By Apna News
VANCOUVER, B.C. - Overseas Citizens of India cardholders who have not updated their passport details on India’s e-OCI portal can do so without the usual US$25 late penalty until the end of the year, under a one-time waiver announced by the Government of India and publicized by the Consulate General of India in Vancouver in a public notice dated November 3, 2026.
The waiver applies to fresh applications for updating passport details in the e-OCI portal received from November 1 to December 31, 2026, inclusive. Those applications will be exempted from the penalty entirely.
The notice draws a line between two kinds of update. Cardholders whose passport has changed can use the passport-detail update route. But applicants with changes in personal particulars, such as a name, nationality, parent’s name or spouse’s name, must submit a separate application for updating personal particulars.
Travel is not affected while an update is being processed. The notice states there will be no restriction on OCI cardholders’ travel while their passport-detail update applications are in progress. Cardholders are nevertheless advised to carry both their old and new passports along with the OCI card when travelling to and from India.
For Surrey, the notice lands where it matters. The city is home to one of Canada’s largest Indian diaspora communities, and OCI cards are held by many local families for travel to India. Anyone whose passport was renewed without the e-OCI record being updated, a common situation ahead of winter trips to India, now has until December 31 to fix it without the US$25 penalty.
(Source: Consulate General of India, Vancouver, November 3, 2026)
