Three dates matter for the OCI card this year:
| Date | What changed |
|---|---|
| 1 May 2026 | The Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2026 were notified. They introduce the electronic OCI (e-OCI) and drop the need to send documents in duplicate. |
| 30 June 2026 | India launched e-OCI cards, for new applicants and existing card holders. Physical cards stay valid. |
| 8 July 2026 | From this date only the digital e-OCI is issued to new applicants. |
Sources: News On AIR: Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2026 notified (1 May 2026); Consulate General of India, Auckland: launch of e-OCI cards (notice); Consulate General of India, Chicago: e-OCI card (9 July 2026). You download the e-OCI from the OCI portal or the Indian Visa Su-Swagatam app and show it with your passport.
The OCI portal still asks for a square photo, at least 51×51 mm, 200×200 to 900×900 pixels, JPEG under 200 KB, on a plain light background that isn't white, with the face about 80% of the photo (ociservices.gov.in: OCI FAQ, photo specifications, read 3 November 2026). We found no new photo rule with e-OCI.
For an Indian passport, including one applied for abroad, the photo follows the ICAO guidelines on a white background, and the Passport Seva upload is exactly 630×810 pixels, JPEG under 250 KB (VFS Global: Passport Seva photo upload instructions (Nov 2025); Gulf News: India's ICAO photo rule from 1 September 2025). That is a different photo from the OCI one, so make each to its own rules.
Checked 3 November 2026. Your mission's checklist decides; follow it if it differs.
