A New Zealand citizen can obtain an OCI card under section 7A of the Citizenship Act 1955 if a parent, grandparent or great-grandparent was an Indian citizen on or after 26 January 1950, or eligible to be, or if married to an Indian citizen or OCI for at least two years, subject to exclusions. Applications are made online and processed through the High Commission in Wellington. We advise on eligibility, documents, refusals and cancellations under section 7D.
- Document route
- New Zealand notary public, then apostille from the Department of Internal Affairs
- Time difference
- New Zealand is 6h30 (NZ winter) to 7h30 (NZ summer) ahead of IST
- Law
- Citizenship Act 1955, sections 7A to 7D
- Spouse route
- Marriage registered, 2 years subsisting
OCI Card Issues from New Zealand: how it works
We review your family documents to establish the link to Indian citizenship. For people whose parents left India after 1950, an old Indian passport or birth certificate is usually enough. For families whose ancestors left before 1947, including many with Fijian Indian heritage, the documentary trail is harder, and we check whether any special extension for that country applies. We prepare the application, including the renunciation certificate if you previously held Indian citizenship, and supporting affidavits signed before a New Zealand notary.
Once the card is issued, we advise on updating it after a new passport, as the rules on reissue have changed over the years, and on what OCI cardholders may and may not do: property purchases, employment, research and journalism permits. If the government issues a show cause notice or cancels the card under section 7D, we prepare the reply and, if needed, challenge the order before the appropriate High Court. Cancellation can affect travel and property plans, so it is taken seriously.
What clients in New Zealand should know
- New Zealand allows dual citizenship, but India does not, so a New Zealander of Indian origin holds OCI rather than Indian citizenship.
- Anyone who has ever held an Indian passport must surrender it and obtain a renunciation certificate before applying for OCI, which often takes time.
- OCI cardholders cannot buy agricultural land, plantations or farmhouses, and need permission for certain activities such as mountaineering and missionary work.
Step by step from New Zealand
Video consultation
A call at a time that suits New Zealand, after we have read your documents.
Documents signed in New Zealand
New Zealand notary public, then apostille from the Department of Internal Affairs
Work in India
Our team files, appears and follows up in India, and shares scans of everything filed.
Result and handover
Certified copies and originals are couriered to you in New Zealand where needed.
The full guide
This page covers what changes when you are in New Zealand. For the law, the documents and the step-by-step procedure, read our main page on OCI Card Issues, or see all services for clients in New Zealand and the Cross-Border Family Law practice area.
Questions from clients in New Zealand
My grandfather left India in 1930. Am I eligible for OCI?
Possibly not under the main rule, which looks to Indian citizenship on or after 26 January 1950. We check whether any special provision covers your family's country of residence.
Can my non-Indian spouse get OCI?
A foreign spouse of an Indian citizen or OCI cardholder can apply after the marriage has been registered and has lasted at least two years, subject to security clearance.
What happens if my OCI card is cancelled?
You can respond to the show cause notice and, if cancelled, seek review or file a writ petition. Meanwhile you need a visa to visit India.