Premium

‘Gandhi of Lisbon’ Antonio Costa proud of Goan heritage: Who is an Overseas Citizen of India?

OCI cardholders are eligible for multiple entries and a lifelong free visa. However, they do not hold dual citizenship and are not Indian citizens.

Written by: Swareena Singh

4 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Jan 28, 2026 09:24 AM IST

European Council President Antonio Costa, left, shows his Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his press statement after reaching free trade agreement between India and EU in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. (AP)

As India concluded the mother of all trade deals with the European Union on Tuesday (January 27), the European Council President António Costa stressed both the strategic and personal significance of the agreement.

“I am the President of the European Council, but I am also an overseas Indian citizen,” he said. “Then, as you can imagine, for me, it has a special meaning. I am very proud of my roots in Goa, where my father’s family came from.”

The former Prime Minister of Portugal, Costa is also known as the ‘Gandhi of Lisbon’ for his dialogue-driven work and negotiating skills when he was the mayor of the city. His Indian supporters know him as “Babush”, Konkani for young, loved one.

In 2017, during the first-ever bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Portugal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented Costa with the OCI card.

Who are Overseas Citizens of India?

The Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Scheme was introduced in August 2005 in response to persistent demands for dual citizenship, particularly from the Indian diaspora.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the scheme allows all Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) who were citizens of India on 26th January, 1950 or thereafter, or were eligible to become citizens of India on 26th January, 1950, to be registered as OCIs. This excludes anyone who is or has been a citizen of Pakistan, Bangladesh or otherwise specified by the Central Government.

OCI cardholders are eligible for multiple entries and a lifelong free visa. However, they do not hold dual citizenship and are not Indian citizens.

How many Goans came to be Overseas Citizens

Story continues below this ad

A Portuguese colony since 1510, Goa gained independence only 450 years later in 1961. Under Portuguese law, anyone born before December 19, 1961, in “Estado da India”, the erstwhile Portuguese colonial empire in India, could register their birth in Portugal. Thus, their children and grandchildren up to the third generation also become eligible for Portuguese citizenship.

Also in Explained | UGC’s new regulations to deal with caste-based discrimination and the opposition to them

However, India follows a single citizenship policy. Consequently, any Indian acquiring the passport of another country will lose their Indian citizenship. Therefore, most Goans who took Portuguese citizenship applied for OCI cards, allowing them to live and work in India (barring the right to vote and purchase agricultural lands).

In the past, an Indian citizen taking a foreign passport was required to surrender their passport to the authorities. If anyone was found registering their birth in Portugal without informing the authorities, their passport was revoked and they were barred from obtaining the OCI card. This presented a problem for many Goans, who were left stranded as they lost their Indian citizenship and could not even register as OCIs.

However, in 2024, the MEA issued a memorandum stating that all Indians hailing from the erstwhile Portuguese territories of India whose passports had been revoked could apply for an OCI card. Today, eligible Indians with a Portuguese passport can still live and work in India with the OCI status.

Story continues below this ad

Who is not eligible to be an OCI? What are some restrictions they face?

An applicant is not eligible to get an OCI card if their parents or grandparents have ever been Pakistan or Bangladesh citizens. However, the foreign-origin spouse of an Indian citizen or an OCI, whose marriage has been registered and subsisted for a minimum of two years, can apply for an OCI card.

Foreign military personnel who are either in service or retired are also not entitled for the OCI card.

An OCI cardholder is not entitled to vote; to be a member of a Legislative Assembly or of a Legislative Council or of Parliament; to hold Indian constitutional posts such as that of the President, Vice President, Judge of the Supreme Court or High Court. Also, they cannot normally hold employment in the government.