Government of India has conveyed that OCI applicants facing difficulties in producing documentary evidence in support of their Indian origin status can also seek and obtain “Nativity Certificate” from their respective state Governments in India. This is likely to help many OCI applicants in future.  If the nativity certificates can contain  details of  parents and grand parents and relate these to applicants, where feasible, some supporting  documents may not be necessary.  Relevant details  are given below:   

1. “Difficulties experienced by PIOs in adducing documents in primary evidence of their being of Indian origin have often been brought to our notice. In consultation with the Ministry of Home Affairs it has been decided that the “Nativity Certificate” issued by State Government in India by a authority not below  a District Collector/ District Magistrate about an applicant being PIO eligible for registration as OCI may be accepted as sufficient proof.
   
   
2. Accordingly State Governments have been advised to instruct the concerned district authorities in their respective states about the issue of “Nativity Certificate” to OCI applicants, after establishing their Indian nativity at village / Tehsil / District as also at urban level. A copy of sample “Nativity Certificate” is enclosed. Such “Nativity Certificate” may be accepted by the Missions/Posts as a primary evidence for processing the issue of OCI card.”

Application for Nativity Certificate