OCI application for your children

By Ern Phang, Solicitor & Notary Public
Director of Phang Legal. Solicitor since 1998 and notary public since 2005.

Example: the situation

Ritu and her husband are applying for OCI cards for their three children. The checklist asks for notarised copies of both parents' passports and each child's birth certificate.

When you apply for several children, each application needs its own set of notarised copies. Let's discuss what that means.

Applying on behalf of children

In this article, we specifically address the issue of applying for an OCI for your children. If you, your parents or your grandparents were citizens of India, your children would also be entitled to apply to become an OCI.

For the latest requirements, please visit the VFS website and refer to the latest checklist. For many of our clients, the application for an OCI for their children requires them to have the copies of passports of both parents notarised and a copy of the child's birth certificate to be notarised as well. If you have multiple children, then each child must have their own set of notarised copies of parents' passports.

Usually, the requirement for attestation outlined for this application means 'certified copies'. However, if you are a resident of New South Wales, it also means that the attestation must be performed by a notary public. A justice of the peace (which is a free service) is not authorised to 'notarise' a document. Notarisation can only be provided by a notary public (and this is usually not a free service).

As a leading provider of notary public services in Sydney, we regularly help clients intending to apply for their own OCI as well as an OCI for their children.

What is an OCI?

OCI stands for "Overseas Citizen of India". For many of our clients, who are Australian citizens (and sometimes New Zealand citizens) living in Australia, the main attraction for applying to be recognised as an OCI is the multiple entry and unlimited stay in India. This is especially important if they still have family (ie, aging parents), property or other business interests in India.

What are the benefits of being an OCI?

Aside from multiple entry and the entitlement to multi-purpose life long visa to visit India, the other benefits of being an OCI are:

• Exemption from reporting to Police authorities for any length of stay in India; and
• Parity with non-resident Indians in financial, economic and educational fields except in the acquisition of agricultural or plantation properties.

Who can apply to become an OCI?

If you have renounced your Indian citizenship (or your family were originally from India) and you are now a citizen of another country (ie, Australia or New Zealand), you can apply to become an OCI provided that:

• you were a citizen of India at the time of, or at any time after 26th January 1950; or
• you were eligible to become a citizen of India on 26th January 1950; or
• you belonged to a territory that became part of India after 15th August 1947; or
• you are a child or a grandchild or a great-grandchild of such a citizen; or
• you are a minor child of such persons mentioned above; or
• you are a minor child and whose both parents are citizens of India or one of the parents is a citizen of India.

Besides, a spouse of foreign origin of a citizen of India or spouse of foreign origin of an Overseas Citizen of India Cardholder and whose marriage has been registered and subsisted for a continuous period of not less than two years immediately preceding the presentation of the application is also eligible for registration as OCI cardholder.

Example: the solution

Ritu and her husband brought their passports and the children's original birth certificates. Our notary public notarised a separate set of the parents' passport copies for each child, together with each birth certificate copy.

About Us

This blog is maintained by Phang Legal, a boutique law firm with offices in Parramatta and Rouse Hill. We help clients from across Sydney and beyond with personal, professional and timely Legal Services, Notary Services and Apostille Services.

As a leading provider of notary services in Sydney, we have 1k+ Google Reviews (4.9) (updated July 2026) with many clients happy to share their experience in using our services.

Phang Legal — Parramatta
6/83 George Street
Level 3, 87 Marsden Street (from 1 March 2026)
Parramatta NSW 2150

Phang Legal — Rouse Hill
214/80 Main Street
Rouse Hill NSW 2155

Call 02 9687 8885 | WhatsApp | Request quote

About the author

Ern Phang — Solicitor & Notary Public

This article was written by Ern Phang, a director of Phang Legal, a solicitor since 1998 and a notary public since 2005.

Ern has been a member of the Society of Notaries of NSW since 2005, a Fellow of the Australian and New Zealand College of Notaries since 2013, and a member of the Law Society of New South Wales since 1998.

Ern regularly writes about his experiences as a notary public and the practical issues his clients face when sending documents from Australia to India and other countries all over the world.

Using information in this article
This article provides general information. Requirements, forms, fees and service arrangements may have changed since its original publication. Check the receiving organisation’s current requirements and obtain advice relevant to your circumstances.

Applying for Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) from VFS

By Ern Phang, Solicitor & Notary Public
Director of Phang Legal. Solicitor since 1998 and notary public since 2005.

Example: the situation

Arvind became an Australian citizen last year and wants an OCI card so he can travel to India freely. He reads the eligibility rules and isn't sure which supporting documents need notarising.

OCI eligibility is set by India, and the documents depend on your situation. Let's discuss where we fit in.

What's an Overseas Citizen of India?

A foreign national, - (i) who was a citizen of India at the time of, or at any time after 26th January, 1950; or (ii) who was eligible to become a citizen of India on 26th January, 1950; or (iii) who belonged to a territory that became part of India after 15th August, 1947; or (iv) who is a child or a grandchild or a great grandchild of such a citizen; or (v) who is a minor child of such persons mentioned above; or (vi) who is a minor child and whose both parents are citizens of India or one of the parents is a citizen of India - is eligible for registration as OCI cardholder.

Besides, spouse of foreign origin of a citizen of India or spouse of foreign origin of an Overseas Citizen of India Cardholder and whose marriage has been registered and subsisted for a continuous period of not less than two years immediately preceding the presentation of the application is also eligible for registration as OCI cardholder. However, no person, who or either of whose parents or grandparents or great grandparents is or had been a citizen of Pakistan, Bangladesh or such other country as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify, shall be eligible for registration as an Overseas Citizen of India Cardholder.

- https://ociservices.gov.in/

What's the benefit of being an OCI?

• Multiple entry, multi-purpose lifelong visa to visit India;
• Exemption from reporting to Police authorities for any length of stay in India; and
• Parity with NRIs in financial, economic and educational fields except in the acquisition of agricultural or plantation properties.

Applying for OCI in Sydney

In Australia, applications to become an OCI must be submitted through VFS.

If you live in New South Wales, in support of your OCI application, you must have your various supporting documents attested by a notary public. 

Notary public services for OCI application

As a leading provider of notary public services in Sydney, we help many clients who are submitting their OCI applications to VFS. Documents that we commonly attest to support the OCI application include:

• Copies of passports
• Copies of birth certificates
• Copies of marriage certificates
• Copies of driver licence
• Copies of utility bills
• Statutory Declarations and Affidavits

Each person must submit their own application (and their own set of attested documentation). Submitting an application on behalf of your child will require additional documents from each parent as well.

Example: the solution

Arvind checked the VFS checklist for his application and listed the copies that needed attesting. Our notary public notarised those copies, and he lodged them with VFS.

About Us

This blog is maintained by Phang Legal, a boutique law firm with offices in Parramatta and Rouse Hill. We help clients from across Sydney and beyond with personal, professional and timely Legal Services, Notary Services and Apostille Services.

As a leading provider of notary services in Sydney, we have 1k+ Google Reviews (4.9) (updated July 2026) with many clients happy to share their experience in using our services.

Phang Legal — Parramatta
6/83 George Street
Level 3, 87 Marsden Street (from 1 March 2026)
Parramatta NSW 2150

Phang Legal — Rouse Hill
214/80 Main Street
Rouse Hill NSW 2155

Call 02 9687 8885 | WhatsApp | Request quote

About the author

Ern Phang — Solicitor & Notary Public

This article was written by Ern Phang, a director of Phang Legal, a solicitor since 1998 and a notary public since 2005.

Ern has been a member of the Society of Notaries of NSW since 2005, a Fellow of the Australian and New Zealand College of Notaries since 2013, and a member of the Law Society of New South Wales since 1998.

Ern regularly writes about his experiences as a notary public and the practical issues his clients face when sending documents from Australia to India and other countries all over the world.

Using information in this article
This article provides general information. Requirements, forms, fees and service arrangements may have changed since its original publication. Check the receiving organisation’s current requirements and obtain advice relevant to your circumstances.

I want notary for OCI... but what does that mean?

By Ern Phang, Solicitor & Notary Public
Director of Phang Legal. Solicitor since 1998 and notary public since 2005.

Example: the situation

Jatin calls us to say he wants 'notary for OCI' for himself, his wife and their daughter. When we ask which documents, he isn't sure.

OCI applications need different documents for each applicant. Let's discuss how to work out which need notarising.

VFS links and resources — Updated July 2026. Links in this article have been updated to the resources listed in our July 2026 VFS update and the VFS India website for Australia. Use the relevant VFS checklist for current requirements. This note concerns links and resources; the rest of this article has not been comprehensively reviewed.

Overseas Citizen of India applications

When people call us and say "I want notary for OCI..." it doesn't actually explain what they require.

Applying to be an Overseas Citizen of India requires you to submit various documents to VFS in support of your application, however, what documents you must submit depends on you and whoever else you may be applying for (ie, spouse and children etc). To simply state that you need notary services does not provide enough information for us to confirm whether we can assist you or what would be the cost for those services.

If you're not sure what documents you must submit in support of your OCI application or you're not sure what documents must be notarised, then you should visit the VFS website for more information.

You can also find the OCI Checklist here.

What services can we provide in support of the OCI application?

We can notarise certified copies of Australian government documents. If you need to provide certified copies of Australian or international documents (ie, passports, Australian birth certificates, Australian marriage certificates, Australian change of name certificates), then we can assist with certifying and notarising copies of those documents. If any of those documents must also be stamped with an apostille from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, we can also assist with that process.

We cannot notarise copies of documents issued by governments of other countries. Although the VFS checklist indicates that there are some documents, like birth certificates or marriage certificates issued from India, which must also be notarised, this requirement cannot be satisfied by our office on the basis that they are foreign documents and not Australian or international documents. Documents issued from India should really be either attested by VFS (which it refuses to - not sure why) or by a notary public in India, but not by a notary public in Australia. Potentially since this is a requirement from VFS, which does not consider the legal jurisdiction of notarisation in Australia, then there may be some notaries who are still providing this service even though legally they are not supposed to.

Interestingly, as VFS highlights in their checklist, if a document was not issued in Australia (or in India) but some other country, then that document must be attested by the embassy/consulate or foreign office of that country. However, despite acknowledging the limitations of what notaries in Australia can or should be doing with other foreign documents, the reality is that the same applies to documents issued from India (ie, they cannot be notarised in Australia and should be attested by the embassy/consulate or foreign office of India, being VFS).

What next?

Example: the solution

Jatin checked the VFS checklist for each family member and sent us the list of documents. We gave him a quote, and our notary public notarised everything on the list at one appointment.

To obtain a quote on our notary public services for India, please visit Request a notary quote.

About Us

This blog is maintained by Phang Legal, a boutique law firm with offices in Parramatta and Rouse Hill. We help clients from across Sydney and beyond with personal, professional and timely Legal Services, Notary Services and Apostille Services.

As a leading provider of notary services in Sydney, we have 1k+ Google Reviews (4.9) (updated July 2026) with many clients happy to share their experience in using our services.

Phang Legal — Parramatta
6/83 George Street
Level 3, 87 Marsden Street (from 1 March 2026)
Parramatta NSW 2150

Phang Legal — Rouse Hill
214/80 Main Street
Rouse Hill NSW 2155

Call 02 9687 8885 | WhatsApp | Request quote

About the author

Ern Phang — Solicitor & Notary Public

This article was written by Ern Phang, a director of Phang Legal, a solicitor since 1998 and a notary public since 2005.

Ern has been a member of the Society of Notaries of NSW since 2005, a Fellow of the Australian and New Zealand College of Notaries since 2013, and a member of the Law Society of New South Wales since 1998.

Ern regularly writes about his experiences as a notary public and the practical issues his clients face when sending documents from Australia to India and other countries all over the world.

Using information in this article
This article provides general information. Requirements, forms, fees and service arrangements may have changed since its original publication. Check the receiving organisation’s current requirements and obtain advice relevant to your circumstances.