Home › Travel Guides › Traveling to India with an OCI card
Traveling to India with an OCI card
The documents OCI cardholders need at check-in and immigration, and the rules after you renew your US passport.
Last reviewed: September 2026 by the Ticketdev Travels team
Please note: We are a travel agency, not a consular service. OCI rules are set by the Government of India and can change. Check the Embassy of India, Washington DC or your consulate before you travel.
What to carry when you fly
- Your valid US passport - OCI cardholders are not Indian citizens and must travel on a valid foreign passport
- Your OCI registration certificate (OCI card)
Air India's guidance notes that immigration no longer insists on the old passport with the lifelong "U" visa sticker; clearance is based on your valid foreign passport and OCI certificate.
When you get a new US passport
According to the Embassy of India's OCI reissue guidelines (updated September 2026):
- Every OCI cardholder must upload a copy of the new passport and a recent photo online each time a new passport is issued, whatever their age. The Embassy says this should be done within three months of getting the new passport, and there is no fee for it.
- A full OCI reissue is required only if you got your OCI card before age 20 and your new passport after turning 20.
Airlines check travel documents at check-in, so make sure your records are updated before your flight date.
How we help
We book flights for OCI cardholders - family visits, weddings and long stays - and remind you to check your documents before you fly.
Sources: Embassy of India, Washington DC - OCI reissue guidelines; Air India - OCI cardholders travelling to India. Checked September 2026.