Key Takeaways
• Mauritian nationals of Indian origin up to the seventh generation can now apply for an OCI Card after March 2024.
• President Droupadi Murmu announced the expanded OCI eligibility during Mauritius’ National Day, tripling potential applicants’ generations.
• The rule change will foster deeper cultural, economic, and family ties between India and Mauritius, benefiting thousands.
India 🇮🇳 has made a big change: Mauritian nationals 🇲🇺 of Indian origin, up to the seventh generation, can now apply for an OCI Card. This important update means many more people from Mauritius 🇲🇺 can reconnect with their roots in India 🇮🇳. The announcement happened during President Droupadi Murmu’s state visit to Mauritius in March 2024. This move shows the strong friendship and close history between the two countries. It also builds on ongoing efforts to make their cultural and economic ties stronger.
A New Step for the Indian Diaspora in Mauritius 🇲🇺
President Droupadi Murmu told the crowd during Mauritius’ National Day that India had just approved a special rule: Mauritians with Indian ancestry up to the seventh generation are now eligible for the OCI Card. Before this, the rule usually only allowed those up to the fourth generation. This new rule is special because it helps young Mauritians who might feel far from their Indian roots to connect again with the land of their ancestors. She said, “This will enable many younger Mauritians of Indian origin to become overseas citizens of India and reconnect with the land of their ancestors.”
To show how important this bond is, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave OCI Cards to Mauritius’ President Dharambeer Gokhool and First Lady Vrinda Gokhool during his own visit in March 2025. This moment highlighted how both countries value these family and cultural links.
Who Can Now Get an OCI Card?
With this new rule, any Mauritian national who can prove their Indian ancestry up to the seventh generation can apply for an OCI Card. This change is important for the huge number of people in Mauritius 🇲🇺 who have Indian roots. Did you know that about two-thirds of people in Mauritius 🇲🇺 are descended from Indian workers who left India 🇮🇳 between 1834 and 1920? The workers went to Mauritius 🇲🇺 during British colonial times under something called the “indenture system,” meaning they were contract workers.
Today, there are already more than 13,198 OCI Card holders in Mauritius 🇲🇺. There are also 22,188 Indian nationals living there. After the rule change, it’s expected that thousands more Mauritian nationals of Indian origin will apply. Analysis from VisaVerge.com suggests that this will help both countries stay close, not just today but in the years ahead.
What Does the OCI Card Offer?
The OCI Card, short for Overseas Citizen of India Card, allows people of Indian origin who are citizens of other countries to get special rights in India 🇮🇳. Here’s what holders get:
– A lifelong visa to India 🇮🇳, so they can enter and leave whenever they want and stay as long as they like.
– They don’t need to register with the local police when staying in India 🇮🇳.
– They get the same business and education opportunities as Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), meaning they can own property and go to most schools or colleges in India 🇮🇳.
– However, OCI holders cannot vote in Indian elections or get government jobs.
There are also some new updates:
– If you have a Person of Indian Origin (PIO) Card (an older form of OCI), you have until 31 December 2025 to upgrade your card to an OCI Card. Until then, the old card is still accepted if you show your valid passport, too.
– For reissuing the OCI Card, rules have been made easier: after you turn twenty, you only need to get it reissued once, when you receive a new passport. Children must update their card every time they renew their passport until they’re twenty.
These changes make it simpler for people to keep their cards valid and travel or settle in India 🇮🇳 without trouble. For more on eligibility and applying, you can always check the Government of India’s official OCI services portal.
Why Did India 🇮🇳 Expand the Rule for Mauritian Nationals 🇲🇺?
There are many reasons—some old, some new:
– Cultural Reconnection: Many Mauritians of Indian origin have lost touch with their roots after generations. Now, even those whose family last lived in India 🇮🇳 over a hundred years ago have an easy way to discover their heritage, visit important places, or even study in India 🇮🇳.
– Tourism and Trade: Making it easy for Mauritians of Indian origin to travel to India 🇮🇳 boosts tourism both ways. Since 2004, both countries have let each other’s citizens visit easily by giving month-long visa waivers. Now with the new OCI rules, travel is even easier, and more people will visit family, start businesses, or attend cultural events.
– Economy and Development: With more Mauritian nationals of Indian origin eligible, India 🇮🇳 expects to draw more business links, investments, and cultural exchange with Mauritius 🇲🇺.
Ongoing Projects and Teamwork
The policy expansion happened as India 🇮🇳 also supported many projects in Mauritius 🇲🇺. During President Droupadi Murmu’s visit, India 🇮🇳 promised to redevelop Ganga Talao—a lake that is very important for Hindus in Mauritius 🇲🇺. India 🇮🇳 helped with fourteen new community buildings too! At the same time, a new science laboratory got funding from India 🇮🇳, and digital payment systems like UPI and RuPay started growing. India 🇮🇳 is even sending new electric buses to help modernize Mauritius’ 🇲🇺 transport.
These steps make it clear that both countries want strong partnerships—not just rooted in old ties, but built for the future. Joint work on satellites, public health, and finance has picked up speed since early 2024. And each project gives Mauritius 🇲🇺 and India 🇮🇳 new reasons to stay connected.
Easy Entry and Open Doors
Mauritius 🇲🇺 is known for welcoming attitude towards Indians who want to visit. Indians can visit for free for up to a month. Now, the favor is returned in new ways. Mauritius 🇲🇺 offers easy visas, and India 🇮🇳 gives OCI Cards to more people than ever before. This means families split between the two countries can reunite easily and keep traditions alive, wherever life takes them.
The Challenge: Proving Ancestry
While the rule now includes people up to the seventh generation, proving your ancestry can sometimes be difficult. Records from the 1800s and early 1900s are sometimes lost or incomplete. If you want an OCI Card, you need to show documents connecting you with your Indian ancestor—like birth certificates, family trees, or church records. Sometimes, even simple signed statements can help if older records are not there. The good news: Indian and Mauritian officials say they try to be flexible and want to help people who are genuinely eligible, even if paperwork is hard to find.
If you still have a PIO Card, remember: after 31 December 2025, it won’t be accepted for travel. It’s best to change to an OCI Card as soon as you can. This keeps travel plans comfortable and legal. Indian embassies and high commissions are reminding everyone to make this switch sooner rather than later.
Making Application Easier
The government has tried to make the application process quick and simple. No more long delays—most requests are processed in just a few weeks. Make sure your passport photo and other documents are new and match the rules, especially for children, since they need updates whenever they get a new passport until the age of twenty.
More Tips for Applicants:
– Make family trees and gather old papers before applying.
– Talk to older family members for information or stories that help prove your ancestry.
– Keep your passport and other official papers up to date.
– If you have trouble finding documents, talk to the Indian Embassy—they often help solve these problems.
What This Means for Indo-Mauritian Relations
This policy is about more than rules or paperwork. It’s about memories, friendships, culture, and the future. India 🇮🇳 and Mauritius 🇲🇺 share more than history—they share dreams. The new, easier way to get an OCI Card proves that both countries want to keep their families, and their future, close.
The words of President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are not just talk. Both governments show their commitment through continuous projects, open travel, and new technology—but also by honoring an old bond and making it easier for future generations to feel that bond, too.
Summary and Next Steps
India 🇮🇳 expanding the OCI Card policy for Mauritian nationals 🇲🇺 up to the seventh generation is more than a law or a rulebook update. It’s a message: India 🇮🇳 values its diaspora and wants people of Indian origin, even after many generations, to feel at home. The change means:
– Thousands more Mauritians of Indian origin will soon be able to visit, study, and invest in India 🇮🇳 as easily as family.
– Families divided by history now have a new way to come together.
– Projects such as Ganga Talao’s redevelopment, new science labs, and digital payment rollouts back up this message with real action.
For readers interested in applying, start by collecting your family documents and visit the official OCI application site to check your eligibility and start the process.
This is a unique moment for Indo-Mauritian ties. By making it possible for more people to receive the OCI Card—backed by projects and friendly visa rules—India 🇮🇳 and Mauritius 🇲🇺 show that friendship, family, and progress can go hand in hand. The OCI Card is more than a travel pass. It’s a symbol of connection, belonging, and hope for both countries’ futures.
If you are a Mauritian national with Indian roots up to the seventh generation, this is your opportunity to rediscover your heritage and build new links with India 🇮🇳. And for both countries, it’s a reminder: old bonds grow even stronger with each new generation.
Learn Today
OCI Card → Overseas Citizen of India Card. Allows Indian-origin foreign nationals special rights like lifelong visa and educational opportunities in India.
Indenture System → A system where workers, mainly from India, went abroad under fixed-term contracts, notably to Mauritius during British colonial rule.
PIO Card → Person of Indian Origin Card. An older card system for Indian diaspora, phased out in favor of the OCI Card by 2025.
Non-Resident Indian (NRI) → An Indian citizen living outside India who still retains rights such as property ownership and academic opportunities in India.
Ganga Talao → A sacred lake in Mauritius, deeply significant for Hindus and a symbol of Indo-Mauritian cultural connection.
This Article in a Nutshell
India has expanded OCI Card eligibility to Mauritians of Indian origin up to the seventh generation. Announced during President Murmu’s 2024 visit, this move reconnects descendants with their roots. Thousands more Mauritians can now engage deeply with India, solidifying longstanding Indo-Mauritian family, cultural, and economic ties for generations.
— By VisaVerge.com
