Matrix Solutions — Indian documentation support
OCI renewal & linking

OCI renewal in the UK: got a new passport? Link or update your OCI the right way.

What people often call OCI renewal is now handled as a link or an update — the physical booklet is no longer re-issued for a passport change. If you already hold an OCI and your passport has changed — or your OCI details need updating — this guide explains which route generally applies: a simple OCI Link (online, within the 90-day window), or the OCI Passport Details Update — online within the window for a change, and the route for any case past 90 days, through a VFS appointment we book. This is guidance; the relevant Indian authority makes the final decision.

Confirm my route on WhatsAppCheck your route

Link vs Passport Details Update

Which route — Link or Passport Details Update?

These are two different services, and between them they cover what OCI renewal in the UK generally means in practice. OCI Link is not the same as the OCI Passport Details Update — pick the one that matches your situation.

OCI Link / update

A simple passport-number change within about 90 days of the new passport's issue date (£100). It is fully online, with no VFS visit and nothing payable at VFS. Past 90 days, any case — including a simple passport-number change — moves to our OCI Passport Details Update service (£125, e-OCI included), completed through a VFS appointment we book, with £52.78 payable at VFS (£20 Government of India fee + £3 ICWF + £29.78 VFS service fee).

  • Passport renewed or number changed
  • Same name as on your OCI
  • OCI card valid, not lost or damaged
  • No name, nationality or detail change
  • Within about 90 days of the new passport's issue date (fully online, no VFS visit)
OCI Link service →WhatsApp

OCI Passport Details Update

The details-update route (£125, with e-OCI included). For a name/nationality/DOB/detail change, lost or damaged card, appearance change, ex-spouse name removal, address change, or a wrong-details correction — and for any case past 90 days, including a simple passport-number change. Within the 90-day window it is online, with no VFS visit; past the window it is completed through a VFS appointment we book, with £52.78 payable at VFS (£20 Government of India fee + £3 ICWF + £29.78 VFS service fee).

  • Name change or name mismatch with the OCI
  • Nationality change (no Indian origin proof needed again)
  • OCI card lost, damaged, or major facial appearance change
  • Ex-spouse name removal or OCI address change
  • Wrong details (DOB/citizenship) on OCI
  • Any case past 90 days, including a simple passport-number change (a VFS appointment we book, £52.78 payable at VFS)
OCI Passport Details Update →WhatsApp

Compare the two in detail →

Smart checker

Find your correct OCI route in about 30 seconds

Enter your details and tick what applies. The checker reflects the current Indian High Commission rules — the 90-day window and OCI Passport Details Update triggers.

OCI Service Checker

Most clients spend less than a minute here — get an exact answer.

The 90-day window

Link immediately — do not wait for the deadline

Start as soon as the passport arrives

The 90-day window is counted from the passport's issue date, not from when you start the process. The OCI department's rejection emails can take time to arrive — if you submitted on day 80 and a rejection lands on day 92, the window has already closed. There is no benefit to waiting; link as soon as the new passport is in hand. This applies again on each passport change.

Passed the window?

If you have passed the 90-day window

If 90 days have passed since the new passport was issued — even if nothing else has changed — our fee is £125 through our OCI Passport Details Update service (e-OCI included). It is completed through a VFS appointment we book — you attend VFS in person. Your existing OCI is not cancelled; it is updated with your new passport details. £52.78 is payable in person at VFS (£20 Government of India fee + £3 ICWF + £29.78 VFS service fee), separate from our fee. WhatsApp Matrix Solutions with your dates and we confirm the route. You can also read our guide to updating your OCI with a new passport.

Check your route →OCI Passport Details Update →

Worked examples

Which route do these map to?

  • Renewed British passport, same name, valid OCI card, within 90 days.

    Likely route: OCI Link — straightforward online update.

  • Changed surname on the new passport after marriage.

    Likely route: OCI Passport Details Update — so the OCI matches the new name.

  • Changed nationality from Australian to British.

    Likely route: OCI Passport Details Update. Indian origin proof is not required again.

  • OCI card lost or damaged.

    Likely route: OCI Passport Details Update.

  • Need to remove ex-spouse's name from OCI.

    Likely route: OCI Passport Details Update — the ex-spouse's name is removed from the record.

  • OCI address needs updating.

    Likely route: OCI Passport Details Update.

  • 90 days have passed since the new passport was issued, nothing else changed.

    Likely route: OCI Passport Details Update — past 90 days, our fee is £125 (e-OCI included) and it is completed through a VFS appointment we book, with £52.78 payable at VFS (£20 Government of India fee + £3 ICWF + £29.78 VFS service fee).

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Waiting until close to the 90-day deadline to start — link as soon as the passport arrives.
  • Assuming rejection emails arrive quickly — the OCI department can be slow; by the time a rejection arrives, the 90-day window from the passport issue date may have already closed.
  • A photo or signature that does not meet the current specification.
  • Confusing OCI Link with the OCI Passport Details Update — they are different routes.
  • Starting the process before the correct route is confirmed.
  • Leaving your OCI behind — the digital e-OCI on your phone can be presented at immigration check posts and to airlines (Bureau of Immigration advice); where possible, carry your physical card as well.

Next step

Open the right service or get your route confirmed

  • OCI Link with current passport

    Online update within about 90 days of the new passport's issue date, when only your passport changed — same name, valid card, no other changes.

    View OCI Link →

  • OCI Passport Details Update

    For a name/nationality change, lost or damaged card, ex-spouse name removal, address change, or a wrong-details correction (online within 90 days) — and for any case past 90 days, completed through a VFS appointment we book.

    View OCI Passport Details Update →

  • Not sure? Free route check

    Send your OCI card and new passport details and we confirm the route before you pay anything.

    Check your route →

Fees note

Matrix Solutions service fees are shown on the relevant service page — see OCI Link or the OCI Passport Details Update for current pricing. Within the 90-day window these are handled online, with no VFS visit. Past the 90-day window, any case — including a simple passport-number change — is handled by our OCI Passport Details Update (£125, e-OCI included) and completed at a VFS appointment we book, with £52.78 payable in person at VFS (£20 Government of India fee + £3 ICWF + £29.78 VFS service fee), separate from our fee.

Common questions

OCI renewal in the UK — quick answers

Do I need to link my OCI after a passport renewal?
Generally yes. When your passport number changes, the OCI is usually linked to the new passport, ideally within about 90 days of the new passport being issued.
Is OCI Link enough on its own?
For a straightforward passport-number change with no other changes, within about 90 days of the new passport's issue date, generally yes — it is fully online. A name change, a nationality change, or a lost or damaged card is generally handled by the OCI Passport Details Update instead (online within the 90-day window). Past 90 days, any case — including a simple passport-number change — is handled by our OCI Passport Details Update service (£125, e-OCI included) through a VFS appointment we book, with £52.78 payable at VFS (£20 Government of India fee + £3 ICWF + £29.78 VFS service fee).
What if I have passed the 90-day window?
If 90 days have passed since the new passport was issued — even if nothing else has changed — our fee is £125 (the OCI Passport Details Update, e-OCI included) and it is completed through a VFS appointment we book; you attend VFS in person. £52.78 is payable at VFS (£20 Government of India fee + £3 ICWF + £29.78 VFS service fee), separate from our fee. WhatsApp Matrix Solutions with your dates to confirm next steps.
My name changed on the new passport — what now?
A name change is generally handled by the OCI Passport Details Update rather than a simple link, so the OCI matches your new passport. It is online within the 90-day window, or completed through a VFS appointment we book if past it, with £52.78 payable at VFS (£20 Government of India fee + £3 ICWF + £29.78 VFS service fee).
What is the difference between OCI Link and the OCI Passport Details Update?
OCI Link (£100) is for a simple passport-number change with no other changes, within about 90 days of the new passport's issue date — fully online, with no VFS visit. The OCI Passport Details Update (£125, e-OCI included) covers a name/nationality/DOB/detail change, a lost or damaged card, an appearance change, ex-spouse name removal, an address change, or a wrong-details correction — online within the 90-day window — and any case past 90 days, including a simple passport-number change, completed through a VFS appointment we book with £52.78 payable at VFS (£20 Government of India fee + £3 ICWF + £29.78 VFS service fee). They are separate services.
I got OCI through my spouse — do I still use OCI Link?
Yes — within about 90 days of the new passport's issue date, OCI Link (£100, fully online) applies for a straightforward passport change. You will also need a special declaration of subsisting marriage and your spouse's documents. Matrix Solutions provides the declaration forms. Past 90 days, our fee is £125 (the OCI Passport Details Update, e-OCI included), completed through a VFS appointment we book, with £52.78 payable at VFS (£20 Government of India fee + £3 ICWF + £29.78 VFS service fee). If your name changed, the OCI Passport Details Update applies instead.
I changed nationality — do I need to prove Indian origin again?
No. A nationality change (e.g. Australian to British) is handled by the OCI Passport Details Update, but Indian origin proof is not required again. Your existing OCI history is sufficient.
Do I need a physical OCI booklet to travel to India?
Not necessarily. The Bureau of Immigration advises that the digital e-OCI can be presented at immigration check posts and to airlines. Individual carriers and officers may still run their own checks, so we recommend carrying your passport and, where possible, your physical card as well.
I have urgent travel in the next two days — what do I do?
Contact Matrix Solutions immediately on WhatsApp. Urgent travel with an unresolved OCI situation needs to be assessed case by case as quickly as possible.

Still unsure? Send your details and we confirm the route.

Send your OCI card and new passport details on WhatsApp — we confirm OCI Link or the OCI Passport Details Update, and the next steps, before you pay anything.

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