What is Eligibility for getting the PIO Card?
Answered on December 27,2019
Every person of Indian origin who is a citizen of another country, NOT being a citizen of any country that may be specified by the Government of India from time to time, will be eligible to apply for PIO Card if:
(i) the person at any time held an Indian passport; or
(ii) the person or either of his/her parents or grandparents or great grandparents was born in, and was permanently resident in India, provided further that neither was at any time a citizen of any of the aforesaid excluded countries; or
(iii) the person is the spouse of a citizen of India or a person of Indian origin covered under (i) or (ii) above.
Presently, the specified countries whose nationals are ineligible for the grant of PIO Card are Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Iran, China, and Nepal. Further, if the applicant himself or either of his parents, grandparents or great grandparents held the nationality of these specified countries at any time, he will not be granted PIO Card. Iranian nationals of Indian origin can be considered for the grant of PIO Card. The Missions or other agency authorized to issue PIO card would obtain prior clearance from the Ministry of Home Affairs before issuing the card to an Iranian national.