India | PIO card validity extended again

Indian authorities announced all Person of Indian Origin (PIO) cards will remain valid until Dec. 31, 2025.

Key Points:

• Indian immigration check posts will continue to consider all PIO cards that were valid as of Jan. 9, 2015, including handwritten and machine-readable cards, with a valid foreign passport to be acceptable for entry or exit until Dec. 31, 2025.
• As BAL reported, the previous deadline was Dec. 31, 2024.
• The International Civil Aviation Organization reserves the right to alter the extension and make handwritten PIO cards invalid at any time. PIO cardholders would then have to obtain an appropriate visa from an Indian mission/post abroad should the extension policy change.

Additional Information: Indian officials are advising individuals to convert their PIO card to an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card before the extended deadline. The OCI card is a smart card that allows foreign citizens to visit India without a visa for 15 years, facilitates quicker immigration clearance at immigration check posts and qualifies individuals for additional consular services. More information on OCI conversion can be found here.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

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