# Get an OCI card from Canada

For Canadians of Indian origin. If you used to hold an Indian passport it's two parts: surrender it, then apply for the OCI. Since April 2026 it's in person at BLS only, because they take fingerprints.

- Kind: Paperwork & IDs
- Applies to: Canada
- Your time: about 4 hr
- Steps: 7
- Written by: @helg
- Version 1, updated 2026-11-01
- Source: https://helg.app/community/get-an-oci-card-from-canada

## Steps

1. **Get [Whose OCI]'s surrender certificate first** (45 min)
   Only if [Whose OCI] ever held an Indian passport. Apply on Passport Seva's mission portal, then hand it in at BLS: C$116 if you became Canadian on or after June 1, 2010 \(C$59 before\), plus BLS charges, and about four to six weeks. Became Canadian before June 2010? The old passport with a cancellation stamp can do instead.
   - [Surrender certificate \(Consulate, Vancouver\)](https://www.cgivancouver.gov.in/pages/NjI0)
2. **Fill in the OCI form online for [Whose OCI]** (1 hr)
   On ociservices.gov.in, and upload every document there. Once it's submitted you can't edit it; you'd have to start a new form.
   - [OCI services](https://ociservices.gov.in/onlineOCI/)
3. **Get the photo right** (20 min)
   Square, at least 51 × 51 mm, face filling most of it, plain light background \(not white\), no border. The upload is a JPEG under 200 KB, between 200 and 900 pixels square.
   - [OCI FAQ: photo and signature](https://ociservices.gov.in/onlineOCI/faq)
4. **Gather the documents** (45 min)
   Form printout, surrender certificate, last Indian passport \(first, last and endorsement pages\), citizenship certificate, landing paper or COPR, current Canadian passport with six months or more left, and proof of address \(licence, photo ID or a utility bill; not a phone bill or bank statement\). Plus the declaration about Indian voter ID and ration card. Married: the certificate and your spouse's passport.
   - [OCI checklist \(High Commission\)](https://hciottawa.gov.in/pdf/menu/Updated_checklist_for_OCI_14-11-24.pdf)
5. **Go to a BLS centre in person** (1 hr)
   Posted applications aren't accepted any more: fingerprints and a photo are taken there. The fee is CAD 376 plus BLS's charge, by debit or exact cash. Use the centre for your consulate \(Ottawa, Toronto or Vancouver\).
   - [BLS: OCI services](https://www.blsindia-canada.com/vancouver-jurisdiction/ocihome.php)
6. **Wait for the card**
   Usually six to eight weeks. There's a free e-OCI you can download too, but it doesn't replace the card.
7. **Remember when it needs redoing** (5 min)
   [Whose OCI] only needs a new OCI once, on getting a new passport after turning 20. Before that, a new passport is just updated online.
   - [OCI re-issue rules](https://www.cgivancouver.gov.in/pages/MTA1Mw,,)

## Details that depend on you

Words in [square brackets] are filled in when you add this to Helg:

- [Whose OCI]: Who is the OCI card for?

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Written by Helg and community members, not by any government. General information, not legal or professional advice: fees and rules change, so check the official sites before paying for anything.
Add it to Helg as a checklist: https://helg.app/community/get-an-oci-card-from-canada