India has given Person of Indian Origin (PIO) card holders another 12-month reprieve to switch to Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) status. A public notice issued on 4 December by Indian missions worldwide confirms that all PIO cards—including handwritten versions—will remain valid for entry and exit until 31 December 2025, superseding the previous 31 December 2024 cut-off.
The extension acknowledges continued backlogs at outsourced visa centres and pandemic-era passport renewals that left many diaspora members without the matching document numbers required for conversion. While the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) is phasing out non-machine-readable travel documents, the notice clarifies that India will honour PIO cards unless ICAO mandates earlier invalidation.
![Deadline to Convert PIO Cards to OCI Extended to 31 December 2025]()
Roughly 510,000 people—predominantly in the U.S., U.K., Canada and South Africa—still hold legacy PIO cards. Failure to convert would force them to apply for regular visas, a costly and time-consuming process. The Ministry of Home Affairs reiterated that the OCI card offers lifelong, multi-purpose visas, parity with NRIs in economic rights and a simpler renewal regime.
Diaspora associations welcomed the move but urged clarity on postal-submission options and biometric waivers for elderly applicants. Corporations relocating executives of Indian origin should continue advising staff to convert early to avoid last-minute bottlenecks at FRRO offices during the holiday peak.
Applicants must upload scanned copies of their PIO card, foreign passport, Indian origin proof and a current photograph to the OCI portal; physical card endorsement is completed at the nearest Indian mission.
The extension acknowledges continued backlogs at outsourced visa centres and pandemic-era passport renewals that left many diaspora members without the matching document numbers required for conversion. While the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) is phasing out non-machine-readable travel documents, the notice clarifies that India will honour PIO cards unless ICAO mandates earlier invalidation.
Roughly 510,000 people—predominantly in the U.S., U.K., Canada and South Africa—still hold legacy PIO cards. Failure to convert would force them to apply for regular visas, a costly and time-consuming process. The Ministry of Home Affairs reiterated that the OCI card offers lifelong, multi-purpose visas, parity with NRIs in economic rights and a simpler renewal regime.
Diaspora associations welcomed the move but urged clarity on postal-submission options and biometric waivers for elderly applicants. Corporations relocating executives of Indian origin should continue advising staff to convert early to avoid last-minute bottlenecks at FRRO offices during the holiday peak.
Applicants must upload scanned copies of their PIO card, foreign passport, Indian origin proof and a current photograph to the OCI portal; physical card endorsement is completed at the nearest Indian mission.
