impact hiring of skilled international talent across sectors.

Media mentions
Partner Haider Hussain underlines the role of talent mobility in shaping future growth sectors in the Kingdom.

Fragomen news
Fragomen is recognised by the Financial Times for its innovative work in workforce mobility and cross-sector collaboration.

Media mentions
Partner Daniel Brown outlines steps companies can take to support employees and maintain smooth operations during compliance-related situations.

Awards
Fragomen has been recognized in the 2026 edition of The Best Law Firms™ in Germany, earning a Regional Tier 1 ranking in Hessen for Labor and Employment Law.

Media mentions
Partner Shayan Sultan discusses a rise in inquiries about UAE residency and remote work programmes amid global talent mobility trends.

Media mentions
Partner Rajiv Naik, Senior Manager Thomas Kingsmill and Manager Ko Ito highlight rising UK sponsor licence revocations and how HR and mobility leaders can manage the impact.

Media mentions
Partner Bo Cooper discusses the $100,000 H-1B fee and its impact on financial, banking and technology firms relying on international talent.

Media mentions

Media mentions
Partner Audrea Golding explains how the $100,000 H-1B fee could affect hiring across the tech industry.

Blog post
Immigration Supervisor Nathalie Pimenta and Immigration Programme Manager Frida Sakaj discuss the importance of planning visa applications and document services early to avoid delays and ensure compliance with UK regulations.

Media mentions
Partner Bo Cooper explains how proposed H-1B fee and lottery changes impact hiring of skilled international talent across sectors.

Media mentions
Partner Haider Hussain underlines the role of talent mobility in shaping future growth sectors in the Kingdom.

Fragomen news
Fragomen is recognised by the Financial Times for its innovative work in workforce mobility and cross-sector collaboration.

Media mentions
Partner Daniel Brown outlines steps companies can take to support employees and maintain smooth operations during compliance-related situations.

Awards
Fragomen has been recognized in the 2026 edition of The Best Law Firms™ in Germany, earning a Regional Tier 1 ranking in Hessen for Labor and Employment Law.

Media mentions
Partner Shayan Sultan discusses a rise in inquiries about UAE residency and remote work programmes amid global talent mobility trends.

Media mentions
Partner Rajiv Naik, Senior Manager Thomas Kingsmill and Manager Ko Ito highlight rising UK sponsor licence revocations and how HR and mobility leaders can manage the impact.

Media mentions
Partner Bo Cooper discusses the $100,000 H-1B fee and its impact on financial, banking and technology firms relying on international talent.

Media mentions

Media mentions
Partner Audrea Golding explains how the $100,000 H-1B fee could affect hiring across the tech industry.

Blog post
Immigration Supervisor Nathalie Pimenta and Immigration Programme Manager Frida Sakaj discuss the importance of planning visa applications and document services early to avoid delays and ensure compliance with UK regulations.