Process to apply OCI for French passport holder residing in India

[DPriya81]

Hi

My friend is a french passport holder. She had received the passport 1 week back. She may not be able to travel to France for next 1.5years. What is the process to stay back in India. Can she apply OCI from India , if she had not travelled out of county? Please let me know.

[immihelp]

Read /oci-card/

[DPriya81]

Thanks for the response.

However she has not travelled to overseas so far and will not be able to travel for next 1.5 years due to family constraints. She got her french passport recently. Can she stay in India and apply OCI from India itself. Pls let me know

Thanks in advance

[cafeconleche]

Yes, she can. She'll have to go to the nearest FRRO to ask about the process, I think, since she hasn't been able to have her Indian passport cancelled, I reckon, and doesn't have a visa. Was her entitlement to French citizenship just acknowledged by the mission there?

[DPriya81]

Thanks for your response.
She has checked with FRRO.He mentioned, She should make a mandatory travel to France within 6 months and come back and apply OCI. She can apply for exit visa only. If she stays beyond 6 months what is the penalty? Pls let me know.

Thanks

[cafeconleche]

No idea. I've never run into this type of situation. She ought to press the FRRO for better options, such as an extension of stay.

Does she HAVE to renounce her Indian citizenship now? How will the Indian government even know she has been granted French citizenship? She should just keep it quiet, leave India in a year and a half on her Indian passport, and then apply for OCI then. She might be fined a little, but it won't be too bad.

I don't know these family circumstanced, but a weeklong trip to France could also be enough. As long as she goes there, renounces her Indian citizenship and applies for a tourist or entry visa, and returns to India after that, she can apply for OCI in India.