An Indian who acquires Norwegian citizenship loses Indian citizenship and must surrender the Indian passport through the Embassy of India in Oslo, obtaining a surrender certificate. You can then apply online for an OCI card. If you used your Indian passport after becoming Norwegian, penalties may apply. OCI gives a lifelong multiple-entry visa and the right to own non-agricultural property, but not voting rights or agricultural land.
- Document route
- Notarius publicus, then apostille from Statsforvalteren
- Time difference
- India is 3h30 (summer) to 4h30 (winter) ahead
- Law
- Citizenship Act 1955, sections 7A to 7D
- Spouse route
- Marriage registered, 2 years subsisting
OCI Card Issues from Norway: how it works
We confirm the date your Norwegian citizenship was granted, since Indian law treats Indian citizenship as ending on that date, and check any travel on the Indian passport afterwards. We prepare the surrender application, the declarations and the supporting documents, and then the OCI application with correct details for parents, spouse and children. Submission is handled through the embassy's process in Oslo, and we follow up on queries.
After you hold OCI, we update Indian records: bank KYC, PAN details, property records and tax status. OCI cardholders are treated like NRIs for most economic purposes, including buying residential property and repatriating sale proceeds within FEMA limits. OCI can be cancelled for certain reasons under section 7D of the Citizenship Act, so avoid activities in India that need special permission, such as journalism or research, without first obtaining it.
What clients in Norway should know
- Norwegian-born children of former Indian citizens are usually eligible for OCI, which simplifies their travel and later inheritance of Indian property.
- After a new Norwegian passport, OCI records should be updated so that immigration in India sees both documents as linked.
- Inherited agricultural land can be kept by an OCI holder, but selling it generally requires a buyer who is a resident Indian citizen.
Step by step from Norway
Video consultation
A call at a time that suits Norway, after we have read your documents.
Documents signed in Norway
Notarius publicus, then apostille from Statsforvalteren
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 Norway where needed.
The full guide
This page covers what changes when you are in Norway. 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 Norway and the Cross-Border Family Law practice area.
Questions from clients in Norway
Can I apply for OCI before surrendering my Indian passport?
No. The surrender certificate is a required document for OCI.
Is there a penalty for using my Indian passport after naturalisation?
Yes, penalties can apply, depending on the circumstances and travel.
Can an OCI cardholder work in India?
Yes, in most private sector jobs, without a separate work visa, subject to some exceptions.