Passport, citizenship, visa, OCI, and Form C are different things. Use the document you will show at entry to choose a starting card. Then let the current document, travel purpose, and address determine the rest. This page is a practical routing aid, not legal advice or a substitute for a current visa check.
Start with one question
What document will you use to enter India? Indian passport, foreign passport with an OCI card, or foreign passport with a visa or eVisa. If your documents do not match that picture, pause and ask your consultant to check the actual documents.
The first sort
Choose the card that matches your entry document
01
Indian passportYou are an Indian citizen for this entry. Use the Indian citizen path below, even if you live abroad or your employer is outside India.
02
Foreign passport plus OCIYou are a foreign national holding an OCI card. Carry the passport and the current OCI card together and follow the OCI path below.
03
Foreign passport plus visaYou are entering as a foreign national on a visa or eVisa. Your visa class, endorsement, purpose, and length of stay set the registration path.
Do not choose by family history or job title alone. An Indian origin person with a foreign passport is not automatically on the Indian citizen path. The passport and status document you will actually use need to be checked.
The three paths
What changes, and what does not
A
Indian citizenEntry: Indian passport. After landing: use the Indian citizen route for local onboarding. The foreign-national e-Arrival and FRRO route is not the route for an Indian citizen. Bring: your current passport plus the assignment, address, and local onboarding details your consultant requests. If you also hold a foreign passport, tell us before travel.
B
OCI cardholderEntry: foreign passport plus a valid OCI card. e-Arrival: the official India Visa Online service says foreign nationals and OCI cardholders can submit the e-Arrival Card within 72 hours before arrival. Registration: the current MHA OCI FAQ says an OCI cardholder is exempt from police registration for any length of stay, but other permissions and local conditions can still matter. Bring: the passport and OCI card together.
C
Foreign national without OCIEntry: valid foreign passport plus the visa or eVisa that covers the purpose of travel. e-Arrival: submit it within 72 hours before arrival where the official service requires it. Registration: the visa class, registration endorsement, purpose, and length of stay determine whether FRRO registration is needed and the exact deadline. Bring: the passport bio page, visa or eVisa, endorsement page if any, arrival details, and first address.
Keep the duties separate
Four documents, four jobs
The clean mental model
Passport
Who you are for travel. It shows the nationality and identity document used at the border.
Visa or eVisa
Why a foreign national may enter and stay. The class and conditions on the document control the route.
OCI card
A status document for an eligible foreign national of Indian origin. It is not an Indian passport or Indian citizenship.
Form C
A host reporting duty. It is separate from your visa, OCI card, and your own FRRO application. Ask the hotel, landlord, or host how the report will be handled.
A submitted document is not the same as approval, registration, or clearance. Keep the real response, permit, acknowledgement, or receipt that proves the next state.
Your five minute handoff
Give your consultant the facts that change the route
1
Identity documentShare the current passport bio page. If more than one passport is involved, say so plainly and identify the document you will use at entry.
2
Status documentShare the visa or eVisa, including the page with any registration endorsement. OCI cardholders share the current OCI card as well.
3
Purpose and timingTell us the purpose of travel, expected length of stay, intended arrival date, and whether family members travel on the same or different documents.
4
First addressGive the hotel, temporary home, or landlord details and ask who is responsible for any host report. Keep a copy of the address and the acknowledgement if one is issued.
5
After arrivalSend the entry stamp and any official receipt or permit to the consultant. The entry date can set a clock, so do not rely on a pre-travel screenshot.
What IKAN confirms: your document set, the current visa or OCI conditions, the correct FRRO or local authority route where applicable, and the next evidence you should keep. We do not turn a sent form into an approved outcome.
Official references
Check the source that owns the rule
India e-Arrival CardOfficial submission page and current fields
MHA OCI Cardholder pageCurrent OCI resources and FAQs from the Ministry of Home Affairs
FRRO registration guidanceRegistration examples and document guidance from FRRO
IKAN Registering Your StayThe wider FRRO and e-Arrival journey in plain language
One clear document check can prevent a very expensive wrong turn. Send the current papers early, keep the official evidence, and let your consultant confirm the route that applies to your family.
Your IKAN Relocations team