Guides for Gulf Malayalis

Short notes on the papers and accounts NRIs ask about. Each one points at the office that actually decides. Fees and forms change, so the official link is the last step.

• Renew an Indian passport from the GulfWhere Malayali NRIs start a passport renewal, and which office actually issues it.
• Police clearance for a Gulf visa or a new jobA PCC is issued for a stated purpose. The Indian mission in your country publishes the current steps.
• OCI card for family who are not Indian citizensOverseas Citizen of India is the card that replaced PIO. Apply on the official OCI portal.
• Power of attorney for property in KeralaA Gulf-signed power of attorney still has to be accepted by the Kerala office that will use it.
• NRE and NRO accounts, in plain wordsTwo Indian bank accounts NRIs mix up. The Reserve Bank of India sets the difference.
• Sending money home from the GulfCompare the amount that arrives in rupees, not the headline rate on a banner.
• Aadhaar updates while you live abroadUIDAI, not a Gulf typing shop, is the office that changes an Aadhaar record.
• Voting in Indian elections from the GulfOverseas electors are registered through the Election Commission, on the roll of the constituency in India.
• Papers for children moving back to KeralaSchools ask for the last report, a birth certificate, and sometimes an equivalence note.
• When something goes wrong in the GulfThe Indian mission that covers your city is the first official contact, not a social media page.