The documents a foreign spouse of an Indian citizen or OCI holder needs to apply for an OCI card from the UK.
If you are married to an Indian citizen or OCI holder you can apply for OCI through your spouse — provided the marriage is registered and has continued for at least two years. This checklist covers the marriage evidence, your spouse's documents, and the photo and address proof the portal requires.
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Spouse-based OCI requirements vary by where you married and your spouse's status. This is a general guide — we send a tailored checklist for your exact case within one working day.
Spouse-based OCI has two firm conditions:
You confirm the marriage is ongoing with a signed declaration that the marriage is subsisting. A UK marriage certificate is usually accepted directly; certificates from other countries normally need apostille or legalisation.
Your Indian spouse must provide a valid Indian passport bearing their signature — or, if they have themselves become foreign/OCI, their OCI card plus foreign passport. Because married names often change, include name-consistency evidence such as a naturalisation certificate or a surrendered Indian passport so every document ties to the same person.
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You need your registered marriage certificate (apostilled or legalised if married outside the UK or India), your Indian spouse's valid Indian passport showing their signature — or their OCI card and foreign passport — a declaration that the marriage is subsisting, your current British passport, a recent photo and signature to OCI specification, UK address proof within three months, and name-consistency evidence.
Yes. To qualify for spouse-based OCI the marriage must be registered and must have subsisted continuously for at least two years immediately before you apply. A declaration confirming the marriage is still subsisting is part of the document set.
A UK-issued marriage certificate is generally accepted as-is for a UK application. If you married outside the UK or India, the certificate usually needs to be apostilled or legalised by the issuing country before VFS will accept it.