Kuala Lumpur, January 21 – The Indian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur has announced that with effect from 9th January this year there will be no more applications for PIO cards and that there will be only OCI cards henceforth.
In a press statement released today the Indian High Commission explained as follows:
“In accordance with the assurance by Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, the validity of the Person of Indian Origin (PIO) card has been made lifelong. The PIO card has also now been made on par with the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card.
Consequently, PIO cards, already issued, will now be deemed to be OCI cards. Such PIO cardholders are welcome to visit the High Commission of India, Kuala Lumpur to have their PIO cards endorsed for lifelong validity.
Since PIO and OCI Card Schemes have been merged, Government of India has decided to discontinue issuance of any new PIO card with effect from January 9, 2015. All applicants will now have to apply for OCI card only. The OCI application form is available on the website https://passport.gov.in/oci/.
The OCI form has to be filled up online. Subsequently, a copy of the filled up OCI application form downloaded from the website, along with supporting documents, are to be submitted to the High Commission of India, Kuala Lumpur.
In addition, you may also see the website of the High Commission of India, Kuala Lumpur (http://www.indianhighcommission.com.my/oci_consular.html) for the list of supporting documents required for verification of OCI cards, as well as frequently asked questions (FAQ) related to OCI card”
