If you go home to India every winter, an OCI card saves you a visa on every trip. Processing takes six to eight weeks. Christmas is under twelve weeks away. Here is what to do this week.
At a glance: can I get an OCI card before Christmas?
Probably, if you submit by mid-October. The High Commission of India in London says a correctly submitted new OCI takes six to eight weeks. You apply online at ociservices.gov.in, then hand in documents at a VFS Global centre. The fee is £218 plus a VFS service charge. If you cannot submit by mid-October, get an e-Visa for this trip and apply for OCI in the new year. Always check the official sites; rules change.
Why October is the deadline for a Christmas OCI
An Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card gives you a lifelong, multiple-entry right to visit India without a visa. For families who fly home every December, that is one job off the list.
The catch is time. The High Commission of India in London states a new OCI takes a minimum of six weeks, and six to eight weeks when submitted accurately, and advises booking travel only after the OCI is in hand. Count back from a 15 December departure: your file needs to be at a VFS centre by around 16 October. Later, and you are relying on luck.
Who can apply for an OCI card, and who cannot
Broadly, a British citizen can apply if they:
were an Indian citizen at any time on or after 26 January 1950, or
are the child, grandchild or great-grandchild of someone who was, or
are the minor child of parents where at least one is an Indian citizen or OCI cardholder, or
are the spouse of foreign origin of an Indian citizen or OCI cardholder, married at least two years (the High Commission quotes a minimum of twelve weeks for this category).
Who cannot apply? Indian law is clear: no one who is or has ever been a citizen of Pakistan or Bangladesh, and no one whose parents, grandparents or great-grandparents have been, is eligible for OCI. UK government advice adds that British-Pakistani dual nationals must apply for an Indian visa on their Pakistani passport. VFS Global also notes your passport must say British Citizen, not British Subject. If unsure, check the eligibility pages at ociservices.gov.in, which are the authority, not us.
Former Indian citizens: surrender your Indian passport first
If you once held an Indian passport and later became British, you must have surrendered it and hold a Surrender Certificate before you apply for OCI. Older cases may hold a Renunciation Certificate instead, which is also accepted. VFS Global is clear that the surrender and OCI applications cannot be submitted on the same day. Surrender first, wait for the certificate, then apply. The High Commission lists the surrender fee as £30 before ICWF and service charges. If this applies to you, start it this week.
Documents, fees and where to apply
You complete the form at ociservices.gov.in, upload scans, then attend a VFS Global centre with originals and copies. Main items on the VFS Global UK checklist:
Your current British passport and two recent 2-inch photographs
Your naturalisation certificate, if you were not born British
Proof of Indian origin: your own cancelled Indian passport and Surrender Certificate, or a parent’s or grandparent’s Indian passport and documents
Your full birth certificate (if issued outside India it must carry a paper apostille)
Your parents’ marriage certificate if you are applying through a parent
Your own marriage certificate and spouse’s passport, if married
Proof of UK address and proof of employment, study or self-employment
A new OCI costs £215 plus a £3 Indian Community Welfare Fund contribution, so £218, paid at VFS with a VFS service charge and optional courier fees. Check the live fee before your appointment.
VFS Global centre | Who it usually serves |
London (Goswell Road) | London and the South East, under the High Commission of India, London |
Birmingham, Leicester, Manchester, Bradford | The Midlands and the North, under the Consulate General of India, Birmingham |
Edinburgh | Scotland, under the Consulate General of India, Edinburgh |
Cardiff | Wales |
Your postcode decides which centre takes your file; check the jurisdiction on the VFS site.
OCI vs e-Visa: which should you choose this winter?
Not sure the OCI will arrive in time? Do not gamble with Christmas flights. An e-Visa from the official indianvisaonline.gov.in site is issued in days, not weeks.
| OCI card | e-Visa |
Validity | Lifelong, multiple entry | 30 days, 1 year or 5 years, with a maximum of 180 days in India per calendar year |
Processing | 6 to 8 weeks if submitted correctly | Usually days; apply at least a week before you fly |
How you apply | Online, then in person at a VFS centre | Fully online |
Choose it this winter if | You can submit at VFS by mid-October and visit India often | You cannot, or your eligibility is still being checked |
Either way, gov.uk says your passport needs six months’ validity on arrival and two blank pages.
Your Christmas countdown
Counting back from a Tuesday 15 December 2026 departure:
Date | Weeks to go | What to do |
By Friday 9 October | About 10 weeks | Confirm eligibility. Former Indian citizens: submit the surrender application. Order missing certificates and the apostille. |
By Friday 16 October | About 8.5 weeks | Complete the OCI form online and attend your VFS appointment. This is the realistic cut-off for Christmas. |
Late October | 7 weeks | Book flights before Christmas fares climb. Choose a flexible fare if your OCI is pending. |
Mid November | 4 weeks | Track your application on ociservices.gov.in. If it is not approved, apply for an e-Visa as a back-up. |
By 1 December | 2 weeks | Collect your OCI or print your e-Visa. Check every traveller’s passport validity and blank pages. |
5 tips for families applying together
1. Apply for everyone in the same fortnight
Children’s applications need both parents’ documents, so build one family pack and reuse it.
2. Already hold an OCI? Check the new-passport rule
Since 2021 the rule is simpler. If your OCI was issued before you turned 20, the card is re-issued once when you get a new passport after your 20th birthday. Otherwise no re-issue. You still upload each new passport and a fresh photo on the OCI portal within three months, every time a passport is issued before 20 and once after 50.
3. Get the apostille early
A UK-issued birth certificate needs a paper apostille from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. This is the most common reason a timeline slips.
4. Match the names exactly
Spelling differences between an Indian passport, a marriage certificate and a British passport cause routine queries. Include the document that explains any difference.
5. Book flights that can flex
If your OCI might land late, choose a fare with changeable dates and tell us. Flying to Hyderabad? See our guide to flights London to Hyderabad.
Why book with Mann Travel?
Mann Travel has helped UK families get home to India since 2009. Our Southall team specialises in UK to India flights, speaks Hindi, Punjabi and English, and offers phone and WhatsApp support. We are a travel agency, not a visa service, so we never process your OCI; we plan your dates around the paperwork. Students and education staff save £25 on selected returns with MannPass. Questions? Visit manntravel.co.uk/contact-us.
Let’s take you home this Christmas.
Sort the OCI this week, then search live fares at manntravel.co.uk/flights or call our team on 0208 099 9900.
frequently asked questions
How long does an OCI card take in the UK?
The High Commission of India in London states six to eight weeks for a correctly submitted application, and at least twelve weeks for foreign spouses.
How much does an OCI card cost in the UK?
£215 plus £3 for the Indian Community Welfare Fund, so £218, plus a VFS Global service charge and optional courier fees.
Can I get an OCI card if my grandparents were from Pakistan or Bangladesh?
No. Anyone whose parents, grandparents or great-grandparents are or have been citizens of Pakistan or Bangladesh is not eligible for OCI.
Do I need to renew my OCI card when I get a new British passport?
Only once, if your OCI was issued before you turned 20 and you get a new passport after your 20th birthday. Otherwise you upload the new passport details on the OCI portal within three months.
Is it too late to get an OCI card for Christmas 2026?
Not if you submit at a VFS centre by around 16 October. After that, get an e-Visa for this trip and start your OCI in the new year.
Mann Travel is a travel agency, not a visa or immigration service. OCI and visa rules, fees and processing times change. Check ociservices.gov.in, the High Commission of India London, VFS Global UK and gov.uk before you apply or travel. Fares change daily.
